Game Recap: Reds keep their playoff hopes alive with win over Cubs

Katie Stratman - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 12 hours ago

CINCINNATI - While the Chicago Cubs' (88-66) goal for the rest of the season should be to get as healthy as possible, you still want to win games, as no team wants to back into the playoffs. 48 hours since clinching their first playoff berth in five seasons, and it's the Cubs who are looking to get back on track as they have now dropped two straight games to the Cincinnati Reds (78-76) at The Great American Ballpark.

Unlike Thursday's game, where a total of one run was scored, this looked more like your typical game at the Great American Ballpark as the ball was flying all over the yard. In total, seven homers were launched over the wall, with five coming from the Reds as they took care of business 7-4. Heading into this series, you knew things would be challenging as the Reds came into the series throwing their best arms and with their season on the line.

Nick Lodolo was one of those arms, as the young left-hander has put together an impressive season. As good as his season has been, this wasn't one of his better starts as he lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and striking out six. The same can be said about Shota Imanaga, who continues to struggle keeping the ball in the yard as he surrendered three of the Reds' five homers.

For the most part, Imanaga was able to minimize the damage, allowing four runs in five innings, as that would be all the left-hander would give the Cubs in this one. It didn't take the Reds long to get their offense rolling as Miguel Andujar connected for the Reds' first homer in the bottom of the first to put Cincinnati in front 1-0.

After wasting a golden scoring opportunity in the top of the first, it was the Cubs getting back on track in the second as Dansby Swanson connected for his 23rd homer of the season to make this a 1-1 game. Pete Crow-Armstrong added a single later in the inning, but was picked off trying to steal second as things remained 1-1.

One inning later, and it was the Cubs' two hottest hitters getting the job done with Nico Hoerner picking up a one-out single before racing home on an Ian Happ double to put the Cubs in front for the first time, 2-1. Like Pittsburgh, Happ loves hitting at the Great American Ballpark, as these two parks are places where he is guaranteed to have success.

While the Cubs were doing what they needed to do to get runs home, the Reds continued to rely on the long ball as Matt McClain took Imanaga deep in the third, only to have Spencer Steer answer with another homer in the fourth. The Steer homer came after Matt Shaw picked up the Cubs' second homer in the top of the fourth as Chicago held a 4-3 lead up to this point.

Fast forward to the fifth, and it was the Cubs' offense keeping the pressure on Lidolo again as a pair of singles from Carson Kelly and Justin Turner set the offense up, only to come away empty. That proved costly as the Reds drew even in the bottom of the fifth on a TJ Friedl single, making this a 4-4 game.

By the time the sixth inning rolled around, it was a game of the bullpens as both bullpens were set to take over from that point on. Typically, it would be the Cubs' bullpen that you would trust more in these situations, but with Porter Hodge getting the nod in the sixth, the Reds' offense had other ideas as they looked to deliver the knockout blow.

After striking out Andjuar to begin the sixth, Hodge was in a bit of trouble as the Austin Hays single put the go-ahead runner on base. That was followed by a pair of homers from Steer and Elly De La Cruz, and just like that, it was the Reds surging back in front 7-4. For De La Cruz, his homer ended by far the longest homerless drought of his career, and you have to wonder if that is the hit that gets things turned around in the final week of the season.

Those would be the only runs the Reds offense would need to get the job done, as their bullpen took care of the Cubs from the sixth inning on, securing another massive win, 7-4. Even with the loss, all wasn't bad as the Cubs saw their magic number shrink from five to four as the White Sox knocked off the Padres 4-3.

Leading the way for the Cubs was a quartet of multi-hit games as the Cubs pounded out 11 hits in the loss. Happ was one of the players to record multiple hits, joined by Shaw, Crow-Armstrong, and Kelly.