Game One Hundred Thirty-Two – Cubs 4, Reds 7
WP – J.J. Hoover (7-0, BS 5) LP – Hector Rondon (5-3) Save – Aroldis Chapman (27)
Kris Bryant tied the game at four with a two-out, two run homer off J.J. Hoover in the eighth. After a two-out infield single from Jason Bourgeois in the ninth, a Jay Bruce smash toward third went under Bryant’s leg into left field. Joey Votto deposited a Hector Rondon fastball into the bleachers in left center and the Reds took two of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Three Cubs’ homers were not enough Wednesday afternoon against the mighty Reds. As was the case throughout the series, when the Cubs scored a run, the Reds would answer. The Cubs staff simply could not put together a shutdown inning.
Anthony Rizzo (2-for-4 with a home run) and Tommy La Stella (1-for-3 with a home run) hit the Cubs first two homers off Raisel Iglesias … the only two hits for the Cubs through seven innings. The Cubs allowed Iglesias to get into a rhythm and he became the first Reds rookie with 10 or more strikeouts in three straight games.
Kris Bryant (1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) provided another late-inning homer at Wrigley and tied the game after the offense struggled for a majority of the afternoon.
Austin Jackson (2-for-4 with a double) had a good day at the plate and reached base for the second time in the ninth inning. The Cubs brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth against Aroldis Chapman. Javier Baez pinch-hit and rolled out to third. Dexter Fowler (0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored) struck out swinging on a 101 mph fastball to end the game.
The Cubs managed four runs on six hits, three home runs, and five walks (0-for-7 RISP, six left on base). Reds’ pitching struck out 13 batters.
Jason Hammel had a rough outing. Hammel gave up a lot of hard contact, even the outs were loud. After the Cubs tied the game on an Anthony Rizzo solo homer in the fourth, Hammel gave up a leadoff double to Eugenio Suarez in the fifth. And the Reds scored the go-ahead on a triple by Raisel Iglesias. Hammel pitched into the sixth, but could not record an out before Joe Maddon replaced him with Trevor Cahill.
Jason Hammel allowed four runs on seven hits without a walk and four strikeouts. Hammel made 80 pitches, 53 for strikes, in five-plus innings.
Trevor Cahill made his Cubs’ debut and pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball in relief of Hammel. Cahill allowed an inherited run to score on a grounder to second base. Clayton Richard, Travis Wood and Pedro Strop did not let the Reds tack on.
Hector Rondon made one mistake to a batter he should not have faced in the night. Rondon did not execute the pitch on a 2-0 offering to Joey Votto and he crushed the baseball.
When playing a team that has struggled like the Reds have this year, the best player on the team, in the Reds case Joey Votto, cannot be allowed to beat you. And he did just that Wednesday.
With Wednesday’s loss, the Cubs slipped to 75-57 on the season.
Jason Bourgeois lifted the second pitch of the day from Jason Hammel into the wind and the ball sailed into the bleachers in left … 1-0 Reds. Hammel refocused and retired Jay Bruce (foul out to left), Joey Votto (swinging strikeout) and Brandon Phillips (liner to second) to the end the inning. Hammel made 13 pitches, eight for strikes in the first inning.
The Cubs allowed Raisel Iglesias to set the tone in the first inning. Iglesias found a rhythm, worked quickly and struck out two of the three batters in the first. Iglesias made 15 pitches, 10 for strikes.
The Cubs trailed 1-0 after one inning.
After Todd Frazier popped out to center for the first out in the second, Brayan Pena doubled to right. The ball one-hopped the wall. Eugenio Suarez singled down the right field line (3-2 pitch). Austin Jackson kept the ball from rolling into the corner and held him to a RBI single. Pena scored, 2-0 Reds. Hammel struck out Schumaker swinging. With Suarez at second, Iglesias popped out to center for the third out. Hammel needed 35 pitches, 22 for strikes, to complete two innings.
The Cubs continued to make things easy for Iglesias in the second. Iglesias struck out Rizzo and Montero before Jackson flied out to center to end the inning. Only 26 pitches, 19 for strikes, for Iglesias after two innings.
After two innings, the Reds led 2-0.
Jason Hammel kept the Reds off the board in the third, 1-2-3 for Hammel and 48 pitches after three, 33 for strikes.
Addison Russell (swinging strikeout) and Hammel (grounder to third) made two quick outs in the third.
Tommy La Stella golfed a 0-1 pitch out to right, the ball ended up in the bleachers and his first homer of the season made it a 2-1 game. Fowler grounded out to second (2-2 pitch) to end the inning … 40 pitches for Iglesias after three, 30 for strikes.
