Jon Lester allowed two hits over seven innings with a season-high nine strikeouts, Willson Contreras hit a run-scoring single in the sixth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 on Saturday to maintain their NL Central lead.
Seeking their third straight division title, the Cubs entered 1½ games ahead of second-place Milwaukee. Chicago has won three straight and four of five.
Lester (16-6) is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his last six starts, following a mid-season slump. The 34-left-hander came out after three runs and 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers on Monday because of back tightness.
A day after saying closer Pedro Strop has a hamstring strain that will cause him to miss the rest of the regular season, four pitchers combined for two-hit relief.
Justin Wilson pitched the eighth. Jesse Chavez got the first out in the ninth and Randy Rosario retired Joey Votto on a fly to warning track in left-center. Steve Cishek retired Eugenio Suarez on a broken-bat grounder to third for his fourth save.
Cody Reed allowed two hits and struck out a career-high 10 in five innings, matching his longest outing this season.
Javier Baez led off the sixth with an infield single against Sal Romano (7-11), advanced on David Bote's groundout and scored on Contreras opposite-field single to right with two outs.
Chicago Baseball
.Each team had just two soft singles through five innings on an afternoon of bright sunlight and shadows that covered home plate. The lights in the 104-year-old ballpark were on when the game started shortly after 3 p.m. CDT.
Cubs slugger Kris Bryant struck out swinging four times.
