Elly De La Cruz celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major league debut with a three-run homer, helping the Cincinnati Reds record an 8-4 victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series.
Will Benson and Jonathan India added two RBIs apiece for the Reds, who increased their winning streak to a season-best five games. Benson and teammate Tyler Stephenson had two hits apiece.
Seiya Suzuki and Christopher Morel hit two-run homers for the Cubs, who lost for the 10th time in the past 14 games.
Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene (4-2) allowed four runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
Fernando Cruz registered the final out in the seventh, Sam Moll tossed a perfect eighth, and Alexis Diaz struck out three and walked one in the ninth for the Reds.
Chicago’s Javier Assad (4-2) yielded season worsts of five runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the third when Miguel Amaya hit a leadoff single and Suzuki slugged a one-out homer to left. It was Suzuki’s seventh of the season.
The Reds responded in the bottom of the frame as Benson singled and TJ Friedl walked to start the rally. De La Cruz stepped in and lined the first pitch over the wall in right to give Cincinnati a 3-2 lead. It was De La Cruz’s 11th homer.
Chicago moved back ahead in the sixth. Cody Bellinger led off with a hustle double and Morel followed with a two-run blast that barely cleared the wall in center. It was Morel’s 12th blast of the season.
Cincinnati again answered in the bottom of the inning. Jake Fraley singled and Stephenson was hit by a pitch to start the frame. After a sacrifice bunt, India drilled a tying single to left.
Assad struck out Benson for the second out before being pulled. Friedl greeted Luke Little with a run-scoring double to right to put the Reds ahead.
Cincinnati scored three times in the seventh, thanks largely to four walks. Little walked one, then Porter Hodge got two outs before issuing three straight walks, the last to India as the Reds took a 6-4 lead.
Kyle Hendricks entered and Benson hit the first pitch into right for a two-run single, increasing Cincinnati’s lead to four.
–Field Level Media
