Today the Cincinnati Reds started a very important 3 game series with the division leading Chicago Cubs. It didn’t take long for both teams to get on the scoreboard, it started with the Cubs getting a quick 2 run lead in the 1st inning. It started with a Kris Bryant home run, his 16th of the season, followed by a Anthony Rizzo RBI single.
The Reds would get 4 of their own in the bottom half of the 1st. Dee Strange-Gordon would lead off with a double, followed by advancing to 3rd on a wild pitch. Andrew Vaughn would single to center to score Strange-Gordon. 2 batters later, Eugenio Suarez would home to left to score both Andrew Vaughn & Nicholas Castellanos.
The Cubs would score another in the top of the 2nd with a Javier Baez RBI double to left. They would add the final 2 of the game in the top of the 3rd. When Joe Pederson hit his 13th home run of the season, this time a 2 run shot to put the Cubs up 5-4.
With 2 outs in the 4th inning, the Reds would pinch hit Tyler Stephenson who would proceed to double to center, next batter Dee Strange-Gordon would line to center to score Stephenson to give the Reds the 6-5 lead.
After a lengthy rain delay, both teams hit the field to start the 5th inning and the bats would stay in the bullpen as neither team would score a run the rest of the way
Sonny Gray would get the start for the Reds and would last 4 innings while giving up 5 runs on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts. Dan Winkler got the start for the Cubs and pitched 4 innings, giving up 6 runs on 8 hits with 7 strikeouts. David Robertson picked up the win pitching 2 scoreless innings, Dan Winkler was credited with the loss. Sean Doolittle picked up his 21st save of the season pitching a scoreless 9th inning, with 2 strikeouts as the Reds take home the 6-5 win.
For the 2nd straight game, the Cubs would jump out to lead in the top of the 1st. Ian Happ would hit a RBI single to left to score Javier Baez. The Cubs would add another one in the top of the 3rd when Baez would hit his 16th home run of the season to right.
The Reds would proceed to take the lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning with with a RBI single by Nicholas Castellanos, his 23rd RBI of the season. A batter later Eugenio Suarez would hit a grounder to left to score Leonardo Rivas. Francesco Rosado would double to left and Suarez would be called out trying to advance to 3rd to end the inning.
The Reds would then add 2 more in the 5th inning with Suarez hitting his 17th home run of the season, this one of the 2 run variety. The Reds would add another single run in both the 6th, on a Tucker Barnhart and in the 7th on Mike Moustakas single to score Suarez.
Eugenio Suarez would end the game going 3 for 4, HR and 3 RBI. Tyler Mahle got the start for the Reds but would leave after the 3rd inning with a injury. It was later diagnosed as a strained finger and is day to day. Michael Lorenzen picked up the win in relief, pitching 3 scoreless innings while allowing 2 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Zach Davies picked up the loss, pitching 5 innings while giving up 5 runs on 10 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk.
As good as the Reds looked in the first two games of the series against the division leading Cubs, they looked twice as bad today. Rookie Hunter Greene would start for the Reds, he’d take home the loss and fall to 1-2 on the season. He’d last 5 innings while giving up 2 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Alec Mills got the start for the Cubs, pitching 7 innings allowing just the 1 run with 3 strikeouts. He moves to 8-4 on the season.
The Cubs started the scoring in the top of the 1st with a RBI double by Khris Bryant, his 48th RBI of the season and his 18th double. The Cubs would add another in the top of the 2nd with a solo shot by Joe Pederson. The Reds would score their solo run in the bottom of the 2nd with a RBI triple by rookie Leonardo Rivas, his 1st triple and his 1st RBI of the season. The 2-1 score would hold until the 7th inning when the Cubs offense would explode to score 6 runs.
The Cubs would put the finishing touches on the game by scoring another run in the 8th to make it 9-1.
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