LDN - Sports

Jay, Rizzo lead Cubs in 15-5 rout of Reds

[August 15, 2017] CHICAGO -- On a night of high humidity and pitch counts, Jose Quintana was grateful for big offensive productions by his Chicago Cubs teammates on Monday.

The Cubs right-hander (3-2) was stretched through his five-inning outing but picked up his first win since July 23 as the Cubs rolled to a 15-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

"It was really good and it was early," said Quintana, who yielded two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out four. "I started slow and that was really impressive to me."

Jon Jay went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and three runs, and Anthony Rizzo was 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs to lead the Cubs.

"We scored first and just kept pouring it on," said Rizzo.

Tommy La Stella also had three hits and scored twice, and Kris Bryant and Javier Baez each had a pair of hits -- including a home run -- and scored twice for Chicago.

Jason Heyward went 2-for-4 with three runs as part of a 17-hit Cub attack, including 10 off Reds starter Asher Wojciechowski (3-2).

"They had a lot more hard contact through the course of the game, which led to more runs," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "But both teams had a lot of scoring opportunities and pitching wasn't sharp probably for either side."

The victory was the third in four games for Chicago (62-55), while the Reds (49-70) dropped their third straight.

Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto went 3-for-5 to extend his franchise record of consecutive games reaching base two times or more to 19.

Wojciechowski gave up seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery doubled in two runs with one out in a six-run seventh off Reds reliever Drew Storen. Montgomery's second hit of the season and first double drove in Kyle Schwarber and Heyward for a 9-2 lead.

La Stella's sacrifice fly to right resulted in an error by Patrick Kivlehan and brought home Baez and Montgomery. Rizzo's third hit of the night -- a single up the middle -- scored Jay, who had been intentionally walked. Schwarber capped the big inning with a single to bring in La Stella.

Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett was 2-for-5 and clubbed a two-run homer with no outs in the eighth off Montgomery, his 20th of the season.

Gennett also pitched the bottom of the eighth, allowing Baez's two-run homer, the shortstop's 18th of the season.

The Cubs claimed a 2-0 first-inning lead when Rizzo bounced a base hit to left to bring home Jay and Bryant. Jay had singled to open the inning while Bryant's one-out double to left put runners on second and third.

The Reds loaded the bases with one gone in the second and pushed across a run on Kivlehan's dribbler to the mound. Quintana's toss to catcher Alex Avila went awry, allowing Eugenio Suarez to score.

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Cubs starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Hamilton then singled to left to drive in Gennett for a 2-2 tie, but pinch runner Tucker Barnhart was thrown out at the plate.

Chicago loaded the bases with two outs in the third and failed to score, then rocked Wojciechowski for five runs in the fourth, all after two outs.

The Cubs plated two as Jay's triple to the right-field corner drove in Heyward for a 3-2 lead. Jay came home on La Stella's single to center to make it 4-2.

Bryant followed with his 22nd homer of the season and second in two days to score La Stella and extend the lead to 6-2.

Rizzo then made it back-to-back home runs with his 27th of the season, making it a 7-2 lead. It also chased Wojciechowski.

"They exploited their opportunities to score with multiple baserunners on, a couple of big innings that created some problems for us," said Price.

Reds starting catcher Devin Mesoraco was hit by a pitch in the second inning and departed in favor of Barnhart, who then worked the rest of the game behind the plate.

Price said an X-ray revealed a possible left foot fracture and that Mesoraco would return to Cincinnati on Tuesday for a MRI.

NOTES: Reds OF Scott Schebler is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 1 with a left shoulder strain. ... The Reds' rotation features three rookies: RHP Asher Wojciechowski (Monday's starter), RHP Luis Castillo (Tuesday's starter) and RHP Sal Romano. ... Castillo (2-5, 3.73 ERA) makes his 11th major league appearance and start on Tuesday as he faces the Cubs for the first time. Chicago will start RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.70 ERA). ... The Cubs have a stretch of 13 straight games against teams in last place in their division and 24 against teams with below .500 records. ... Chicago is 32-29 away from Wrigley Field, the only NL Central team with a winning road mark.

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