Joey Votto homers twice more as Reds roll over Cubs

[July 29, 2021]   Joey Votto homered twice and tied a team record by going deep in his fifth straight game, and Tyler Mahle pitched six shutout innings to boost the visiting Cincinnati Reds to an 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

 Fans try to get autographs before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati won for the fourth time in six games behind an 11-hit attack. In addition to Votto, who drove in three runs, Kyle Farmer and Jesse Winker each delivered two hits, with Winker smacking a run-scoring double in the third inning.

Votto opened the scoring with a solo home run against Cubs right-hander Zach Davies to lead off the second. With the blast, the veteran first baseman became the ninth Reds player to homer in five straight games, and the first since teammate Eugenio Suarez accomplished the feat in July 2018.

Tyler Stephenson provided insurance with a two-run single in the fifth. The Reds added a run in the eighth when Shogo Akiyama was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Votto then collected his fifth home run in the first three games of the four-game series with a two-run shot in the ninth. Akiyama made it 8-0 Reds with an RBI double later in the inning.

David Bote's pinch-hit RBI single with two out in the ninth allowed Chicago to avoid a shutout. He later scored with the help of a Reds error.

Mahle (8-3) limited Chicago to five hits in six innings with one walk and two strikeouts. Nico Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom both had two hits for the Cubs.

Davies (6-7) surrendered four runs and seven hits in six innings to take the loss. While he struck out eight for the second straight start, Davies walked four to raise his major league-leading total to 58.

Hoerner left the game after experiencing apparent right-side discomfort while striking out in the seventh. Hoerner was facing reliever Luis Cessa, whom the Reds acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Both Cessa and Justin Wilson, who joined Cincinnati in the same deal, pitched scoreless innings in their club debuts.

Chicago's Javier Baez missed his third straight start while battling left heel soreness.

--Field Level Media

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.