After MLB first, Reds' Devin Mesoraco ties club record

CHICAGO -- Maybe Devin Mesoraco is starting the cycle all over again.

Mesoraco hit a solo home run in the ninth inning of the Reds' 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Mesoraco's homered in five consecutive games, tying a club record. Ted Kluszewski (1954), George Crowe (1957), Johnny Bench (1972), Ken Griffey Jr. (2003) and Adam Dunn (2008) had done it previously.

But the way Mesoraco got to four straight had never been done before in the history of the major leagues.

Mesoraco hit a solo homer, followed by two-run shot, followed by a three-run shot, followed by a grand slam. No one had ever hit for the homer cycle in that order to get to four straight games.

"I was surprised," Mesoraco said. "The game's been played for so long to be the first to do anything is definitely pretty cool."

Mesoraco is doing more than just hitting home runs. He extended his hitting streak to seven games. He's 11-for-24 with two doubles, five home runs and 12 RBI during the streak.

"The other part of it is he's doing in the fourth hole," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "At times as a young hitter you can inherit some extra sense of responsibility and try to hit more home runs and manufacture things that may not be there with you on a particular night.

"He's staying within himself. I know it's a cliche, but he's doing a good job of taking what he gets and not expanding that down-and-away corner which he does sometimes when he's trying to do too much."

Mesoraco got the record ball -- after some negotiating with the fan who caught it.

"Yeah, I'm going to send him a bat," Mesoraco said. "He seemed to be a fan. That was cool."