Cubs keep clicking in 8-5 win over Reds

[July 29, 2020]  Javier Baez homered twice and Alec Mills threw six solid innings as the visiting Chicago Cubs won their third in a row, 8-5 over the struggling Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

Baez also doubled and drove in three runs. David Bote went deep for one of his two hits, Jason Kipnis also posted a pair of hits, and Nico Hoerner had two RBIs for the Cubs, who have totaled 25 runs and homered seven times in the past three games.

Temporarily filling the rotation spot of injured left-hander Jose Quintana, Mills (1-0) allowed only a Nick Castellanos two-run homer in the fourth inning, and one other hit while striking out three and walking two. It was Chicago's fourth excellent starting-pitching performance on the young season.

Curt Casali clubbed his second homer of the season in the eighth and Freddy Galvis belted a two-run drive in the ninth for Cincinnati, which has dropped four straight following an opening 7-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Chicago opened the scoring in the third off Reds starter Tyler Mahle. A ball into right-center field was lost in the sun by Cincinnati's Shogo Akiyama, resulting in a triple for Kipnis. Hoerner followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0.

Kipnis came through again in the fourth with an RBI single to give the Cubs a 2-0 advantage.

Cincinnati evened the score in the bottom of the fourth. After Mills issued a two-out walk to Jesse Winker, Castellanos homered to right field.

Cubs starting pitcher Alec Mills (30) throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Mahle lasted just four innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out four with a walk. The Cubs, though, took the lead back off his replacement, Cody Reed (0-1), in the fifth. With two outs, Baez doubled, and Kyle Schwarber hit an RBI single to left.

Hoerner's sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Cubs up 4-2. Baez's first homer of the season -- on a 3-0 count off Amir Garrett in the seventh -- made it 5-2. Bote's opposite-field solo shot to right-center field in the eighth padded Chicago's lead.

Following Casali's homer, Baez's deep two-run shot to center added some insurance in the ninth.

Chicago's Kris Bryant, off to a 1-for-17 start with eight strikeouts, was out of the lineup Tuesday due to a reported elbow issue.

--Field Level Media

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