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The Reds had just escaped a one-out jam to cling to a one-run lead. Catcher Tyler Stephenson watched Noelvi Marte lead off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single off Chicago Cubs reliever, Andrew Kitteridge. It brought Elly De La Cruz to the plate.
Stephenson went to manager Terry Francona and asked him."If Elly gets on base, do you want me to bunt them over?" Francona said, "No, I want you to hit it in the third row." That is approximately where Stephenson deposited his 12th home run of the season to provide the final margin in the Reds' 6-3 win.
"He's very coachable," Francona quipped after the game.
The win drew the Reds within one game of the New York Mets for the final Wild Card position. The lowly Washington Nationals parlayed an inside-the-park home run by Daylen Lile into a 5-3, 11-inning win over the Mets. A sweep of the Cubs by the Reds on Sunday could force a tie with the Reds holding the tie breaker.
Zach Littell gave up Michael Busch's 30th home run of the season with one out in the third inning. It was the 35th allowed by the Reds' right hander this season. That ties the Washington Nationals' Jake Irvin for the major league lead.
The Reds took the lead off Javier Assad in the bottom of the inning. Matt McLain opened the inning with a single and stole second. TJ Friedl singled but McLain had to hold at third as right fielder Willi Castro got to it in a hurry. Spencer Steer, who hit two home runs on Friday night, hit a slow roller to third baseman, Matt Shaw. McLain beat the throw home to tie the score. Will Benson singled with two outs to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
Reese McGuire hit his ninth home run of the season with two outs in the fifth. It was Littell's league-leading 36th home run allowed this season.
Steer victimized Drew Pomerantz with his 21st home run in the fifh, his third in the last two games.
Austin Hays left the game with back spasms in the top of the sixth. Steer went to left and Sal Stewart took over at first base.
Friedl led off the bottom of the seventh with his 13th home run of the season. It came off Aaron Civale.
Castro and McGuire hit back-to-back doubles to open the eighth inning and cut the Reds' lead to one run. Nico Hoerner reached on an infield single. Tony Santillan struck out Ian Happ. Moises Ballesteros grounded out to short and the Reds took a one one lead into the bottom of the eighth. It was a slow roller that De La Cruz had to charge and he threw out Ballesteros on a close play.
"I've always had the confidence that I could do that," Santillan said. Still the emotions of the close play to escape the jam were prominent. "I thought I made a good pitch. He hit itand didn't hit it very hard. He's not a very quick runner but still I was tracking him, tracking Elly. I knew it was going to be really close. I got a little nervous for a second. Then he got him and it was a great feeling," Santillan said.
Marte greeted Andrew Kitteridge with a single and stole second. Stephenson hit his 12th home run into the right field stands to give the Reds breathing room at 6-3.
"I blacked out a little," Stephenson said. "I was yelling a lot and got a little light headed." His day wasn't done.
Emilio Pagan entered the ninth inning trying to extend his career-high to 29 games. Pagan retired Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong easily but Matt Shaw hit a two-out double. Pagan completed save by striking out pinch hitter, Seiya Suzuki.
The Reds clinched the season series against the Cubs with its seventh win as they try to earn a sweep on Sunday.
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