David Bote and Zach McKinstry each hit three-run homers, and the visiting Chicago Cubs scored six times in the sixth en route to a season-ending 15-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Franmil Reyes (three RBIs) clubbed a two-run homer in the eighth for one of his three hits and Bote finished with two hits and five RBIs for the Cubs (74-88), who won 12 of their final 15 games. McKinstry also had two hits and P.J. Higgins recorded three RBIs, while Adbert Alzolay (2-1) threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win for Chicago.
Meanwhile, Jake Fraley had two hits for the Reds (62-100), who, despite taking two of three from the Cubs in this series, suffered 100 losses for the second time in franchise history. Cincinnati's 1982 club went 61-101.
In the second inning, Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft (5-6) issued back-to-back walks to Nico Hoerner and Higgins, then Bote drove the ball just over the fence in the right field corner for a 3-0 lead.
Cincinnati got a run back in the bottom of the second, when Jose Barrero drew a walk and eventually made his way around to score on Higgins' passed ball. The Reds made it 3-2 an inning later when Stuart Fairchild lined a drive off center fielder Christopher Morel's glove, resulting in a triple, and scored on rookie Spencer Steer's two-out single off Chicago starter Adrian Sampson.
The Cubs' right-hander didn't make it out of the third, leaving with an apparent leg injury. Only one of the two runs Sampson allowed over those 2 2/3 innings was earned, to go with four hits and a walk.
Chicago, however, broke the game open in the sixth, highlighted by Bote's two-run double and McKinstry's blast, with two on, well up into the right field seats off Reds reliever Derek Law. Ashcraft's day ended after 5 1/3 innings. He allowed seven runs, four hits and five walks while striking out four.
The Cubs added four more runs in the seventh, thanks in large part to Higgins' two-run double.
--Field Level Media
Chi. Cubs | Cincinnati | |
Adrian Sampson | Player | Graham Ashcraft |
No Decision | W/L | Loss |
2.2 | IP | 5.1 |
3 | Strikeouts | 4 |
4 | Hits | 4 |
3.38 | ERA | 11.81 |
Chi. Cubs | Cincinnati | |
Franmil Reyes | Player | Jake Fraley |
3 | Hits | 2 |
3 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 2 |
.600 | Avg | .400 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Chi. Cubs | 13 | 3 | 25 | .333 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
Cincinnati | 7 | 0 | 10 | .200 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |