Cincinnati Reds carve out 4-3 win against Cubs behind Wade Miley, Jonathan India

Early socked dingers from Jonathan India and Nick Castellanos gave the Cincinnati Reds an immediate lead in the second game of their series against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, the two 1st inning dingers finally, mercifully ending the Reds streak of allowing their opponents to score the game’s initial run.

Thanks to Wade Miley, for the most part, that turned the game into a win.

A pair of insurance runs in the Top of the 8th completed the offensive output by the Reds on the day, with a big 2-out ribbie from Mike Moustakas coming after the Cubs had opted to walk Joey Votto intentionally beforehand. Those runs proved large after Michael Lorenzen yielded another pair of runs in a relief appearance - solo blasts by both Rafael Ortega and Ian Happ that made it a tight 4-3 game.

Fortunately, that’s how things would wrap thanks to a solid enough 9th from Mychal Givens, and the Reds will enter Wednesday’s series finale with a chance to take the series W.

Tony Graphanino

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

It’s a split ballot this evening, though one that’s certainly well deserved on both sides.

Jonathan India gets dap due to his early homer, his later double, his walk, and his pair of runs scored. That kind of electricity from the leadoff spot has been the catalyst for the Reds offense for four months running, and it was nice to see him go off again after a brief mini-slump.

Wade Miley gets the big piece of chicken, though. He yielded just a lone ER in his 7 IP, scattering 5 H and nary a walk in a much needed 101 pitch outing. He fanned 8 in the process and hit 94 mph on the Bally Sports radar gun, too.

Other Notes

• Tomorrow’s series finale between the Cubs and Reds will be another 7:40 PM ET start. It will feature Alec Mills on the bump for Chicago - another RHP, mercifully - opposite Vlad Gutierrez, who’ll be looking to get back to his better ways.
• Tunes.