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Another Series Win, Reds 7 Cubs 2

It may be the cellar dwelling Cubs, but you take what you can get

Cozart drives in the first run of the game in the 2nd inning
Cozart drives in the first run of the game in the 2nd inning
Joe Robbins

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Zack Cozart had a 3-hit day including a double, scored 3 runs and drove in 1.  That makes Zack 8 for his last 15 (and only one strikeout!) with a double and a triple, and if he could get on a hot streak it would do wonders for the offense.  He also stole two bases.  Billy Hamilton gets an honorable mention for being on base four times and stealing a base.  Todd Frazier gets an honorable mention for a multi-hit game with a stolen base.  Billy Todd, and Zack basically put the offense on their shoulders today and got the job done.  Dylan Axelrod also gets an honorable mention for gutting out 5 scoreless innings after running a pitch count up to 50 through the first two of them.  He allowed 2 hits, 3 walks, and had 8 Ks.  His bunting gets an extremely dishonorable mention, however.

Key Plays

  • The offenses were making the pitchers work early and often in this one.  Axelrod and Arrieta got throught the first unscathed despite allowing baserunners and stolen bases.
  • The Reds struck first in the 2nd: Negron walked and stole a base, and Cozart singled him home.  Cozart stole second, and Billy doubled him home.  Then Todd Frazier singled Billy home and stole second base, but was stranded there.  Reds led 3-0.
  • The Reds struck again in the 4th: Cozart singled and stole second, and Todd singled him home after a Billy walk.  The Brandon Phillips doubled to score both runners.  Reds led 6-0.
  • In the 6th, the Reds piled on some more: Cozart doubled and moved to third on an error by Alcantara.  Then Billy singled him home.  Todd then reached on an error, and Devin Mesoraco walked, but were stranded.  Reds 7-0 at that point.
  • The Reds cruised along with that lead until a bit of drama in the 9th inning.  Jumbo Diaz allowed a leadoff single to Starlin Castro, followed by a single from Luis Valbuena, then a single to Jorge Soler scored Castro.  The first out came when Alcantara hit a sac fly to make the score 7-2.  But then Jumbo coaxed a double play ball to wrap up the game.

A FanGraph


Source: FanGraphs

Other Notes

  • Axelrod got his first win of the season and his first in the NL.
  • Jay Bruce struck out all five times he came to the plate, on a day when pretty much everyone else was contributing on offense.  Lost season.
  • The Reds have put together a very modest stretch of 4 wins in the last 5 games.  They've done this one other time post-ASB, August 3-7.
  • The Cubs committed two errors in this game, giving them five for the series.  But that count hardly tells the story of their actual defensive performance; they easily could have been charged with double that number.