SLUMPING SLUGGERS ANTHONY RIZZO AND KYLE SCHWARBER HOMERED, ROOKIE IAN HAPP CONNECTED AGAIN AND THE CHICAGO CUBS BEAT THE CINCINNATI REDS 9-5 ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
HAPP HIT HIS SECOND HOMER IN HIS THIRD MAJOR LEAGUE GAME AND ADDISON RUSSELL ALSO WENT DEEP AS CHICAGO RETURNED TO .500 AFTER A LACKLUSTER ROAD TRIP. NL MVP KRIS BRYANT ADDED TWO HITS IN HIS FIRST APPEARANCE AFTER MISSING THREE GAMES WITH AN ILLNESS.
THE CUBS (19-19) HAD DROPPED SEVEN OF NINE, INCLUDING FOUR OF THEIR LAST SIX AT DIVISION LEADERS COLORADO AND ST. LOUIS. SCHWARBER'S CONTINUED TROUBLE IN THE LEADOFF SPOT AND THE SHAKY PERFORMANCE SO FAR BY THE ROTATION HAD CREATED SOME ANGST FOR A FAN BASE EXPECTING MORE OF THE SAME AFTER CHICAGO'S HISTORIC WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR, BUT NO ONE SEEMED A BIT WORRIED AROUND THE TEAM.
WILLSON CONTRERAS HAD TWO HITS AND TWO RBIS, AND JOHN LACKEY (4-3) PITCHED INTO THE SIXTH INNING IN THE OPENER OF A 10-GAME HOMESTAND
.JOEY VOTTO, ZACK COZART AND TUCKER BARNHART HOMERED FOR CINCINNATI ON A WARM AND WINDY NIGHT AT WRIGLEY FIELD. BUT BRONSON ARROYO (3-3) WAS HIT HARD IN FIVE INNINGS, ALLOWING FIVE RUNS AND EIGHT HITS.