Cubs Rally Late To Take Series From Reds

 

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Dateline: 1,209 Kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Emergency catcher Reese McGuire hit two home runs. Seiya Suzuki retook the RBI  lead with a three-run home run to lift the Chicago Cubs to an 11-8 win to take the series.

Pete Crow-Armstrong had two RBI to take the National League lead over Suzuki with 48 but the home run put Suzuki at 49 on the season.

"Some lineups make you pay for mistakes more than others," Terry Francona said. "That (Cubs) is a good lineup and they're feeling good about themselves."

The first inning was busy.

The Cubs got a walk to Kyle Tucker and a single by Suzuki out of Nick Lodolo. A wild pitch put them in scoring position with two out. Crow-Armstrong singled them home with a hit off the glove of Matt McLain.

The Reds' answered with four runs against Chicago starter Ben Brown.

TJ Friedl and Santiago Espinal walked to open the inning. Elly De La Cruz beat out a relay on an attempted double play. Austin Hays drove in a run with a single off shortstop, Dansby Swanson's glove. Jose Trevino singled home a run. Will Benson singled down the right field line to put the Reds ahead. Trevino scored on a wild pitch.

Catcher McGuire was a late scratch with illness. McGuire a left handed batter hit his first home run of the season to make it a one-run game.

Brown retired 10 Reds' batters in a row before McLain topped a ball a few feet from home plate. McGuire's throw was late with the throw. McLain had a single. Freidl found a hole with a ground single. Espinal struck out on a 3-2 pitch. De La Cruz shot a single up the middle to score McLain. Hays tripled into the left field corner to drive in two runs. Trevino doubled with two outs to put the Reds ahead, 8-3.

Lodolo pitched five innings before Scott Barlow took over in the sixth.

Lodolo allowed three runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out six.

Barlow walked two and threw a wild pitch to allow one run in the sixth.

The Cubs got to within a run against Graham Ashcraft. He retired the first two batters in the seventh. Dansby Swanson hit a broken bat single. Crow-Armstrong singled and Nico Hoerner doubled them home. Michael Busch hit a flair for an RBI single before Matt Shaw struck out.

The bullpen has been good all year but in this series the Cubs mauled them with 21 runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth over the three-game series.

"Ashcraft gave up one ringing double but the other three, sometimes.... he made some really good pitches," Francona said.

McGuire homered for the second time off Taylor Rogers to tie the game, leading off the eighth.