CINCINNATI, Oh. (WMDJ) — The Reds couldn’t make an early two-run lead hold up Saturday night, falling 5-3 to the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati jumped in front in the fourth inning on back-to-back solo home runs by Nathaniel Lowe and Eugenio Suárez, giving the Reds a 2-0 advantage.

Chicago answered with a run in the fifth before taking the lead in the sixth. Carson Kelly tied the game with a solo homer, and Ian Happ followed later in the inning with an RBI double to put the Cubs ahead 3-2.

JJ Bleday answered immediately for Cincinnati, tying the game at 3-3 with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.

The game was decided in the seventh when Alex Bregman launched a two-run homer off Julian Garcia, giving the Cubs a 5-3 lead.

The Reds out-hit Chicago 11-9 but stranded eight runners and finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, Nathaniel Lowe and Eugenio Suárez each collected two hits in the loss.

Cincinnati threatened in the ninth after Tyler Stephenson singled and advanced to third while Elly De La Cruz reached first with two outs. All-Star rookie Sal Stewart represented the tying run but grounded out to first base to end the game.

The Reds and Cubs will meet in the rubber match of the series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 1:10 p.m. on WMDJ FM 100.1.