Postgame Observations: Cincinnati Reds Stay Hot, Beat Chicago Cubs 8-4

Don't look now, but the Reds are rounding into form at the perfect time.

Cincinnati beat Chicago 8-4 on Thursday night to improve to 30-33 on the season. They've won five-straight games and 10 of their last 13 contests.

Here are our postgame observations:

Elly's Anniversary

Elly De La Cruz made his big league debut on June 6, 2023. He celebrated the one-year anniversary by hitting a three-run homer in the third that gave Cincinnati their first lead of the game. He has 11 home runs on the season.

Hunter's Dealin'

Hunter Greene allowed four runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and finished with eight strikeouts. He gave up two home runs, but rallied to have another solid outing. He's thrown at least six innings in each of his past five starts.

Timely Hitting

Jonathan India, TJ Friedl and Will Benson provided big hits with runners on base. India's RBI single tied the game 4-4 in the sixth inning. Friedl doubled to give the Reds the lead for good later in the sixth. Then, Benson had the exclamation point in the seventh: a two run single that extended the lead to 8-4.

Bullpen Stays Hot

The Reds' bullpen didn't give up a run in 2 2/3 innings. Fernando Cruz, Sam Moll and Alexis Dias didn't give up a hit and combined for five strikeouts.

Up Next

The Reds play the Cubs on Friday night at 7:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ballpark.