CINCINNATI -- Randy Rosario has been up and down from Triple-A to the Majors three times already this season, but despite the frequent changes of scenery, he was always steady and productive when called upon.
Rosario ran into his first big league bout with ineffectiveness on Thursday, yielding a grand slam to Reds outfielder Jesse Winker in the sixth inning of the Cubs' 6-2 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
"Give Winker credit," manager Joe Maddon said. "He got the fastball. He did not miss it, he did not foul it off, did not take it. He hit it really well. That was it. That's the ballgame, pretty much, right there."

Rosario entered the game tasked with cleaning up a bases-loaded jumble created by starter Kyle Hendricks (5-7), who issued three of his four walks in that inning. Billy Hamilton drew a leadoff walk and was joined on the basepaths by Joey Votto, who also walked, and Scooter Gennett, who singled. Hendricks' final batter, Eugenio Suarez, drew a bases-loaded walk, prompting Maddon to turn to rookie Rosario to face the left-handed Winker.
"It's a tough position to put anybody in," Maddon said of Rosario. "I do not fault him whatsoever. It just happened. Winker didn't miss it. Rosie's been great for us. This happens every once in a while."
The grand slam, Winker's first of his career, traveled 417 feet to center field. It also ended Rosario's perfect 10-for-10 ratio in stranding inherited baserunners.
"He's been awesome for us all year," Hendricks said. "I put him in a tough spot, coming into the game right there. That's going to happen. He can't get every guy. [Winker's] a good hitter. [Rosario's] been huge for us the rest of the year. He'll be all right."
Before this outing, Rosario, who also allowed an RBI single to Hamilton in the sixth inning, when 11 Reds made plate appearances, yielded one run over 12 games this season, totaling 15 innings. After he allowed a run in Philadelphia on June 5, Rosario strung together six scoreless outings, including both ends of a doubleheader against the Dodgers on Tuesday.
"Those things happen sometimes," Rosario said of Thursday's outing. "You learn. My teammates supported me -- they said, 'Hey it's going to happen.'"

Hendricks has yielded 13 earned runs over four starts in June and has walked at least three batters in three of those outings. He said he felt better in this start than the prior one in St. Louis, where he yielded three runs and four walks over six innings in a winning effort against the Cardinals.
"I've got to stick with what I'm doing," Hendricks said. "I felt better today. I made better pitches. I convicted the pitches. The last inning, I wasn't repeating my mechanics, got out of it. Before that, everything was good."
Said Maddon: "He was going along pretty well. It was unusual to see him walk that many guys. I didn't quite know. If he's walking three guys in an inning, I'm thinking, maybe he's a little bit tired at that point."

The Cubs scored their two runs in the third inning on a double by Javier Baez that scored Kristopher Bryant and Jason Heyward, who recorded his ninth career four-hit game. The Cubs managed five hits off Reds starter Matt Harvey, who walked one and struck out six.
The loss marked the Cubs' seventh in their past 22 games.
"We just had an emotionally tough series," Maddon said, referring to the Dodgers series earlier this week. "We come down here... Give us a day. We'll be back tomorrow."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
After losing their slim 2-0 lead, the Cubs' best chance to score arrived in the seventh, when, with two outs, Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen allowed three runners to reach base -- Bryant on an infield hit, Heyward on a double and Baez on a walk. Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman brought in lefty Amir Garrett to face Rizzo, who froze Rizzo on a low fastball for a called third strike.

Was it a little too low?
"It probably was," Maddon said. "I thought the umpire [Jordan Baker] had a good night. He may have missed a pitch or two. They're not going to be perfect. We thought it was down."
SOUND SMART
In his past 19 games dating back to May 29, Heyward is hitting .370 (30-for-81) with eight doubles, two homers, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored. He's reached base safely in 13 straight games.

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Reds shortstop Jose Peraza was initially called out on a steal attempt with two outs in the third, but a replay showed that he snuck his foot in just ahead of the tag by Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. After a review of two minutes and 27 seconds, the call was overturned.
UP NEXT
Jose Quintana (6-5, 4.06 ERA) will take the mound for the second game of a four-game set in Cincinnati on Friday at 6:10 p.m. CT. The lefty has a 2.78 ERA over eight road starts, compared to 6.00 at home. Quintana has a 2-0 record and 2.70 ERA in three career starts against the Reds. Most recently, he earned the win at Great American Ball Park on May 19, allowing one hit over seven scoreless frames. The Reds will counter with right-hander Luis Castillo (4-8, 5.77).