Willson Contreras, Christopher Morel homer as Cubs defeat Reds
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 [June 30, 2022] Willson
Contreras and rookie Christopher Morel each clubbed two-run homers,
and Nico Hoerner had a two-run double as the Chicago Cubs won 8-3
over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
Contreras had three hits on the night and Justin Steele (3-5)
allowed a run over five-plus innings for the Cubs, who evened this
three-game set with their third win in five games. Chicago also
snapped a three-game skid to the Reds, who got two doubles with an
RBI from Joey Votto and a late Brandon Drury homer.
The Cubs opened the scoring three batters into their half of the
first. Contreras was hit by rookie Hunter Greene's pitch, and scored
on Ian Happ's double.
Chicago preserved that 1-0 lead in the fourth when Morel threw out
Cincinnati's Tommy Pham trying to score on a fly ball to center.
That double play apparently sparked the Cubs in the bottom of the
inning. Greene (3-9) issued back-to-back walks to Happ and Patrick
Wisdom, who both scored on Hoerner's double to left-center field.
Greene's night ended after four innings, during which he allowed
those doubles to Happ and Hoerner, the two walks and struck out
five. He was relieved by Luis Cessa, who served up Contreras' 13th
homer -- with a man on --into the left-center field bleachers for
his 600th career hit and a 5-0 Cubs' lead.
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Chicago Cubs center fielder Christopher Morel (right) high fives
second baseman David Bote (13) after they scored on his two-run home
run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley
Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Steele, meanwhile, was in control until the sixth,
when he gave up a hard single to Brandon Drury, a walk to Pham and
Votto's RBI double. Scott Effross entered, and didn't allow any more
damage, ending Steele's outing, which also included six hits and
three walks allowed, while fanning six.
In four June starts at home, Steele gave up five earned runs over 24
innings.
Morel, batting .182 (8-for-44) with 22 strikeouts and no homers in
his previous 10 games, went deep for the sixth time, well into the
left-field bleachers with a man on in the sixth for his second hit
of the game and a 7-1 Chicago lead.
--Field Level Media
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