Jesse Winker's three-run homer highlighted a five-run third inning, and the surging Cincinnati Reds extended their season-high winning streak to six games with a 7-1 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Tucker Barnhart and Joey Votto also homered in the third, and Nick Castellanos delivered a solo shot in the first for Cincinnati (26-26). Sitting .500 for the first time since Aug. 3, the Reds have worked themselves into postseason position.

Cincinnati's Tyler Mahle (2-2) allowed a run, four hits, struck out eight and walked one over 5 2/3 innings. The American League Central-leading White Sox (33-18), who clinched their first postseason berth since 2008 with Thursday's win over Minnesota, loaded the bases against Mahle with nobody out in the sixth, but managed only a run on Eloy Jimenez's RBI groundout.

The Reds did all their meaningful damage against Chicago rookie Jonathan Stiever (0-1), who yielded six runs and five hits in just 2 2/3 innings of his second career start.

Cincinnati started early as Castellanos cracked a shot into the left field seats for his 13th homer of the season. Barnhart made it 2-0 in the third when he sent one out to right field for his fifth of 2020, and Votto put the Reds up 3-0 with his solo homer to center field three batters later. It was Votto's 10th.

Following back-to-back walks to Eugenio Suarez and Mike Moustakas, Winker launched one well into the empty left-center field seats to put the game out of reach. He was on an 0-for-21 in his previous eight games.

With their four home runs on Friday, the Reds increased their season total to 79, putting them in the top five in the National League.

Votto had three hits, including an RBI double in the seventh. Nick Madrigal had half of Chicago's four hits.

--Field Level Media