[Batpuff]

CHICAGO -- There was no doubt the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.



Cincinnati connected for six home runs, including one by pitcher Bronson Arroyo and a grand slam by Edwin Encarnacion, on its way to a 9-2 pounding of the Cubs before 36,708 fans.

Cubs starter Glendon Rusch (0-2) gave up four solo blasts in five innings -- one in each of the first four innings. Ken Griffey Jr.'s two-out long ball, his second of the season and the 538th of his career, made it a 1-0 game in the first inning. Adam Dunn hit one to straightaway center field in the second inning and to left-center field in the fourth.

For the second time in six days, Arroyo went deep against the Cubs in his first at-bat of the game in the third inning. He sent Rusch's 2-2 offering over on to Waveland Avenue beyond the left-field bleachers.

Dave Burba was the last Reds pitcher to homer in consecutive appearances, July 14 and July 19, 1996.

With reliever Will Ohman in the game for the Cubs in the sixth, Griffey reached when his routine popup fell between third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Ronny Cedeno. After a Rich Aurilia single and Dunn's walk to load the bases, Encarnacion slugged an 0-1 Ohman pitch into the left-field bleachers for the first grand slam of his career.

The next batter, Austin Kearns, took Ohman's next pitch deep to center field and made it a 9-0 game. It was the most homers hit against Cubs pitchers in a game since the Astros slugged seven Sept. 9, 2000.

That was more than ample padding for Arroyo (2-0), who was just as proficient at keeping the ball in the ballpark while pitching as he was hitting them out. The right-hander allowed six hits -- all singles -- over seven scoreless innings. He struck out four while not walking a batter for the second time in two starts. Chicago did not reach the scoreboard until Derrek Lee's two-out RBI double off reliever Chris Hammond in the eighth. Michael Barrett then hit a solo homer in the ninth