The Cincinnati Reds are in a spiral of which they likely feel like they will never escape. After storming back in the top of the 9th inning to take the lead they would watch a 2-run home run in the bottom of the inning tie things up and then watch the Cubs score the winning run in the 10th inning as Chicago sealed their third win of the series.
The Reds started out the game with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, but JJ Bleday was thrown out trying to steal second base with Elly De La Cruz at the plate. Cincinnati would get a run two pitches later when De La Cruz grounded out and brought in TJ Friedl from third. The lead didn’t last very long because the Cubs picked up a 2-out single in the bottom of the inning that was followed up by a 2-run home run by noted Reds killer Ian Happ.
Brady Singer settled in after that for the next couple of innings, but Chicago’s offense got back to work in the bottom of the 4th. Happ led off with a single and then he scored on a double down the line by Seiya Suzuki. The Cubs added another run later in the inning on a groundout. Five minutes later the Reds would get one of those runs back when Matt McLain led off the top of the 5th inning with an opposite field home run into the first row of seats in right field.
After Singer kept Chicago off the board in the 6th, Cincinnati turned to the bullpen in the 7th. Sam Moll gave up back-to-back singles to begin the inning, but got a groundball double play from Nico Hoerner, but saw their lead runner move up to third. The Reds made a move to bring Pierce Johnson in and he got out of the inning with a groundout.
When the 8th inning began Cincinnati made another call to the bullpen to bring in Tejay Antone. The righty was making his first big league outing since 2024 when he tore the UCL in his elbow and had to undergo his third Tommy John surgery. Antone would strike out Alex Bregman to start the inning but Ian Happ crushed the third pitch he saw to dead center. TJ Friedl was tracking it and right as he got to the wall he jumped up and caught the ball as he slammed into the ivy to rob extra-bases from Happ, much to the appreciation of his pitcher. Seiya Suzuki would strike out to end the frame and send the game to the 9th.
Still down by two runs, the visiting team needed to get something going and that they did. Spencer Steer hit a 411-foot home run deep into left-center to lead off the inning and cut the lead to one. Will Benson and pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson then followed up with singles. Matt McLain then laid down a bunt to try and move the runners up, but reliever Hoby Milner fielded it and tried to get the force at third base but the throw was late and everyone was safe. That brought Dane Myers to the plate with the bases juiced and no outs. The count would go full, but Milner won the battle by getting a swinging strike to end the at-bat. JJ Bleday came to the plate in the lefty-lefty matchup and he came through with a line drive single into right to plate the tying run.
That brought Elly De La Cruz to the plate and he did something you rarely ever see. He hit a deep drive into right field that Seiya Suzuki would catch on a jump near the wall in right field, but he fell to the ground and landed on his butt. He flipped the ball to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center to try and get the ball back into the infield as Will Benson scored the tying run, but Matt McLain was also getting the wave to the plate and as he rounded third the ball was just getting towards the cutoff man and McLain would beat the throw to the plate as two runs scored on the sacrifice fly to put Cincinnati up 6-4.
In the first game without closer Emilio Pagan after he landed on the injured list the Reds turned to Graham Ashcraft to try and close the game out. He would strike out the first batter he saw with some help from Tyler Stephenson who challenged a ball call and got it overturned into strike three. Ashcraft would lose a 7-pitch battle against Carson Kelly on a single into right field, bringing the tying run to the plate in Pete Crow-Armstrong. Tie it is exactly what he did as he came through with a 2-run home run into the first row of seats in left center.
The game would move on to the 10th and the inning started Ke’Bryan Hayes on second base for Cincinnati. A 4-pitch walk to Nathaniel Lowe would get the Reds started, with Blake Dunn taking over for him at 1st base as the Cubs made a pitching change to bring in a righty to face Spencer Steer. That plan worked as Steer grounded into a double play on the second pitch he saw, though Hayes was able to take third on the play. It wouldn’t matter as a groundout ended the top half of the inning.
Cincinnati turned to lefty Brock Burke for the bottom of the frame. The Cubs brought Miguel Amaya to the plate as a pinch hitter and he squared around and laid down a sacrifice bunt to push the winning run over to third. Alex Bregman came to the plate, but also didn’t as he was intentionally walked to set up the double play and put Ian Happ in the right-handed batters box where he’s been a weaker hitter this season. Burke would strike him out on four pitches, but then was asked to intentionally walk Seiya Suzuki to load the bases and get a lefty-lefty matchup against Michael Busch. Burke began the at-bat with three straight balls before a called strike that Busch tried to challenge but the umpire seemed to say he waited too long to do so. The next pitch was way inside and nearly hit Busch, ending the game in a walk-off walk as the Cubs won their 14th home game in a row and beat the Reds in their final at-bat for the third straight day and extended their losing streak to six games.
Key Moment of the Game
The 10th inning walk of Michael Busch that ended the game.
Notes Worth Noting
The Cincinnati Reds losing streak has reached six games. The Cubs winning streak is now eight. Things are not going well for the fans in The Queen City or the team that plays their home games there.
JJ Bleday, Will Benson, and Matt McLain all had 2-hit games.
Elly De La Cruz didn’t have a hit but drove in three runs.
Sal Stewart’s slump continues. After an 0-4 night he’s now hitting just .100/.143/.125 in his last 10 games, going 4-40 during this stretch.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs
Thursday May 7th, 2:20pm ET
Rhett Lowder (3-2, 5.09 ERA) vs Shota Imanaga (3-2, 2.40 ERA)