Jun 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (29) hits a two-run home run in the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Postgame Takeaways: Cincinnati Reds Win Seventh Straight Game, Beat Chicago Cubs 4-3

Originally posted on Cincinnati Reds on SI | Last updated Jun 8, 2024 6:58 PM ET

The Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 for their seventh straight win and their 12th win in their last 15 games.

Here are our postgame takeaways:

Andrew Abbott Battled

Abbott clearly didn't have his best stuff on Saturday but battled to give the Reds five innings of one-run baseball. He gave up five hits and walked four Cubs batters while striking out five. Abbott lowered his ERA to 3.28 on the season.

Jeimer Candelario Stays Hot

Coming into the game, Candelario had a .275/.326/.483 slash line since May 1. With the Reds down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Candelario hit his ninth home run of the season to tie the game at one.

TJ Friedl's Big Game

Friedl has been a huge part of this team since returning from his latest stint on the IL with a fractured thumb. In the bottom of the third with a runner on base in a 1-1 ballgame, Friedl took a hanging breaking ball from Cubs' starting pitcher Ben Brown and hit it into the right field seats. In the fifth, Friedl added an RBI groundout to score Jonathan India and give the Reds a 4-1 lead.

FRIEDL MOONSHOT ☄️ pic.twitter.com/dyfnCJUkYe
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 8, 2024

Bend, But Don't Break

The bullpen has been great so far in the series. After Abbott threw five innings, Emilio Pagan came on in relief to pitch the sixth. It was his first appearance since coming off the Injured List. He gave up one run on two hits. Sam Moll pitched a perfect seventh inning. Fernando Cruz pitched the eighth and gave up his first run in his last 11 appearances. Lucas Sims came on to pitch the ninth. He walked the first batter before giving up a single. With runners on the corners and only one out, David Bell turned to Justin Wilson. Wilson got Ian Happ to pop out in foul territory with a great catch by Tyler Stephenson before getting Mike Tauchman to ground out to first base to end the game. It was Wilson's first save since 2019.

Up Next

The Reds and Cubs face off in game four of the series on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET at Great American Ballpark.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Reds on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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