CINCINNATI -- Three harmless singles. That's all the Cubs managed off Scott Feldman and Cincinnati's bullpen.
Feldman limited Chicago's depleted lineup to two hits over seven innings on Friday night, and Adam Duvall hit a three-run homer , powering the Reds to a 5-0 victory.
The Reds won for only the sixth time in their last 29 games against the NL Central rival.
Feldman (7-5) didn't allow a hit until Ian Happ singled with two outs in the sixth inning. Addison Russell singled in the seventh. Feldman walked two, struck out seven and threw 108 pitches, using an improved breaking pitch that he's worked on the last few days.
"I kind of lost my feel for the breaking ball the last two or three starts, but my fastball was better so I was getting away with it," Feldman said. "We kind of worked on (the breaking pitch) in between. It was better tonight."
The Reds signed him in January to fill out the rotation, and he wound up being their opening day starter. His seven wins lead the staff.
"Feldman has been an absolute godsend," manager Bryan Price said. "We are lucky to have him."
Michael Lorenzen and Wandy Peralta each pitched an inning, completing the combined three-hitter.
Duvall connected for his third homer in four games off left-hander Mike Montgomery (1-5) in the fourth inning, hitting a high changeup. The Reds also scored on Jose Peraza's squeeze bunt for a single in the sixth, and again on catcher Victor Caratini's throwing error in the eighth.
The defending World Series champions were missing third baseman Kris Bryant for the second straight game, sidelined by a sprained right ankle. Jayson Heyward and Ben Zobrist remain on the disabled list, leaving the Cubs to depend upon young players.
"The last thing to come is the development of the at-bats at the major league level," manager Joe Maddon said. "We can play great defense, we can run the bases, we throw well, we do a lot of things well. It's just that our at-bats are inconsistent."
Chicago is stuck in a win-one, lose-one pattern -- no back-to-back victories since June 19-20.
The Cubs had homered in each of their last 15 games at Great American Ball Park, but had only one close call -- Happ's fly out to the wall in left field -- as they were shut out for the seventh time this season, second-most in the NL. The Reds snapped their streak of giving up homers in 22 consecutive games, four shy of the major league record.
Montgomery made his fifth start since moving from the bullpen and replacing the injured Kyle Hendricks. He gave up nine hits and four runs -- both season highs -- over 6 2/3 innings while throwing 102 pitches for the first time.
"I feel really good with where I'm at," Montgomery said. "I feel I made only one mistake. The other balls were ones that took bad hops, found holes, got by somehow. Those are things you can't really get upset about. They're not in your control."
HAPP-Y RETURN
Happ returned to his second home. Happ grew up in the Pittsburgh area and played at the University of Cincinnati before getting drafted in the first round in 2015. He played one game at Great American Ball Park while at UC and attended others as a fan.
NICE PLAY
Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. failed to make a diving catch of Billy Hamilton's sinking liner in the fourth inning, but got up and threw the speedy player out at third as he tried to stretch the hit into a triple.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: INF Jeimer Candelario was much improved after leaving Thursday's game with a bruised left knee.
Reds: SS Zack Cozart was activated off the DL. He had been sidelined since June 19 by a strained right thigh. RHP Kevin Shackelford was optioned to Triple-A. Cozart had two singles.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Eddie Butler (4-2) makes his 10th start of the season. He's allowed only one earned run in his last two starts, a span of nine innings.
Reds: RHP Jackson Stephens will make his major league debut, the Reds' seventh rookie starter this season.
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball





Final
Series: Game 1 of 3

Cubs 0

(40-40, 18-24 away)

Reds 5

(34-45, 22-19 home)





7:10PM,EDT,June 30,2017
Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati,Ohio 

