Game Ninety-Two – Cubs 5, Reds 4 – 13 innings
WP – Jason Motte (7-1) LP – Nate Adcock (1-2) Save – Justin Grimm (2)
Kyle Schwarber tied the game at four with a two-run mammoth homer in the ninth and Schwarber delivered the game winner, a line drive solo homer to right in the 13th inning as the Cubs topped the Reds in extra innings on Tuesday night for the 50th win of the season.
Kyle Schwarber (4-for-7 with a double, two home runs and four RBI) put the Cubs on his back Tuesday night. The rookie catcher drove in four of the five runs and caught all 13 innings. Schwarber put on quite the show in his hometown against his childhood team.
Kyle Schwarber cut into the Reds 2-0 lead in the fifth inning and put the Cubs on the board with a ground rule double to center that plated Addison Russell (0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored).
Chris Coghlan (2-for-5 with a home run) tied the game at two with a solo home run to left in the sixth. The ball did not clear the wall and the umpires had to take an extra look before Coghlan was allowed to trot home for his ninth homer of the season.
Jason Hammel had a solid outing in his return to the mound. As would be expected, Hammel struggled with his command throughout the five innings. Hammel pitched his way in and out of jams and completed only one clean inning.
Jason Hammel walked in the top of the sixth and was lifted for pinch-runner Travis Wood, who replaced him on the mound. Hammel allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits with three walks, two wild pitches and four strikeouts. Hammel made 97 pitches, 60 for strikes, in five innings.
Travis Wood pitched a scoreless sixth but he could not get through the seventh. Wood gave up back-to-back one out singles Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto. With runners on the corners and one down, Maddon called on Pedro Strop to face Todd Frazier. And Frazier blooped a 2-2 pitch over the drawn in infield and gave the Reds a 4-2 lead. Strop was beaten by Frazier and Wood was charged with the runs.
James Russell set the Reds down in order in the eighth.
Hector Rondon did an excellent job in his two innings of work. Rondon stepped up and not only worked around a Billy Hamilton single in the ninth but he made it through the middle of the Reds lineup without giving up the winning run. Rondon hit the high-90s with his fastball and had very good command.
Jason Motte allowed three hits but no runs in his two innings. Motte threw 27 pitches, 15 for strikes. Justin Grimm picked up the save with a three up, three down 13th inning.
The Cubs struggles with runners in scoring position continued. The offense pounded out 12 hits, six for extra bases, and walked six times. The Cubs were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 14 men on base.
Dexter Fowler (2-for-7 with a run scored) was on board for Schwarber’s game-tying blast in the ninth. Kris Bryant (1-for-6 with a double and a walk), Jorge Soler (2-for-5 with a double and a walk) and Starlin Castro (1-for-6) recorded hits on Tuesday night.
With Tuesday’s win, the Cubs improved to 50-42 on the season.
The Cubs went down in order on 14 pitches, nine for strikes, in the first inning. And the Reds took advantage of a Cubs’ error in the home half. Brandon Phillips singled and went to third when Dexter Fowler dropped a liner off the bat of Joey Votto in right center. Fowler appeared to lose the ball in the sun. Todd Frazier lifted a 1-1 pitch to center, Phillips tagged and scored … 1-0 Reds. Hammel struck out Jay Bruce swinging (1-2 pitch) and Brayan Pena fouled out to Bryant for the third out. Hammel made 18 pitches, 10 for strikes, in the first inning.
After one, the Reds led 1-0.
Jorge Soler walked with one out in the second. Chris Coghlan followed with a single to center. Raisel Iglesias caught Starlin Castro looking at a 1-2 pitch. And Hammel grounded out to second base to end the inning. Iglesias made 37 pitches, 22 for strikes in two innings.
The Reds tacked on in the second inning. Addison Russell made a tremendous play on a chopper over the mound. Russell appeared to get Byrd at first base … and the initial call was an out. The Reds asked for a review, the call was overturned and Byrd was at first base. Eugenio Suarez singled to center. With runners on first and second, Hammel and Schwarber got crossed up. A wild pitch allowed Byrd to advance to third. Skip Schumaker bounced a 2-2 pitch back up the middle. Castro fielded the ball and threw him out at first as Byrd scampered in … 2-0 Reds. Iglesias popped a bunt up to Rizzo for the second out. Hammel jammed Phillips and the Reds’ second baseman tapped back to the mound to end the inning.
