TJ Friedl hit a three-run homer, Nick Lodolo pitched six effective innings and the Cincinnati Reds beat the slumping Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Sunday.

Jake Fraley had three hits for Cincinnati, which took two of three in the weekend series. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario each had two hits.

Lodolo (5-2) allowed two runs and seven hits in his second straight win. The left-hander struck out three and walked one.

Nick Martinez pitched two scoreless innings for Cincinnati before Alexis Díaz got three outs for his 12th save.

Pinch-hitter Michael Busch reached on a leadoff walk in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong flied out, Nico Hoerner bounced to shortstop and Seiya Suzuki struck out looking.

Cody Bellinger had three hits for Chicago, which lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

Cubs rookie Ben Brown (1-2) was charged with five runs and six hits in five innings. Brown was coming off a dominant performance in Milwaukee, striking out 10 while pitching seven no-hit innings on Tuesday.

Cincinnati grabbed control with four runs in the second. Jonathan India hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. After Will Benson struck out swinging for the second out, Friedl hit a three-run shot into the bleachers in right for his first homer of the season.

Friedl has played in just 10 games. The outfielder began the season on the injured list with a broken right wrist. He broke his left thumb when he was hit by a pitch last month and then was reinstated from the IL on Wednesday.

Candelario singled and scored on Fraley’s sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Bellinger hit an RBI single in the fifth and David Bote drove in another run when he bounced into a fielder's choice in the sixth. But that was it for the Cubs.

Lodolo escaped a jam in the fifth when Christopher Morel grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Shota Imanaga (5-1, 1.86 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday night to begin a two-game crosstown series against RHP Chris Flexen (2-5, 5.50 ERA) and the visiting White Sox.