John Lackey would come into today’s game searching for his fourth win of the season against Dan Strailey. Dexter Fowler would start the game with a strikeout but would reach thanks to a dropped third strike and would steal second base. Bryant would walk but no runs would cross the plate. Addison Russell would send a screamer to the second deck in left field for his second homer of the year.
John Lackey would cruise through the first three innings unscathed. But Zack Cozart would lead the fourth inning off with a double to right field. Eugenio Suarez would send a line drive ground ball to short that Russell would dive for only to have his throw fly passed Rizzo into the stands scoring Cozart tying the game at one. Brandon Phillips would double scoring Suarez. Lackey would get out the inning and make it through the fifth inning no problem. In his recent starts, the boys in blue would score to give him the lead and the win.
Russell would walk to start the fifth and would score, tying the game at two on a double by Fowler passed first, Jay Bruce would throw home allowing Fowler to reach third. Bryant would send a line drive to left scoring Fowler. The Cubs would take the lead after five innings 3-2.
Lackey would come into the bottom of the sixth giving up singles to Tyler Holt & Cozart. They would cross the plate after Suarez homered to center field, putting the Reds up 5-3. Lackey would get Votto & Phillips out on a 1-3 line out double play but would walk Jay Bruce and that would be all she wrote for Lackey. Trevor Cahill would come in for relief and give a single to Devin Mesoraco. Adam Duvall would send a line drive to left-center field for his second home run of the year. Scott Schebler would hit one just over Heywards glove for his first homer of the season. Trevor would close out the sixth getting Holt to line out to Bryant in left.
Fowler would lead off the seventh with a double to left. He would score on Heywards liner to left. Heyward would advance to second on the throw home. He would score on a single by Ben Zobrist. But after seven and a half, it would be Cubs five, Reds 9. Neil Ramirez would come into the bottom of the seventh, striking out Cozart but would walk Suarez. With one man on, Joey Votto would send a fly ball to center for his second home run of the season, putting the Reds up, 11-5.
The lately loud bats of the Cubbies would be patient in the top of the eighth with walks by Russell, Fowler and Heyward with two of them credited to Caleb Cotham and one to Chicago native Tony Cingrani, who would get out of the inning. Clayton Richard would come into the second half of the inning walking Cingrani who would make it home on a fielding error by Jorge Soler. Tyler Holt was credited with a hit, he would end up at third on Russell’s throwing error to Rizzo but they would trap and tag out Cozart trying to take second base. Suarez would single receiving his fourth RBI of the night. Clayton would get out of the inning but not before two earned runs cross the plate.
Cingrani would come into the top of the ninth hoping to stop the Cubs from trying to come back and get the W. Pinch hitter Matt Szczur would fly out, but Zobrist would reach on a fielding error. Montero would come up to the plate and go down swinging, as would Javier Baez giving the Cubs their fourth loss of the season.
Cubs pitching would strike out nine, but would give up 13 runs on 15 hits. Lackey would go five and two-thirds innings, giving up six of the 13 runs putting his record at a respectable 3-1. Quiet night for Cubs hitting but as we say on The Podcast #ItsOnlyApril.
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