CINCINNATI (AP) — Kyle Farmer homered and had five RBIs to power the Cincinnati Reds to their high-scoring game in 23 years, a 20-5 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
Farmer and Nick Senzel had four hits each, and Brandon Drury, Tommy Pham and Albert Almora Jr. had three apiece. The Reds entered with a .217 batting average, 28th among the 30 teams, and finished with 20 hits in all as they gained a four-game split.
Cincinnati trailed 3-0 before scoring twice in the second and bursting ahead with eight runs in the third.
The Reds scored their most runs since a 22-3 win at Philadelphia on Sept. 4, 1999, while Chicago gave up its most since a 21-8 defeat at the Phillies on July 3, 1999.
Cubs shortstop Andrelton Simmons made his big league pitching debut, allowing five runs in the eighth.
Hunter Greene (2-6) won for the first time since his major league debut on April 10 despite giving up five runs, seven hits and two walks in five innings. He had been 0-6 with a 5.50 ERA in his previous seven starts.
Willson Contreras and Ian Happ hit back-to-back homers in the fifth. Nico Hoerner also homered for the Cubs.
Cubs starter Justin Steele (1-5) gave up seven runs, seven hits and two walks in two-plus innings,
Farmer missed the prior four games with general soreness, then hit a two-run homer in the second inning and a solo shot in fifth for his first career multihomer game. He entered with one homer this season.
Farmer added a two-run single in the sixth.
Matt Reynolds hit a two-run triple, and Tyler Stephenson and Almora had two-run singles in the third,
TRAINERS ROOM
Cubs: RF Seiya Suzuki left the game after injuring his left ring finger during an awkward slide in the third inning. … INF Nick Madrigal will start a rehab assignment on Saturday at Iowa. He has been out…