Game One Hundred Fifty – Cubs 5, Reds 2
WP – Jason Hammel (15-9) LP – Blake Wood (6-4) Save – Aroldis Chapman (35)
Addison Russell and Willson Contreras tied the game at two in the seventh on a pair of solo home runs. Chris Coghlan doubled and scored the go ahead run on a two-out single from Dexter Fowler. The Cubs tacked on two more runs in the eighth on an opposite field shot from Jason Heyward. And the Cubs snapped their two-game skid with a comeback win over the Reds at the old ballyard.
Jason Hammel put together a strong, quality start. But the Cubs were down 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh. The Cubs offense did next to nothing against Tim Adleman through six innings. And it looked like the Cubs would drop another game to a sub.-500 team.
The offense woke up in the seventh inning and started playing longball. Addison Russell (2-for-4 with a double and a home run) and Willson Contreras (1-for-3 with a home run and a HBP) hit two tape measure shots to left that tied the game.
Russell put the Cubs on the board with his 21st homer of the season to start the seventh. After Jason Heyward (1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) lined out to center field, Contreras tied the game at two. Contreras launched a 2-2 pitch from Adleman onto Waveland Ave.
Bryan Price went to his bullpen following Contreras’ shot. Chris Coghlan (1-for-3 with a double and a run scored) greeted Blake Wood with a double off the wall in right. Coghlan just missed hitting the Cubs’ third homer of the inning. Tommy La Stella hit for Hammel and popped out to shortstop.
Dexter Fowler (1-for-4 with a RBI) lashed a 1-1 pitch to center. Coghlan scored, 3-2 Cubs.
Jason Heyward has looked a lot better at the plate of late. And he went yard for the first time since Aug. 22 in the eighth inning. With Russell on second following a two-out double, Heyward drove a 3-1 pitch from Wood to the bleachers in deep left center.
The Reds pitching staff served up three more home runs on Monday night. For the season, the Reds have now given up a single-season Major League record of 242 home runs.
The Cubs scored three of the five runs on two, two-out hits.
Anthony Rizzo (2-for-4 with a double) and Ben Zobrist (1-for-4) had the Cubs other three hits on the night. The Cubs finished the game 2-for-4 with RISP and left five men on base.
Jason Hammel made a mistake to Brandon Phillips in the second inning and once again the ball left the park. Hammel settled back in after the solo homer by Phillips and kept the Reds off the board in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Reds added on in the sixth after a misplayed ball by Jason Heyward in right center put Hernan Iribarren on third with one out for Joey Votto. Hammel made an excellent pitch to Votto but he blooped the 1-0 offering into center. Based on his reaction, Votto did not think he hit the ball well enough for a sacrifice fly much less a single. With the infield in, the ball found a hole.
Hammel allowed just two runs on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in seven innings. Hammel made 101 pitches, 65 for strikes. Hammel and Willson Contreras appeared to be on the same page throughout his seven innings of work.
Hector Rondon gave up two hits, one a bloop single in the eighth. Rondon did not give up any runs. Adam Duvall popped out to Kris Bryant in foul ground to end the inning.
Aroldis Chapman faced the Reds for the first time since he was traded to New York in the off-season. Chapman walked one and struck out the last two batters to end the game.
With Monday’s win, the Cubs improved to 95-55 on the season.
Jon Lester gets the ball on Tuesday night (7:05pm CDT) and will face right-hander Josh Smith in his first start of the season.