CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and Carson Kelly tied the game with a solo shot in the sixth as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 Saturday at Great American Ball Park.

The Cubs overcame a 2-0 deficit with three homers, including a go-ahead blast by Bregman that scored Seiya Suzuki and put Chicago ahead for good. The victory improved the Cubs to 53-42 while the Reds fell to 43-51. Attendance was 34,199 and the game lasted 2 hours, 58 minutes.

Cincinnati seized the lead in the fourth inning. Nathaniel Lowe led off with a solo homer to right field, his 10th of the season, and Eugenio Suárez followed with a homer to right center, also his 10th, off Cubs starter Javier Assad. Assad worked five innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. He was not involved in the decision.

The Cubs answered in the fifth. Miguel Amaya singled and Pete Crow-Armstrong walked before Suzuki lined an RBI single to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1. But the inning ended when Bregman flied out to center with runners at the corners.

In the sixth, Kelly led off with a homer to center field, his sixth of the season, tying the game at 2-2. Michael Busch then singled and later scored on Ian Happ’s double to left field, giving Chicago a 3-2 lead.

Cincinnati tied it again in the bottom of the sixth. JJ Bleday hit a solo homer to right field, his 16th, off reliever Caleb Thielbar, making it 3-3. The Reds threatened further when Nathaniel Lowe singled and Suárez walked, but Jose Trevino grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The decisive rally came in the seventh. With one out, Suzuki walked off Reds reliever Julian Garcia. Bregman followed with a homer to left field, his eighth, scoring Suzuki and giving the Cubs a 5-3 lead. Garcia, who relieved starter Nick Lodolo, was charged with the loss and fell to 0-2.

Lodolo started for Cincinnati and pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. He also did not factor in the decision.

Drew Pomeranz earned the win for the Cubs, improving to 2-3. Trent Thornton recorded the final out in the ninth for his third save.

Thornton faced a nervous moment in the ninth. Tyler Stephenson led off with a single off Cubs reliever Jacob Webb and advanced to third on an Edwin Arroyo lineout. Webb struck out Noelvi Marte on a foul tip and walked Elly De La Cruz before Thornton entered and induced a groundout from Sal Stewart to end the game.

The Cubs bullpen combined for three scoreless innings. Thielbar allowed one run on one hit with two strikeouts in the sixth. Webb worked a scoreless eighth with one strikeout. Thornton recorded one out on six pitches.

Cincinnati’s bullpen also performed well. Tejay Antone and Pierce Johnson each threw a scoreless inning, striking out one and zero respectively.

Chicago outhit Cincinnati 9-11, but the Reds stranded eight runners and grounded into two double plays.

Offensively for the Cubs, Kelly finished 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. Bregman was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a homer. Busch had two hits, including a double and a single, and scored a run. Happ doubled and drove in a run. Suzuki had a hit, a walk, and scored twice.

For Cincinnati, Lowe went 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. Suárez also homered and singled. Bleday homered. TJ Friedl had two singles and Elly De La Cruz added two singles. The Reds managed 11 hits but could not overcome the Cubs’ late surge.

The Cubs evened the series at one game apiece after losing 4-0 Friday. The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago Cubs 7, Cincinnati Reds 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Cubs a 57.30 percent probability to win. Chicago was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 8 went over the over/under line of 10.