Cubs' rally not enough as Reds walk off in 11th
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CINCINNATI -- Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton draw a walk-off base on balls in the bottom of the 11th inning as Cincinnati beat the Cubs, 5-4, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday at Great American Ball Park.
Cubs reliever Justin Wilson pitched to four batters in the 11th and did not record an out. He walked Scott Schebler, yielded a single to Tucker Barnhart and walked Adam Duvall to load the bases, setting the stage for Hamilton, whose RBI walk was the first earned run allowed by Wilson since April 24 against the Indians.
"It looks like we walked a run in, but we had that game so many other ways before that," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Yesterday we win, so you aren't as concerned about runners left in scoring position. Today, you don't win a game, and there's an equal number of runners left [on base]. We have to do a much better job than we did today."
Ian Happ carried Chicago's offense, coming up a single shy of the cycle. He doubled in the second, walked in the fourth, tripled in the sixth and drilled a solo homer to deep left-center field to open the eighth.
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"Happ's starting to put the ball on the barrel, really nice at-bats," Maddon said.
Trailing by two runs to begin the eighth, Happ started a rally with his homer. Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella then singled up the middle, and with two outs, Anthony Rizzo brought La Stella home on a double to the gap in left-center to even the score, and the game would eventually go to extras.
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Kyle Hendricks pitched into the sixth inning for the Cubs, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out six. Hendricks was solid through five frames, but a fielding error by Addison Russell allowed Reds shortstop José Peraza to reach safely to lead off the home half of the sixth. Joey Votto then earned a walk, Scooter Gennett singled home Peraza and Eugenio Suárez knocked a run-scoring double to right-center field to give Cincinnati a 4-2 lead.
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"I just made some bad pitches," Hendricks said of his outing. "I still felt pretty good out there, fastball command was good. Just got to stick with what I'm doing. We gotta keep grinding."
Play was interrupted momentarily in the seventh when Reds reliever Amir Garrett struck out Cubs second baseman Javier Báez to end the frame. Both players exchanged words as the dugouts quickly emptied and players pushed and shoved along the first-base line.
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"Right now, anybody can strike me out, because I'm struggling," Baez said of the situation. "I'm frustrated because I'm trying to get better, and I just keep trying. You know, it's part of the game. We're trying our best."
HE SAID IT
"Well, Garrett, he just let out a Lion King-type of a roar at that point. I'm certain if he continues with that method, that's going to happen more often. You know, the Lion King should be reserved for Broadway, or possibly a movie theater. That's what it was reminiscent of." -- Maddon, on Garrett's reaction after the left-hander struck out Baez to end the top of the seventh
UP NEXT
In Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader, the Cubs will send José Quintana out to make his ninth start of the season. He sports a winning record (4-3), but has a 5.23 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CT, and Sal Romano gets the start for the Reds.