Game Recap: Amaya goes down as Reds top Cubs

Katie Stratman - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 8 hours ago

CINCINNATI - There is no argument that Colin Rea has been one of the many surprises for the Chicago Cubs (31-21) this season. Since taking over for Justin Steele in the rotation, Rea has made the five-million-dollar contract the Cubs have given him look like a bargain as Chicago is 6-2 in the games he starts.

As good as he has been, you had a feeling that he would start to come back to earth, and perhaps his most recent start against the Cincinnati Reds (26-27) at The Great American Ballpark is proof of that. Rea struggled to get through five innings, needing 108 pitches to get that done. He walked three and struck out eight, but with six runs allowed, he was on the losing end for just the second time as a starter as the Reds took down the Cubs 6-3.

Elly De La Cruz was a massive reason for the Reds picking up the victory as he drove in a game-high four runs. That included two runs in the first inning on a two-run homer that put the Reds on top for good, 2-0. When you look at how the first inning unfolded, it did have similar vibes to what Matthew Boyd went through on Friday, as Rea allowed another single to Austin Hays after that homer before walking Gavin Lux, only to escape without further damage.

Opposing Rea was the left-hander Andrew Abbott, who, although he struck out only two batters, did what he needed to do to pick up the victory as he allowed just two runs in his 5 2/3 innings. The first of those came in the third inning when Justin Turner took him deep for his first homer of the season and pulled the Cubs within 2-1. Turner has started to look more like himself in recent games, which must be a pleasant sight for anyone inside the organization.

That was as close as the Cubs would get at any point, as Abbott was dialed in from start to finish while Rea continued to labor through the early innings. Still leading 2-1 in the fourth, Lux came through with a leadoff double to set the Reds offense up as they threatened to extend their lead.

Lux would advance to third on a wild pitch while a Spencer Steer walk put runners on the corners with no outs. Cincinnati managed to pick up another run off a Will Benson sacrifice fly, but Rea was able to get through the fourth without further damage. Looking to put the game away in the fifth, the Reds kept the pressure on Rea as TJ Friedl and Santiago Espinal started things off with a pair of singles to set the Reds up for a potential big inning.

Rea didn't do himself any favors as a wild pitch moved both runners into a scoring position, which proved costly, with De La Cruz cashing in for the game-winning hit that extended the Reds' lead to 5-1. De la Cruz would come in to score later in the inning as Steer capped off a three-run inning with an RBI single that put the Reds in front 6-1.

From there, it was all about the Cubs trying to figure out a way to battle back, as this game would come down to the bullpens. Watching Kyle Tucker lead the sixth off with a single ahead of a Seiya Suzuki walk was a great start, but Abbott managed to wiggle in and out of trouble to keep things right where they were.

Then came the seventh, where Carson Kelly led things off with a single off Graham Ashcraft as the Cubs had another leadoff runner on. Kelly wasn't initially in the starting lineup but was forced to enter the game after Miguel Amaya left with what looked to be an injury to his side. Kelly managed to get to third off another Matt Shaw double before coming home on an Ian Happ grounder that pulled the Cubs within 6-2.

Over the next two innings, the Cubs continued to chip away at the Reds' lead as they have outscored their opponents 44-3 over their past seven games from the seventh inning on. That included three more runs today, as the Cubs' offense will fight until the end. With Ryan Brasier and Brooks Kriske keeping the Reds off the board for three innings, it gave the Cubs offense a chance as Suzuki opened the eighth with a double before coming home on a Pete Crow-Armstrong sacrifice fly.

One inning later, it was that man again as Kelly came through with his second leadoff hit in as many at-bats as he took Emilio Pagan deep to begin the ninth and pulled the Cubs within 6-4. That came after the Reds stranded a pair of runners in scoring position as the momentum slowly started to swing back to the Cubs.

After a second double from Shaw put another runner in scoring position, the top of the lineup was coming to bat and representing the tying run. That is when Pagan buckled down to get the job done as he retired Happ and Tucker to end the game to close out a 6-4 win. With three more hits, Shaw continues to impress since his return, pushing his average to .232. Kelly and Tucker each added two hits in the losing effort as the Cubs will go for another series win on Sunday.