Nick Lodolo leaves early with an injury, Reds late to be over the Cubs – Redleg Nation

It was not going well for both starting pitchers in the game to start the series in Chicago. Neither of the world took the hill in the 3rd inning when both Nick Lodolo and Michael Soroka left the game with injuries. That turned things over to the bull pen for each team and both performed well given the circumstances, but the Cincinnati Reds scored two points to win a victory over the Cubs on Monday evening at Wigley Field.

The Cincinnati Reds took an early lead when Tyler Stephenson crushed a solo -home run in the first half of the 2nd inning. Things took a turn on the worse in the bottom of the inning. After he had withdrawn the first two batters from the frame, Nick Lodolo shot a curveball on Justin Turner for a strike to start his battle, but then received a visit from the trainer and finally left the game. It was later confirmed that he was dealing with a blister.

The Reds brought in Nick Martinez and he would finish the battle against Turner by flying him out. When Martinez returned to the hill in the 3rd inning, he gave up a single to Ian Happ to start with the inning and then Dansby Swanson deep in the seats in the left field to set up the cubs with 2-1.

That is where the score was when both Bullpens could do the job to the top of the 6th inning. Cincinnati was able to find some luck that their way went when Matt McLain tried to check his swing, but made soft contact and changed an Infield single on a ball that traveled about 20 feet. Two throws later, Elly de la Cruz made a late swing on a 96 MPH Fastball and seemed to be slowing down his bat at the end, but he ended up contact and made a ball along the third Hunglijn and it hugged the outer field for a double. McLain finished third, but left field player Ian Happ hit the wall as he went to the ball and lost it for a second, allowing McLain to run to the plate and scored to tie the match with the La Cruz who had third hold in the process. He would have been stranded there because the next two batters did not win him.

The Reds would try to start something with two out in the 7th inning when Jake Fraley doubled in the wall in the right middle. That brought Ke’bryan Hayes to the board and he went back to get some of that happiness from the 6th inning when he made a full swing, but to hit the ball about 10 feet but it was short enough to make him in a single without putting a throw and the go-ahead run on third base. Chicago went to the Bullpen and brought Caleb Thielbar in to face TJ Friedl in a Lefty-left matchup. The move did not work when Friedl hit a soft lining in the middle to ride in Fraley and put Cincinnati on top again through a 3-2 score.

The Cubs received a lead -off single in the second half of the inning from Willi Castro. Graham Ashcraft would get two groundouts to follow, but each moved Castro a base and he was in third place for Dansby Swanson. He hit a helicopter to the third and Ke’bryan Hayes made a nice glove on a short hop while he loses the ball and shot in third place, but Swanson beat the throw and the game was bound. Or was it? The Reds challenged the piece, which seemed strange in the beginning because it seemed clear that Swanson defeated the pitch. But closer looks closer to the replay show that he was short of the bag in his last step before he dragged his toe on the bag, but that little mistake was enough to put a hit in a hit and the piece was destroyed and the Reds held the lead.

Tony Santillan took over for Cincinnati in the 8th and hit Pete Crow-Armstrong with the first throw he threw. The Reds were some luck when Nico Hoerner struck a soft lining to Matt McLain, whom he was able to catch and shoot on time to double Crow-Armstrong. Santillan then took a strikeout to send the game to the 9th with his team still in the lead. Emilio Pagan came up for the last inning and made an easy job when he took two strikeouts and a groundout to end the game and to close a 3-2 Cincinnati victory.

Important moment of the game

TJ Friedl won the Lefty-on-Lefty Matchup in the 7th inning. The Cubs played their hand and Friedl came out with an RBI Single who was ultimately the winning run.

Dansby Swanson does not touch the bag and the referees who cross the safe call to erase a call to erase a run and end the inning will get a late addition runner here.

Notes worth mentioning

Both starting pitchers left the competition with injuries. Nick Lodolo had a blister, leaving the game in the 2nd inning. After the 2nd inning, Michael Soroka did not return to the hill with what was later described as shoulder pain. This led to each team used five relievers and that will probably come into play for the next two days.

The Reds had three extra base strokes in the game. The Cubs only had three hits.

Next for the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs

Tuesday, August 5, 8:05 pm et

Zack Littell (8-8, 3.58 ERA) vs Shota Imanaga (8-4, 3.25 ERA)