CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds struggled on the mound and produced little at the plate Sunday afternoon, falling 9-1 to the Chicago Cubs in the finale of their three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Chicago collected 13 hits and hit three home runs, while Cincinnati managed only four hits against David Peterson and the Cubs’ bullpen. The loss dropped the Reds to 72-84 and gave Chicago the series victory after Cincinnati won Friday’s opener.
Pete Crow-Armstrong started the game with a single against Rhett Lowder, stole second and scored on Alex Bregman’s two-out single. The Cubs then broke the game open with four runs in the third.
Crow-Armstrong again started the rally, this time with a one-out single. Ian Happ brought him home, Nico Hoerner drew a bases-loaded walk and Pedro Ramírez followed with a two-run single that extended Chicago’s lead to 5-0.
Lowder (6-12) was removed after the inning, having allowed five runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out three while throwing 60 pitches, 35 for strikes.
Cincinnati produced its only run in the fourth when JJ Bleday hit his 23rd home run of the season. The solo shot traveled 386 feet into the right-center-field seats, but it did little to slow Chicago’s offense.
Michael Conforto opened the fifth with a solo home run against Carson Spiers. After Ramírez singled with two outs, Crow-Armstrong launched a 411-foot homer to center for his 45th of the season, increasing the Cubs’ advantage to 8-1. Seiya Suzuki completed the scoring with a 440-foot solo homer in the eighth.
Crow-Armstrong finished 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs, while Ramírez added three hits and drove in two. Spiers allowed four runs and three homers over four innings, although Luis Mey and Graham Ashcraft each contributed a scoreless inning.
Peterson (9-8) allowed one run on three hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one before Caleb Thielbar, Edward Cabrera and Colin Rea completed the victory with three scoreless innings.
Bleday, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Will Banfield recorded Cincinnati’s four hits. The Reds went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and never placed another runner beyond second base after Bleday’s homer.
What’s Next:
The Reds are off Monday before beginning their final road trip of the season Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves.