The Reds had a 2-0 lead after two innings.
The Cubs finally got on the board in the fifth inning. With the Reds still leading 2-0, Addison Russell worked a one-out walk. Dexter Fowler singled to right (3-1 pitch). Russell stopped at second.
Kyle Schwarber lined a 0-1 pitch over Byrd’s head in center. The ball hit on the track and hopped over the wall. Russell scored on the ground rule double, 2-1 Reds. With runners on second and third, Kris Bryant struck out swinging at a 1-2 pitch. Anthony Rizzo flied out to Byrd in deep center to end the inning.
Jason Hammel made quick work of Phillips (flyout to center) and Votto (flyout to left) to start the fifth. Hammel lost his command and issued back-to-back two-out walks to Frazier and Bruce. After a visit from Chris Bosio, Hammel got out of the inning when Pena flied out to Fowler in right center.
The Cubs trailed 2-1 after five innings.
Jorge Soler struck out swinging (0-2 pitch) to start the sixth. Chris Coghlan showed patience and took three out of the zone. Coghlan went with the fourth pitch from Iglesias and drove it out to left. The ball hit off the top of the wall as a fan reached over. Coghlan hustled around the bases and slid in at third with a triple.
The umpires huddled as replays showed the ball was not interfered with before landing on the top of the wall. After a rather lengthy delay that included conversations with Bryan Price, the call was overturned and Coghlan trotted to the plate with a home run … game tied at two. Castro grounded out to the hole at short.
Jason Hammel walked as Iglesias really started to labor. Travis Wood was warming in the pen, so Maddon had Wood run for Hammel at first base. Addison Russell walked. And Price finally decided that was enough for his young right hander. Jumbo Diaz replaced Iglesias and Fowler grounded a 2-0 pitch to Suarez for the third out.
Travis Wood pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
After six complete it was the Cubs two and the Reds two.
The Cubs could not cash in a Kris Bryant ground rule double in the seventh. Bryant doubled to left. Rizzo grounded out to first base. Bryant went to third. Jorge Soler crushed the first pitch from Diaz. The ball sailed all the way to the track in center and Byrd hauled it in to end the inning.
Travis Wood started the seventh and pinch-hitter Jason Bourgeois bunted to Rizzo for the first out. Phillips singled to right and Votto singled to right center. With runners on first and third with only one out, Maddon went to his pen for Pedro Strop.
With Todd Frazier at the plate, Votto took second on a 0-1 pitch in the dirt. Frazier reached out and poked a 2-2 pitch that was low and outside into center. Phillips and Votto scored, 4-2 Reds. Strop picked off Frazier from first base with Bruce at the plate and Bruce lined out to left to end the inning.
The Reds led 4-2 after seven innings.
With Aroldis Chapman unavailable, J.J. Hoover started the ninth with the Reds leading 4-2. Dexter Fowler led off the inning with a single to right.
Kyle Schwarber quickly fell behind 0-2 before he put together one of the best at bats one will see from a rookie. Schwarber worked a full count … and launched the ninth pitch of the at bat to deep right. Schwarber’s mammoth shot traveled 424 feet and tied the game at four.
After giving up his first home run of the season, a rattled Hoover walked Kris Bryant but Rizzo and Soler both struck out swinging. And Coghlan grounded out to second to end the inning.
Hector Rondon pitched around an infield single by Billy Hamilton in the ninth and did not allow the speedster to score.
And the game went to the 10th tied at four.
The Cubs and the Reds could not push across a run in the 11th or 12th innings.
Nate Adcock stayed in for the 13th inning and retired Fowler on a grounder to second. Schwarber stepped in and fell behind 1-2.
Kyle Schwarber lined a 2-2 pitch out to right and the ball got out of the park in a hurry. Schwarber’s second longball of the night gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead.
Bryant struck out swinging and Rizzo grounded out to second to end the inning.
Justin Grimm took the mound with the Cubs leading 5-4. And Grimm set the Reds down in order to end the game.
The Cubs and Reds have a day-night doubleheader on the schedule for Wednesday. Kyle Hendricks gets game one against Mike Leake (11:35am CDT) and Dallas Beeler will face Tony Cingrani in game two (5:10pm CDT).