Dateline: Cincinnati
Michael Busch walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th sending the Reds frowning with its sixth straight loss.
The Reds have lost each of the last four games by one run in the home team’s last at bat.
Brady Singer toughed out six innings but the Reds struggled to provide support.
Three times in six innings the Reds had runners at the corners with no outs. They mustered one run.
TJ Friedl drew a walk to start the game against Colin Rea. Friedl went to second on a wild pickoff attempt by catcher Carson Kelly. JJ Bleday singled hard to left to put runners in first and third with no outs. Bleday was caught stealing. Friedl scored in Elly De La Cruz ground out.
The Reds put runners at the corners with no outs again when Matt McLain and Friedl opened the inning with singles. Bleday struck out. De La Cruz topped the ball to Michael Busch at first base. He threw McLain out at the plate.
In the sixth Sal Stewart started with a walk. He went to third on Nathaniel Lowe’s single. Stewart took off for home and was thrown out by Alex Bregman. The rally fizzled when Jacob Webb got Will Benson and Jose Trevino to ground out.
Singer fell behind in the bottom of the first. After two outs, Bregman singled and Reds’ killer and UC grad hit his ninth home run.
The Cubs added two more in the fourth off Singer. Happ singled to lead off the inning. Seiya Suzuki doubled him home. Busch singled. Suzuki stopped at third and scored on a double play by Kelly.
McLain homered for the third time this year, leading off the fifth.
Sam Moll and Pierce Johnson held the lead after the first two Cubs batters reached in the seventh.
Tejay Antone back from his third ACL surgery dispatched the Cubs with Friefl’s help. He struck out Bregman. Friedl picked Happ’s bid for a second home run high off the ivy in center. Anyone struck out Suzuki looking.
It looked like a story book ending when Steer lead off the ninth with his sixth home run. It came against Corbin Martin. Benson singled. Pinch hitter Tyler Stephenson singled.
Cubs manager, Craig Counsell called on Hoby Milner out of the bullpen. McLain bunted to move the runners but Benson beat the throw to third. Pinch hitter Dane Myers struck out. Bleday singled to score Benson to tie the game. De La Cruz came close to a grand slam but Suzuki caught it near the wall, lost his balance. He fell on the seat of his pants. Stephenson scored easily. McLain didn’t break stride and scored from second base to give the Reds an insurance run.
It was looking like a fairy tale win for Antone on his first game back.
Graham Ashcraft, who has one save, subbed for the injured Emilio Pagan.
Ashcraft, a right hander who is tough on lefty hitters, struck out Busch a lefty on a successful challenge by Stephenson. Kelly singled on a 3-2 pitch. Another Reds thorn in their side Pete Crow-Armstrong golfed a low pitch out of the strike zone just over the basket in left field to tie the game.
He closed out the inning and for the second straight night the game went to the 10th inning.
Ke’Bryan Hayes, a defensive replacement, was the ghost runner. Milner walked Lowe. Blake Dunn ran for him.
Trent Thornton replaced Milner on the mound. Steer bounced a 1-0 pitch to Bregman at third. He started a double play. Benson grounded out.
Brock Burke a left hander entered in the 10th. Nico Hoerner was the ghost runner. Miguel Amaya pinch hit for left handed, Michael Conforto, who won the first game of the series with a home run. Amaya bunted Hoerner to third.
Francona walked the right handed Bregman intentionally. It turned the switch hitting Happ around. Burke struck him out. Francona ordered Suzuki walked to load the bases and bring the left handed Busch to the plate. Burke missed with four pitches, sending the Cubs to a seventh straight win and dropping the Reds five games behind them.
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