The Reds led 2-1 after three complete.
Jason Hammel retired the Reds in order in the fourth. Phillips (liner to center) and Frazier (smash to third) made loud outs. Hammel threw 58 pitches, 40 for strikes, in four innings.
Chris Coghlan struck out swinging to start the fourth. Kris Bryant also went down swinging but he worked a full count and made Iglesias throw nine pitches. Bryant’s at bat changed the inning.
Anthony Rizzo cranked a 1-0 pitch out to deep center and tied the game at two.
Miguel Montero walked. Eugenio Suarez made an excellent play on a ball ticketed for center and took away a hit from Austin Jackson to end the inning.
The game was tied at two after four.
Hammel continued to struggle in the fifth and the Reds took the lead right back. Suarez doubled to right center to start the inning. Schumaker grounded out to Russell near the bag, Suarez moved to third.
Raisel Iglesias smoked Hammel’s first pitch to the gap in right center. Suarez jogged in, 3-2 Reds. And Iglesias ended up at third with a triple. With the infield in, Kris Bryant made a diving stop on smash off the bat of Bourgeois. Iglesias held at third as Bryant threw out Bourgeois at first base. Bruce popped out to center to end the inning. Hammel made 69 pitches, 47 for strikes, in five innings.
Addison Russell walked on four pitches leading off the fifth. Hammel bunted Russell to second. La Stella rolled out to second. With Russell at third, Fowler grounded to Phillips for the third out and Iglesias’ 77th pitch of the game (53 strikes).
The Reds had a 3-2 lead after five innings.
Hammel started the sixth and the Reds added to their lead. Joey Votto singled to right center (2-2 pitch). Phillips singled to right (3-2 pitch). Votto advanced to second with no outs. And that was all for Hammel. Trevor Cahill made his Cubs debut and the Reds helped limit the inning.
With two on, no outs and the wind howling out at Wrigley, Todd Frazier bunted back to Cahill. Votto and Phillips advanced as La Stella scooped Cahill’s low throw. Pena grounded out to second, Votto scored … 4-2 Reds. Cahill walked Suarez. With runners on the corners and two outs, Schumaker lined out to short for the third out.
Raisel Iglesias faced the minimum in the sixth. Coghlan walked, but Bryant rolled into a 5-4-3 double play and Rizzo struck out to end the inning … 93 pitches, 62 for strikes, for Iglesias after six innings.
The Cubs trailed the Reds 4-2 after six complete.
Travis Wood and Pedro Strop hung a zero on the board in the top of the eighth. And J.J. Hoover replaced Iglesias for the bottom of the inning. La Stella hit a smash back up the middle that caught Hoover in the foot. The ball bounced right to Votto for the first out. Dexter Fowler walked. Chris Coghlan worked a full count before he struck out swinging.
Kris Bryant lifted Hoover’s first pitch up and into the wind. The ball carried the majestic fly ball into the bleachers and tied the game at four.
Anthony Rizzo reached on an infield single, a dribbler to the third base side of the mound. Montero flied out to center for the third out.
The game was tied at four after eight innings.
Hector Rondon was called on to pitch the ninth. Tucker Barnhart grounded out to a diving La Stella in the hole for the first out. Ryan LaMarre flied out to right.
Jason Bourgeois dribbled a 1-1 pitch to the third base side of the mound. Rondon made a sliding stop and threw from his knees but he could not get the out. Jay Bruce drove a 2-0 pitch toward third. The ball went under Bryant’s legs and into left. The inning continued for Votto.
Joey Votto crushed a 2-0 pitch from Rondon to the bleachers in left center. Votto’s three-run homer gave the Reds a 7-4 lead. After Brandon Phillips singled to right, Frazier popped out to Rizzo in foul ground to finally end the inning.
Austin Jackson started the ninth with a single to right off Aroldis Chapman. A wild pitch on a 2-2 offering to Russell allowed Jackson to move up 90 feet. Russell struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch. Chris Denorfia hit for Rondon and walked.
Javier Baez stepped in hitting for La Stella and worked a 3-1 count before swinging so hard he fell down trying to tie the game. Baez grounded the 3-2 offering to Frazier, who stepped on the bag for the second out. Fowler struck out swinging to end the game.
Thursday is an off-day for the Cubs. The Diamondbacks are at Wrigley for a weekend series starting Friday afternoon (1:20pm CDT). Jon Lester is scheduled to face Zack Godley in the opener.