Posted on by jeffrey9910

The division rival Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds opened their three-game series tonight at Great American Ballpark.

The Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Nick Senzel hit a two-run RBI double to right to score both Elly De La Cruz and Kevin Newman. That would be the only run the Reds would score.

The Cubs cut the lead to 1 at 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning when Nick Madrigal doubled to center to score Matt Mervis.

Brandon Williamson was on the mound for Cincinnati and pitched 6.2 innings allowing just one run on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts on the way to picking up the win. Buck Farmer and Lucas Sims pitched a combined one and one-third of an inning to pick up holds, Alexis Davis pitched the ninth inning allowing just one hit with one strikeout for his first save of the season.

Drew Smyly started for Chicago and lasted 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts to pick up the loss and fall to 0-1 on the season. Javier Assad pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

For the second straight game, the Cincinnati Reds got on the scoreboard first. In the bottom of the second inning, Stuart Fairchild doubled to right to score Curt Casali to make it 1-0. The next batter, Elly De La Cruz singled to right scoring Fairchild and giving the Reds the 2-0 lead.

In the top of the next inning, the Cubs would quickly tie it at 2-2. Cody Bellinger singled to center to score former Red Tucker Barnhart. A couple batters later, Dansby Swanson doubled to center to score Patrick Wisdom.

Each team traded runs in the fourth inning. The Cubs took the 3-2 lead when Barnhart hit a sacrifice fly to Will Benson to score Seiya Suzuki. In the bottom half of the inning with the bases empty, Spencer Steer homered to right for his first home run of the season. After a Casali single to center, Fairchild tripled to right to score Casali, giving the Reds the 4-3 lead.

It stayed that way until the top of the ninth inning. With Alexis Diaz coming in for the save attempt, Dansby Swanson drew an inning-opening walk. Yan Gomes would pinch-hit with runners on second and third. Gomes doubled to left to score both Swanson and Jeimer Candelario to pick up the 5-4 win.

Nick Lodolo pitched 6.0 innings while allowing three runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Alexis Diaz picks up the loss, after allowing the two runs on one hit in the ninth inning. Kyle Hendricks pitched 5.0 innings for the Cubs, allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Keegan Thompson picked up the win from the bullpen and moved to 3-0 on the season. Thompson pitched a hitless inning. Adbert Alzolay picked up his fourth save of the season, allowing only one hit in the ninth inning.

With the series tied 1-1, Andrew Abbott (0-0, 1.59ERA) took the mound for the Reds as Justin Steele (0-0, 1.50ERA) took the mound for the Cubs.

Just like in game one of the series, the Cincinnati Reds scored in the first inning. Elly De La Cruz led the game off with a double to right field. Kevin Newman grounded to center for a single to score De La Cruz to give the Reds the 1-0 lead. After a walk by T.J. Friedl and a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer, Nick Senzel hit his own sacrifice fly to score Newman, giving the Reds the 2-0 lead.

The Cincinnati Reds added some insurance in the bottom of the fifth inning as Newman single to right for his second RBI of the season to score De La Cruz, giving the Reds the 3-0 lead. Chicago finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning as Seiya Suzuki chopped a single to center to score Cody Bellinger, cutting the lead to 3-1, as close as they’d get.

Andrew Abbott pitched a solid 8.0 innings, allowing just one run on two hits with two walks and nine strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season. Alexis Diaz pitched the ninth, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts to pick up his second save of the season. Justin Steele took the loss, pitching 5.0 innings while allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout. Steele falls to 0-1 on the season.

Up next the Reds head to Philadelphia for their first road series of the season to take on the Phillies.