Cubs home run party ends in a loss |
CHICAGO -- Baseball is a crazy game as you never know what you will see on a given day. Thursday afternoon's game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds had everything including six homers by the home team in the Cubs 13-10 loss. The Cubs and the Reds ended in a two-game split in the series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had won 107 consecutive games when scoring 10 or more runs prior to today's loss according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Cubs ace Jon Lester gave up an insane nine runs in a crazy second inning as he threw 40 pitches to 11 batters. He waved to the training staff that something was wrong after giving up a RBI double to Eugenio Suarez, In the disastrous inning, Lester's ended up giving up seven earned (nine total) which rose his season ERA up 38 points to 4.37. He is the only pitcher in the last 30 seasons to allow 9+ runs in an inning multiple times in a single-season according to ESPN Stats and Info. This is the third time that Lester has given up seven or more run in two or fewer innings since 2015. Before this game, the Cubs starting rotation was 16-5 with a 2.97 ERA after the All-Star break. Lester walked off the field with the trainer and Joe Maddon and long reliever Mike Montgomery entered the game. However, the Cubs didn't give up on a day when the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field. Cubs rookie Ian Happ hit a solo shot to left center field for this 16th homer of the season with the Cubs down eight runs at 9-1 in the second inning. All things stayed the same until a solo bomb to lefty field by Kris Bryant that went 386 feet for his 23rd homer of the season in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, it got a little crazy. Alex Avila (361 feet), Ian Happ (443 feet), and Javy Baez (414 feet) all homered in a row to put the Cubs down only three runs at 9-6. It was the first time that Cubs hit three homers in a row in a single game since 2004 with Derrick Lee, Sammy Sosa, and Michael Barrett. The four homers also tied a franchise record for most homers in an inning. In case you were wondering, the record for Cubs homers in a game is seven back in 1970. The home run barrage didn't stop there as Kyle Schwarber hit a solo shot to left field for this 20th homer of the season to put the Cubs down only two runs at 9-7. It was the team's fifth homer in their last nine at-bats and six homer total on the day. Rizzo continued the comeback as he added a RBI double and then Avila tied the game with his 12th double of the season to the cheer of the home crowd in the fifth inning. Len Kasper said on the Cubs telecast that it was the loudest crowd of the season as the Cubs made their comeback. The Reds stormed back in the seventh inning with a two-run shot to left field by Phillip Ervin to put the Reds up 11-9. In the back and forth game, Ian Happ picked up his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field to pull the Cubs within one run at 11-10. Eugenio Suarez added a RBI groundout for an insurance run in the eighth inning to put the Reds up 12-10. Jose Peraza finished off the Cubs with a RBI single to put the dagger in at 13-10 in the ninth inning. Avila, Happ, and Javy are just ? away.
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