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CHICAGO -- The loaded Chicago Cubs are going to have to make some difficult decisions when they set their postseason roster.From pitcher Jason Hammels perspective, its a matter of making it as tough on them as possible.Hammel tossed seven solid innings and Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking single during Chicagos three-run seventh, leading the Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.This team continues to prove as long as you hang around for a little while theyre going to put up something, Hammel said. Theyll make it exciting, so kudos to those guys (for) putting some good at-bats together late.Hammel (15-9) allowed two runs and four hits during his best outing in a month, improving to 7-0 with 0.98 ERA in his last seven home starts. The right-hander had been struggling of late, going 1-4 with an 8.61 ERA in his previous five starts overall.Hammels performance gave the franchise four pitchers with at least 15 wins for the first time since 1935. It looks as if Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta are playoff-rotation locks for the NL Central champions and John Lackey has the pole position for the fourth spot, leaving Hammel in limbo as the season winds down.Weve got a good collective group here and their decisions are going to be really hard, Hammel said, so were just going to continue to do what we do, individually do our work and show up and play and then theyll put the best team out there whenever it is.Jason Heyward added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Cubs moved seven games ahead of Washington for the best record in the National League, lowering their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to five. Thats the only major goal still out there during the regular season for major league-leading Chicago after it secured the division title last week.Brandon Phillips homered for last-place Cincinnati, which has lost five of six. Joey Votto went 2 for 3 with an RBI single and a walk, increasing his batting average since the All-Star break to .416.The Reds allowed three more homers to run their season total to 242, breaking the major league record of 241 belonging to the 1996 Detroit Tigers.We just have to be better in commanding the zone, manager Bryan Price said. And I make it sound simple; its not. We certainly have to improve the quality of the talent. Weve got to be able to get guys that can get the ball on the ground more often than we have this year.The Cubs (95-55) were coming off a lackluster series against the Brewers, dropping three of four while celebrating their division title, and manager Joe Maddon met with his hitters before facing the Reds to talk to them about making the most of the final part of the season.There was no sign of any carry-over from the meeting before Addison Russell led off the seventh with a drive to left for his 21st homer. Willson Contreras crushed another homer with one out, tying it at 2 and chasing Tim Adleman from the longest start of his rookie year.Chris Coghlan greeted Blake Wood (6-4) with a double to right. After pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella popped out, Fowler made it 3-2 with his only hit of the game.Dexter two-out knock right there is kind of spectacular, Maddon said.Hector Rondon worked the eighth before Aroldis Chapman finished for his 15th save with the Cubs and 35th on the year. It was Chapmans first career appearance against Cincinnati, which traded the hard-throwing closer to the New York Yankees last December.PACKING THEM INThe paid attendance of 39,251 ran the Cubs season total to 3,028,965 with five home games left in the regular season. Its the franchises first time drawing more than 3 million since 2011, and the ninth time at Wrigley Field overall.TRAINERS ROOMReds: RHP Homer Bailey (biceps) is scheduled for another bullpen session Wednesday. Its still possible that hell make a start or two before the year is out, Price said.Cubs: OF Jorge Soler (tightness on his right side) could be available to pinch hit on Tuesday, according to Maddon. ... Right-handed reliever Pedro Strop, who is coming back from knee and groin injuries, is on track to pitch in a simulated game soon.UP NEXTCubs LHP Jon Lester (17-4, 2.40 ERA) faces Reds RHP Josh Smith (3-1, 4.97) on Tuesday night. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last 11 starts. Smith is making his first start of the season.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Sammy Sosa Jersey Large . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Custom Billy Williams Jersey . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-ron-santo-jersey-large-160n.html . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Custom Carlos Zambrano Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Carlos Zambrano Jersey Large . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Wales fly-half prospect Sam Davies has signed a new contract with the Ospreys.The Welsh region said it was a long-term deal and comes hot on the heels of him starring for Wales during their recently-completed autumn series.Davies made appearances off the replacements bench against Australia, Japan and South Africa earlier this month, landing a late drop-goal that edged Wales past the Japanese 33-30.Davies, 23, has also shone in the Guinness PRO12 and he becomes the fourth international player in recent weeks to agree fresh Ospreys terms after Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric and Dan Baker.Its an understatement to say we are really pleased to have been able to re-sign Sam, Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy said.We know that he is a much sought-after player, so it says a lot about how we operate here that weve quietly worked oon sorting out his future very much under the radar.dddddddddddd This news should get everyone involved with the Ospreys excited.There is still huge growth in Sams game, and that is the really exciting thing. He is only going to get better and better if he continues to work as hard as he has been to get to this point.Davies, a former world junior player of the year, added: Its a huge honour to represent my home region and I am extremely fortunate to be able to sign up again at the Ospreys.I am over the moon to get it all done and dusted. Ive been away for the last few weeks, so it is exciting to be back in this environment, and I am looking forward to what the next few years have to offer. ' ' '