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Cubs 20 Reds 9
The Cubs smacked Ben Lively with five runs before a batter was retired and went on to beat the ever livin' daylights out of the Reds, 20-9 Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. The Cubs banged out 21 hits, at least one by 10 different hitters, and belted seven home runs. It's the most runs the Cubs have scored vs the Reds since 1937.
With the Reds bullpen needed to pitch 5.2 innings Monday night, David Bell had to sacrifice Lively to the tune of 13 hits and 13 runs in four innings of work.
Bell turned to catcher Luke Maile to pitch with two outs in the 7th. He served up two homers and five runs in 1.1 innings. After throwing 34 pitches, I fear Maile won't be available Wednesday.
Trailing 20-5, the Reds scored four runs in the 9th inning.
The Brewers beat the Nationals to move back within a half game of 1st place. The Cubs climb back within four games.
Ouch: Lively 4 IN, 13 H, 13 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 4 HR, 94 pitches/56 strikes. His defense let him down in the five run 1st inning. But he didn't help himself. The Reds offense gave him two runs in the 2nd and he promptly gave two right back on a Cody Bellinger 2-run bomb off the scoreboard in the bottom of the 2nd. The blow came after he'd walked the leadoff batter in the inning and paid no attention as he stole 2nd. He served up a homer in each of his four innings. His ERA jumped from 3.76 to 5.20. He'd posted a 3.23 ERA over his previous six starts.
White Flag: If there was ever an example of why MLB should have a mercy rule it was tonight. Pick the inning. Pick the run differential. Probably 5 innings (regulation game) and 10 runs. Everyone should have been spared at least the final 4-5 innings of that one.
Historical context:
-ESPN Stats & Info: Lively is the 4th pitcher over the last 40 years to allow 13 runs and 13 hits in a game. First since Colby Lewis in 2014.
-OptaSTATS: Lively is the first MLB pitcher to allow 13+ earned runs and 4+ HR in an outing of 4.0 innings or less (since ERA became an official stat in 1913).
-Elias Sports: The last Reds pitcher to allow 13+ runs in a game was Charles “King” Lear (13 R in 8.0 IP) on 7/24/1915 at Philadelphia.
Bad start: Poor Reds defense, mixed with a couple of nickel and dime hits and topped with a Dansby Swanson three-run homer were the lowlights of the 1st inning...and an omen. Kevin Newman failed to get in front of a line drive that was hilariously ruled a single. Tyler Stephenson threw a ball into CF on a steal attempt, allowing a runner to score from 3rd. Cody Belling bounced an RBI single up the middle. Swanson hit one into the basket in right field.
Mixed bag: Tyler Stephenson made two errors on throws to 2nd that were not even close. He clocked a two-run HR and collected two hits.
2H: CES, Nick Senzel
3 H: Matt McLain
Elly: He struck out three more times, but drew a walk and singled.
Debut: New acquisition Sam Moll came on in the 6th inning and tossed 1.1 scoreless innings allowing a hit and recording three punchouts.
Bullpen: Law 1.0 IN, 0 R.....Moll 1.1 IN, 0 R....Cruz 0.1 IN, R....Maile 1.1 IN, 5 R, 2 HR.....
Brief: The final margin knocks the Reds run differential back into the negative from +4 to -7.
How the Reds scored:
2: Steer scored on wild pitch, 5-1 Cubs
2: Stephenson scored on error on ball hit by Fried, 5-2 Cubs
5: McLain RBI 2B scored Senzel, 13-3 Cubs
6: Stephenson 2-run HR, 13-5 Cubs
9: McLain RBI 1B, 20-6 Cubs
9: Steer RBI 2B, 20-7 Cubs
9: CES 2-run 1B, 20-9 Cubs