Bregman's 2-run homer in the 7th propels the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Reds

CINCINNATI (AP) — Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

Michael Busch had three hits and Carson Kelly also went deep for the Cubs, who improved to 3-2 on their six-game trip before the All-Star break.

All of Cincinnati's runs came via the long ball as Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Suárez and JJ Bleday homered. The Reds fell to 6-21 against NL Central teams.

Drew Pomeranz (2-3), the second of six Chicago pitchers used, got the win. Trent Thornton came in with two outs in the ninth and runners at the corners to get Sal Stewart to hit into a game-ending ground out for his third save.

Bregman was in a 2-for-18 slump before he connected on a sweeper from Julian Garcia (0-2) and drove it down the left-field line to put the Cubs back on top. Seiya Suzuki drew a walk to lead off the inning.

The Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Lowe and Suárez hit back-to-back homers off Javier Assad.

The Cubs got within a run on an RBI base hit by Suzuki in the fifth before Kelly led off the sixth with a solo shot to center off Nick Lodolo. The left-hander exited the game after giving up the homer due to a blister on his left index finger.

Kelly is batting .298 (14 for 47) with three home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 15 games.

Caleb Ferguson came on and gave up a single to Busch, who gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead when he scored on Ian Happ's double to left-center.

Cincinnati promptly tied it at 3 in the bottom of the frame on Bleday's drive to right field.

The Cubs send left-hander Matthew Boyd (4-1, 4.31 ERA) to the mound Sunday. Lefty Andrew Abbott (5-5, 3.92 ERA) goes for the Reds.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl, bottom, dives safely back to second base as Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) bobbles the ball during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Cincinnati Reds' Jose De La Cruz singles against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Cincinnati Reds' Jose De La Cruz, left, runs past Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, right, on a missed ball during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch runs to score from first base on a hit by teammate Ian Happ during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Chicago Cubs' Carson Kelly, right, celebrates his home run against Cincinnati Reds' Nick Lodolo during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda is withdrawing troops deployed for years in Somalia under an African Union peacekeeping force that helped repel militants in the Horn of Africa nation, military authorities said on Monday.

Ugandan troops are returning home under the terms of a bilateral agreement with Somali authorities, military spokesman Col. Chris Magezi said in a statement.

“The first cohort of troops under the phased withdrawal operation have already arrived back in Uganda,” the statement said.

All Ugandan troops are expected to depart Somalia by the end of 2027. Magezi told The Associated Press that thousands of Ugandans remain deployed in Somalia.

Ugandan troops were first deployed to Somalia in 2007 under the banner of an African Union mission presently known as the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM.

It was a very dangerous deployment at a time when the extremist rebels of al-Shabab had to be dislodged from markets and other public areas in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Many Ugandan peacekeepers were killed or wounded over the years, although authorities have not said precisely how many. Other peacekeepers came from countries such as Burundi and Kenya.

The exit from Somalia of Ugandan peacekeepers coincides with the end of the United Nations’ political mission there and as Somali authorities assert a need to take more charge of internal security arrangements.

The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia closed on Saturday after more than three decades of successive missions that helped rebuild a country shattered by civil war. The mission advised Somali leaders and helped resolve political disputes over the years.

Somali authorities see the closure as a milestone in the country’s ability to manage its own affairs. But opposition figures and analysts warn that it comes at a time when the president’s right to remain in office is contested and al-Shabab persists in its campaign.

United Nations aid agencies will remain in Somalia and a separate U.N. office will continue providing supplies, transport and other support to African Union troops and some Somali security units.

FILE - African Union (AU) soldiers stand with their armored vehicles near a checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Feb. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)