123456789 R H E
CHC 000000000 0 3 1
CIN 00030101 - 5 10 1
W: S. Feldman (7-5)
L: M. Montgomery (1-5)





View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Chicago - Top of 1stSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Jay flied out to left.00
Happ lined out to center.00
Rizzo struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Hamilton struck out looking.00
Cozart lined out to center.00
Votto grounded out to second.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 2ndSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Contreras walked.00
Russell grounded into fielder's choice to second, Contreras out at second.00
Caratini grounded into double play, shortstop to first, Russell out at second.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Duvall struck out swinging.00
Suárez reached on infield single to third.00
Schebler grounded into double play, shortstop to first, Suárez out at second.00
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 3rdSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Báez walked.00
Almora Jr. struck out swinging.00
Báez to second on wild pitch by Feldman.00
Montgomery grounded out to shortstop, Báez to third.00
Jay flied out to center.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Peraza struck out swinging.00
Barnhart struck out swinging.00
Feldman struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 4thSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Happ grounded out to second.00
Rizzo grounded out to shortstop.00
Contreras struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Hamilton doubled to center, Hamilton out stretching at third.00
Cozart singled to center.00
Votto doubled to right, Cozart to third.00
Duvall homered to right (356 feet), Cozart and Votto scored.03
Suárez struck out looking.03
Schebler walked.03
Peraza reached on infield single to third, Schebler to second.03
Barnhart grounded out to shortstop.03
3 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 5thSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Russell struck out swinging.03
Caratini struck out swinging.03
Báez grounded out to first.03
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Feldman flied out to left.03
Hamilton lined out to center.03
Cozart reached on infield single to third.03
Votto grounded out to second.03
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 6thSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Almora Jr. lined out to shortstop.03
Montgomery struck out swinging.03
Jay safe at first on error by second baseman Peraza.03
Happ singled to right, Jay to third.03
Rizzo flied out to center.03
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Duvall walked.03
Suárez struck out swinging, Duvall stole second.03
Schebler singled to left, Duvall to third.03
Peraza reached on bunt single to pitcher, Duvall scored, Schebler to second.04
Barnhart grounded into double play, third to first, Schebler out at third.04
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 7thSCORE
Scott Feldman pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Contreras grounded out to shortstop.04
Russell singled to center.04
Caratini grounded out to second, Russell to second.04
Báez struck out swinging.04
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Mike Montgomery pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Kivlehan hit for Feldman.04
Kivlehan grounded out to third.04
Hamilton grounded out to third.04
Grimm relieved Montgomery.04
Cozart lined out to right.04
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 8thSCORE
Michael Lorenzen pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Lorenzen relieved Feldman.04
Almora Jr. grounded out to shortstop.04
La Stella hit for Grimm.04
La Stella grounded out to second.04
Jay singled to right.04
Happ flied out to left.04
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Hector Rondon pitching for ChicagoCHCCIN
Jay in center field.04
Happ in right field.04
Báez at second base.04
La Stella at third base.04
Rondón relieved Grimm.04
Votto doubled to left.04
Duvall struck out looking.04
Suárez struck out swinging.04
Votto stole third, Votto scored on throwing error by catcher Caratini.05
Schebler walked.05
Peraza struck out looking.05
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors
Chicago - Top of 9thSCORE
Wandy Peralta pitching for CincinnatiCHCCIN
Peralta relieved Lorenzen.05
Rizzo flied out to center.05
Contreras grounded out to second.05
Russell grounded out to shortstop.05
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors




Chicago Cubs
HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Jay RF-CF40100018.300.380.373
Happ 2B-RF40100012.250.317.520
Rizzo 1B40000116.258.384.502
Contreras LF30001115.249.317.434
Russell SS40100115.228.296.397
Caratini C30000119.000.000.000
Báez 3B-2B20001112.253.295.452
Almora Jr. CF3000017.264.335.384
0000000.000.000.000
Montgomery P20000111.000.000.000
0000000.000.000.000
a-La Stella PH-3B
1000009.271.368.417
Totals3003027134   
a-grounded to second for J Grimm in the 8th
BATTING
GIDP: Caratini
Cubs RISP: 0-4 (Jay 0-1, Montgomery 0-1, Báez 0-1, Rizzo 0-1)
Team LOB: 5
FIELDING
E: Caratini (1, throw)
DP: 2 (Russell-Rizzo, Báez-Rizzo).
Outfield Assist: Almora Jr. (Hamilton at 3rd base).

Game Information

StadiumGreat American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance39,501 (93.3% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:37
Weather85 degrees, cloudy
Wind8 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Ted Barrett, First Base - Angel Hernandez, Second Base - John Tumpane, Third Base - Chad Whitson