Chicago Cubs rally late but Votto’s blast wins it for Reds

Cubs’ Bryant goes from hero to goat in loss to the Reds

The

showed plenty of fight in this series against the Cincinnati Reds, unfortunately, that fight was only good enough for one win as the Reds got a late three-run home run from

to take the series from the Cubs with a 7-4 win.

(5-3, 1.50) surrendered the blast in a non-save spot in the top of the ninth inning.

The Cubs (75-57)  found themselves at an early disadvantage as Jason Bourgeois lead off the game with a solo home run off Cubs’ starter Jason Hammel. The Reds added another in the second with an RBI single from Eugenio Suarez to take a 2-0 lead.

With the wind blowing out, the Cubs used it to their advantage to fight back. Tommy La Stella hit a solo home run in the third to cut the lead to 2-1, and Anthony Rizzo picked up his first hit of the series with a solo blast of his own to tie it at 2-2.

The Reds (55-77) quickly came back, as their starter Raisel Iglesias hit an RBI triple to give the Reds back the lead. After Hammel was lifted, new Cub Trevor Cahill surrendered an RBI groundout to Brayan Pena to boost their lead to 4-2.

After J.J. Hoover (7-0, 2.02) walked Dexter Fowler, Cubs’ third baseman Kris Bryant found a way to be dramatic again hitting a game-tying two-run home run to left. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the play that Bryant would be involved in that would decide the game.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis
• Cubs might start to limit Justin Steele’s workload soon

With one on and two out in the ninth, Jay Bruce hit a sharp ground ball to Bryant that went between his legs and into left field, allowing Joey Votto to come to the plate. He responded with a three-run shot on a 2-0 count to give the Reds a 7-4 lead.

Aroldis Chapman came on in the ninth, but the Cubs didn’t make it easy. After a base hit from Austin Jackson and a walk to Chris Denorfia the Cubs brought the tying run to the plate. But Javier Baez and then Fowler struck out back-to-back as the Reds pulled out the series win.

Next: Baez gets another chance in Chicago