Dateline: Cincinnati
The nightmare road trip ended with a thud. The Chicago Cubs used the Reds against themselves to cruise to an 8-3 drubbing.
It extended the Reds losing streak to seven or every game on the trip. The Cubs have won nine games in a row.
This series has been frustrating because of how maddeningly close the were while playing good baseball. The trip ended with self inflicted wounds.
Rhett Lowder left the game after he walked the first two batters in the fourth inning. He left with right shoulder fatigue. In the first three innings he gave up only one hit, Michael Conforto’s second home run of the season.
Connor Phillips relieved him. The last time he relieved Lowder, he walked the first four batters he faced, after Lowder walked three batters faced.
Lowder also walked the first two batters in the third inning but a double play got him out of trouble.
Michael Busch hit a ball toward Spencer Steer at first base. Moving to his right the ball ticked off his glove into right field to load the bases.
Phillips walked Conforto to score Bregman. It was the fourth run, Phillips has walked in on the trip. Reds pitchers have issued 14 walks with the bases loaded this season,
The next play will haunt the Reds.
Dansby Swanson hit a high chop to Ke’Bryan Hayes at third. He stepped on third to remove the force play and threw home and easily beat Happ at the plate but Tyler Stephenson caught the ball as if the force was in effect and did not apply the tag. Happ scored the third run for Chicago.
What should have been two outs and runners on first and second with a two-run deficit was a three with no outs.
Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to score Conforto. Miguel Amaya singled after Crow-Armstrong stole second to make it 5-0. Nico Hoerner doubled Amaya scored when Stephenson couldn’t hold the throw. The home plate umpire called him out until the ball popped loose. Moises Ballesteros capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
The Reds scored on Sal Stewart’s 10th home run of the season. It came off starter Shota Imanaga. Blake Dunn hit his first home run in his first start, coming off Gavin Hallowell.
The Reds left the bases loaded in the sixth and ninth innings, needing a key hit to deal them back into the game.
The Reds left 15 runners on base and were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Dunn had a bunt single with two on to load the bases. JJ Bleday doubled home Stewart in the ninth. De La Cruz walked but pinch hitter, Nathaniel Lowe, struck out on a close 3-2 pitch that stood up under his challenge.
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