CHICAGO (AP) — After seven dominant innings from Jon Lester http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-daniel-norris-jersey , the Chicago Cubs turned to a closer-by-committee due to their loss of Pedro Strop.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 Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 on Saturday to maintain their NL Central lead.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, completing a four-hitter.“We know we’re going to be matched up throughout the game, and that’s what Joe likes to do,” Cishek said. “Everyone knows it’s the ninth inning. We just try to treat it like any other inning.”Seeking their third straight division title, opened a 2½-game NL Central lead over second-place Milwaukee. Chicago has won three straight, four of five and eight straight against Cincinnati.Lester (16-6) came out after three runs and 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers on Monday because of back tightness.“It’s doing fine,” Lester said. “Like I say, good drugs and good docs. We’re all good.”After a midseason slump http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-kirk-gibson-jersey , the 34-year-old left-hander is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his last six starts.“Jonny typically gets better when he smells it,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He made some really big pitches when he had to.”Chicago announced Friday that Strop has a hamstring strain, causing him to miss the rest of the regular season.“We needed a quality start and he went beyond that,” Cishek said of Lester. “Especially for us in the bullpen where we could use a little bit of rest. It was huge for us, a huge boost.”Cody Reed allowed two hits and struck out a career-high 10 in five innings, matching his longest outing this season.“Did what he wanted him to do,” manager Jim Riggleman said. “Get us to that point of the ballgame and give us a chance.”Reed threw 91 pitches after transitioning from the bullpen. He threw 91 pitches.“It was fun out there,” Reed said. “I could have kept going.”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.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.“Both clubs’ hitters were having a little trouble hitting Willie Horton Jersey , seeing with the background today,” Riggleman said.Cubs slugger Kris Bryant struck out swinging four times.MORROW CLOSECubs RHP Brandon Morrow, who had 22 saves in 24 chances before going on the disabled list on July 18, hopes to be activated in the next few days after throwing a 19-pitch simulated game on Saturday.“It all depends on how I come in tomorrow,” Morrow said. “I expect to feel good enough. It was a successful day.”Morrow revealed his injury was a bone bruise in his right forearm, caused by muscle overuse and a stress reaction from pitching. “Throwing too hard,” he quipped.Morrow’s return figures to be a big boost for the Cubs’ bullpen after Strop strained his left hamstring on Thursday in Washington running to first base.Maddon said he doesn’t think he’ll initially use the right-hander in a save situation. Maddon will monitor Morrow’s pitch counts and doubts the reliever will be able to throw in consecutive games unless the Cubs advance deep into the postseason.TRAINER’S ROOMReds: RHP Michael Lorenzen will start in place of RHP Tyler Mahle (right shoulder fatigue) on Tuesday. Mahle’s status for the remainder of the season is uncertain, manager Jim Riggleman said. The 26-year old Lorenzen hasn’t make a start since September 2015, at the close of his first season with the Reds and in the majors.Cubs: Maddon said OF/IF Kyle Schwarber (back) could be cleared for pinch hitting this weekend and return to the lineup when the Cubs travel to Arizona for a three-game series starting Monday. … Maddon also expects OF Jason Heyward (right hamstring tightness) to return during the series against the Diamondbacks.UP NEXTReds RHP Luis Castillo (9-12 http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-victor-martinez-jersey , 4.66) is to take the mound against Cubs LHP Jose Quintana (13-9, 3.97) in the series finale on Sunday. Quintana will try for a career-high 14th win. TORONTO (AP) — Two bigs swings from Kendrys Morales made sure the Toronto Blue Jays stayed perfect at home against Baltimore.Morales homered twice, Marco Estrada pitched 5 1/3 innings to win his second straight start and the Blue Jays beat Baltimore 5-3 on Monday night, improving to 8-0 at home against the Orioles.Morales broke his bat on his one-out solo homer in the fourth, then added a three-run drive into the second deck in the fifth — both coming against Baltimore right-hander Andrew Cashner (4-11) — for his 22nd career multihomer game.“I guess maybe the wind was blowing out,” Morales said through a translator when asked about his first homer.And the second?“He just threw me a meatball and I hit it much better than the first one,” Morales said.Renato Nunez replied with a solo home run for the struggling Orioles, who have lost nine of their past 11.Toronto is 10-1 overall against Baltimore, five more wins than the Blue Jays have against any other opponent.Estrada (7-9) allowed three runs and seven hits Nick Castellanos Jersey , improving to 9-2 in 18 career games against Baltimore.“I was happy with the way I was locating,” Estrada said. “Maybe two or three hard hit balls, but that’s going to happen. For the most part I felt like we were in control.”Ryan Tepera got four outs and Jaime Garcia struck out the only batter he faced. Tyler Clippard worked the eighth and Ken Giles finished for his 16th save in 16 opportunities.Baltimore became the first team mathematically eliminated from playoff contention when Oakland won later Monday.Toronto’s Kevin Pillar went 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. On Sunday, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons publicly berated Pillar in the dugout after the outfielder ended the sixth inning by getting thrown out attempting to steal third. Toronto trailed the New York Yankees 6-2 at the time.After Pillar doubled in his first at bat Monday, Gibbons stared into the camera trained on his seat in Toronto’s dugout, then flashed a smile and a thumbs up.Cashner allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings to remain winless in four starts against Toronto this season.“You’ve got to get strike one,” Cashner said. “I worked behind a lot of guys which allowed them to just sit fastball.”Craig Gentry had three hits for the Orioles, while Chris Davis hit a sacrifice fly.ALL IN THE FAMILYBefore the game, Orioles OF Adam Jones tweeted a welcome message to new Blue Jays C Danny Jansen http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-james-mccann-jersey , who was promoted from Triple-A on Aug. 12. The two first met in 2004 when Jones played for the Class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and lived with 9-year-old Jansen and his family in nearby Appleton. Jansen flied out to Jones for the final out of the second.STREAKINGJansen doubled in the fourth, becoming the third player in Blue Jays history with hits in each of his first six major league games. The others were Jesse Barfield (eight games in 1981) and Ryan Goins (eight games in 2013).EXTRA, EXTRA!Six of Toronto’s seven hits went for extra bases. The lone exception was a single by SS Aledmys Diaz in the sixth, Toronto’s final hit of the game.TRAINER’S ROOMOrioles: Baltimore put DH Mark Trumbo (right knee) on the 10-day DL and recalled OF John Andeoli from Triple-A Norfolk. … Jones was reinstated from the bereavement list and returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games. He went 0 for 3 with a walk.Blue Jays: Toronto reinstated C Luke Maile from the paternity list and optioned RHP Sean Reid-Foley to Triple-A Buffalo. … RHP Aaron Sanchez (right index finger) allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings in his first rehab start at Double-A New Hampshire and third overall. Sanchez threw 86 pitches, 42 for strikes. He could rejoin the Blue Jays this weekend to start against Philadelphia.UP NEXTOrioles RHP Dylan Bundy (7-11, 4.99) faces Blue Jays RHP Sam Gaviglio (2-6, 5.13) on Tuesday night. Bundy is 0-2 with an 8.27 ERA in three August starts. Gaviglio is 0-6 with a 5.75 ERA in 16 starts since his most recent win, May 25 at Philadelphia.