CINCINNATI -- Right-hander Clay Holmes was on a roll until the sixth inning on Friday night, when the Cubs lost a one-run lead and the game, 6-4, to the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
The Cubs (85-69) are tied on record with the Phillies (85-69) and the Padres (85-69) for the top National League Wild Card spot. Chicago holds the tiebreaker over both.
Holmes allowed three runs in the first three innings, but he settled down by retiring seven consecutive batters through the fifth frame, with the Cubs holding a 4-3 lead.
The sixth inning proved to be Holmes’ undoing. He had a tough time throwing strikes, allowing walks to three of the first four hitters to load the bases with one out.
Holmes, who ended up walking a season-high five batters, was taken out of the game in favor of right-hander Javier Assad, who allowed a game-tying RBI single to Eugenio Suárez. Jose Trevino then singled to right field to drive in two more runs to take the lead. After the game, Holmes held himself accountable for the team falling behind.
“I really couldn’t finish the outing. That’s what it comes down to. You can’t walk the leadoff guy in the sixth -- the walks hurt us,” Holmes said. “The past couple of outings, I’ve not been able to finish it. That’s something that I need to do.”
Said Cubs manager Craig Counsell, “Five walks are too many. That’s going to come back and hurt you, and it did in the sixth inning. He was uneven the first three innings. He got in a good roll in the fourth and fifth, and there are three walks in that inning, unfortunately.”
The Cubs had a chance to at least tie the score in the eighth inning against Reds right-hander Tejay Antone. Chicago had runners on first and second with two outs and Pete Crow-Armstrong at the plate. He is the leading candidate to win the National League MVP Award, as he has a chance to become the seventh player and first center fielder in MLB history to reach the 40-40 mark. But Crow-Armstrong struck out to end the frame.
That marked the second time in the game Crow-Armstrong struck out with men on base. In the second, with Reds right-hander Chase Burns on the mound, Chicago had the bases full with one out, but Crow-Armstrong went down looking and Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging. The Cubs ended up leaving nine runners on base, while Crow-Armstrong went hitless in five at-bats and struck out three times.
“Offensively, we had real good opportunities. We had the right guys up. We just didn’t get the hits tonight,” Counsell said.
In the ninth, Reds closer Emilio Pagán picked up his 24th save of the season. Trevino threw out Michael Busch trying to steal second base to end the game, after the initial safe call was overturned by a crew chief review. Ian Happ, who homered earlier in the game, was in the batter’s box when the last out was made.
“That was a bad play. That was dumb play. Stupid. I’ll take responsibility for it. Dumb play,” Counsell said.