CHICAGO – Mark DeRosa hit a go-ahead single against a five-man infield – his fifth hit of the game – as the Chicago Cubs rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 Monday night and hang onto first place in the NL Central.

Chicago’s thrilling comeback victory before a wild crowd at Wrigley Field kept the Cubs in first by one game over Milwaukee, which beat Houston 6-0.

The Cubs trailed 6-4 when Ryan Theriot worked out a leadoff walk off Reds closer David Weathers (2-6), and Derrek Lee followed with a single. Aramis Ramirez then drove a ball to right-center that center fielder Norris Hopper couldn’t reach with a dive, and the ball went all the way to the wall for a two-run triple.

Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward was walked intentionally, and Cincinnati then used five infielders, bringing Hopper in from center field.

DeRosa hit a sharp grounder to the right of the mound, and second baseman Brandon Phillips couldn’t come up with the ball as the winning run scored. The Cubs rushed out of the dugout to celebrate.

Weathers blew his sixth save in 31 chances. Will Ohman (2-4) pitched the top of the ninth for the win.

Jeff Keppinger had three hits for Cincinnati, including a double in the sixth when the Reds scored twice to take a 6-4 lead.

Coming off a 6-4 trip, the Cubs weren’t sharp at the outset. They missed several catches defensively and got a shaky start from lefty Rich Hill, who allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings with seven strikeouts. They did get homers from Cliff Floyd and DeRosa off Bronson Arroyo, who gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

With the game tied at 4, Hopper raced home from first with two outs in the sixth and eluded Jason Kendall’s tag, scoring on Keppinger’s sinking liner double that Cubs’ center fielder Jacque Jones couldn’t hold. Ken Griffey Jr.’s RBI single made it a two-run cushion.

Hopper also made a great defensive play.

With a runner at first in the fifth, he raced back and climbed the ivy-covered wall in center to make a great catch and rob Ramirez of extra bases.

Hopper’s RBI grounder put the Reds ahead in the third, but Floyd and DeRosa hit back-to-back two-out homers in the bottom half for a 3-1 lead.

Following an error by Lee, who dropped DeRosa’s throw from second to first on Hopper’s bunt single in the fifth, Cincinnati went ahead 4-3 on RBI singles by Keppinger and Phillips plus a broken-bat, run-scoring forceout by Adam Dunn. With runners at the corners and one out, Dunn beat the replay throw as the Cubs attempted a double play. Manager Lou Piniella argued the call with first base umpire Tim Timmons, and replays were inconclusive.

Jones’ RBI single tied it in the fifth.