Cincinnati 7, Chi. Cubs 2
When: 12:35 PM ET, Thursday, August 28, 2014
Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
Temperature:
77°
Umpires:
Home -
Ben May, 1B -
Mike Everitt, 2B -
Bill Miller, 3B -
Chad Fairchild
Attendance:
21316
By SportsDirect Inc.
Reds 7, Cubs 2: Billy Hamilton, Todd Frazier and Brandon Phillips all drove in two runs apiece as Cincinnati took two of three at home from Chicago.
Zack Cozart went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored three times for the Reds, who have won four of five since halting a seven-game losing streak and are 6 1/2 games behind San Francisco for the second wild card in the National League. Dylan Axelrod (1-0) yielded two hits and three walks while striking out eight in five scoreless frames in his second start with Cincinnati.
Jake Arrieta (7-5) had allowed three runs or fewer in 14 of his last 15 starts, but was tagged for six runs on six hits and four walks while matching a season low by working only four innings. Jorge Soler, who became the first Cub since Starlin Castro in 2010 to homer in his first career at-bat in Wednesday’s loss, singled in Castro to break up the shutout in the ninth inning.
Arrieta stranded a pair of runners in the opening frame, but gave up three runs in the second as Kristopher Negron drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Cozart’s single. Cozart also stole second before trotting home on a double by Hamilton, who scored moments later on Frazier’s line-drive single up the middle.
The Reds doubled their lead with two out in the fourth on Frazier’s second RBI single and Phillips' two-run double down the line in left. Hamilton, who went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, wrapped up his sterling performance with a run-scoring single in the sixth off reliever Wesley Wright.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hamilton is batting .371 with eight extra-base hits, 12 RBIs, 13 runs and nine steals against the Cubs this season. … Chicago LF Chris Coghlan was ejected by home plate umpire Ben May in the top of the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. … The Reds recorded all six of their steals in the first four innings Thursday and improved to 37-14 against the Cubs over the last three seasons.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Chi. Cubs
|
5 |
0 |
6 |
.167 |
11 |
11 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| Cincinnati
|
11 |
0 |
15 |
.306 |
21 |
13 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
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