The Cubs carried a one-run edge into the sixth inning Friday night, then watched it slip away in a 6-4 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Chicago right-hander Clay Holmes recovered from an uneven opening stretch and put together seven straight retired hitters through the fifth. But command deserted him in the sixth, and Cincinnati turned a bases-loaded chance into the deciding rally.
Quick facts
- The Cubs fell to 85-69 with the 6-4 defeat in Cincinnati.
- Chicago stood a half-game behind Philadelphia for the top National League Wild Card position.
- The Cubs were also a half-game ahead of San Diego for the final Wild Card place and owned the tiebreaker over both clubs.
- Emilio Pagán recorded his 24th save after retiring three of four Cubs in the ninth.
Holmes gave up three runs across the first three innings, but the Cubs had fought back to take the lead by the time he reached the sixth. That inning began with trouble: three walks among the first four Reds hitters loaded the bases with one out.
Javier Assad entered from the bullpen and Eugenio Suárez greeted him with a tying RBI single. Jose Trevino followed with a hit to right field that brought home two more runs, pushing Cincinnati in front for good.
Chicago had one clean opportunity to answer in the eighth against right-hander Tejay Antone. With runners at first and second and two outs, Pete Crow-Armstrong stepped in needing a hit to at least level the score, but struck out to end the inning.
Crow-Armstrong remains the leading National League MVP candidate and is chasing a rare 40-homer, 40-steal season. Reaching that mark would make him the seventh player in Major League history to do it and the first center fielder.
Pagán closed the door in the ninth, allowing one runner while finishing the Reds’ comeback. For the Cubs, the loss tightened an already crowded Wild Card picture with only a handful of games left on the schedule.
