Cubs Bats Cold Again in Loss to Reds

But the rally was too short-lived. After Ian Happ worked an impressive seven-pitch walk, Kyle Tucker bounced into an inning-ending double play. The Cubs had another shot with two runners in scoring position in the ninth, but a big hit continued to be elusive, and the team failed to bring them home. 

The most concerning part of the game was Colin Rea's performance. The Cubs' starter let the Reds immediately take control of the game when TJ Friedl hit a leadoff home run in the first inning. This was one of three homers and 10 hits Rea surrendered in his outing. Rea now has back-to-back starts, both against the Reds, where he allowed six earned runs. 

Hopefully the Reds just have Rea's number and he reverts back to his dominant self in his next outing. 

On the positive side, Chicago's bullpen continued to dominate with the newly signed Génesis Cabrera turning in 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Chris Flexen also tossed two scoreless innings to keep his season ERA at 0.00. 

What's Next on Tap?

The Cubs have two more tilts with the Reds in 1:20 start times on Saturday and Sunday. Jameson Taillon will take the mound against Nick Martinez on Sunday, while Drew Pomeranz will open Saturday's bout against Nick Lodolo. Pomeranz is a reliever, and he will likely be utilized as the opener for Ben Brown. 

Pomeranz will be tasked with getting a clean first inning out of the way for the struggling Brown, whose ERA has ballooned to 6.49 after his eight-run blowup against Cincinnati last weekend. The Reds have also scored in the first inning of all four games played between the teams this year, so hopefully Pomeranz can buck that trend.