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The game was delayed for five minutes in the
bottom of the ninth for maintenance to the pitching mound before
Cubs closer Hector Neris took his warmup pitches. Neris pitched
a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.
Cincinnati starter Frankie Montas (3-5) was charged with four
runs on five hits while retiring just four batters as the Reds
had their season-best seven-game winning streak snapped.
Montas walked three and struck out two in posting his
second-shortest outing of the season.
The Cubs got off to a quick start against Montas in the first
inning.
Mike Tauchman opened with a walk before Seiya Suzuki doubled him
to third. After a one-out walk to Christopher Morel, Happ
doubled to right to clear the bases.
Happ, a University of Cincinnati product, has 30 homers and 83
RBIs in 109 career games against the Reds, including 47 RBIs in
53 career games in Cincinnati.
The Cubs knocked Montas out of the game in the second after
Miguel Amaya opened with a double to left and Tauchman singled
to right to make it 4-0.
Imanaga was in control through the first six innings, allowing
only two hits, including a solo homer from Luke Maile leading
off the third inning that cut Chicago's lead to 4-1.
The Reds finally got to Imanaga in the seventh inning by opening
with three consecutive hits, including an RBI single to left by
Santiago Espinal that scored Spencer Steer.
But Espinal committed a baserunning blunder when he tried to
stretch the single into a double and was easily thrown out at
second by Happ. After Imanaga got the second out with a
strikeout of TJ Friedl, reliever Mark Leiter Jr. finished the
inning.
Cincinnati reliever Carson Spiers gave the Reds a chance to get
back in the game with a career-high 5 2/3 innings of scoreless
relief, allowing four hits while matching a career high with
seven strikeouts.
--Field Level Media [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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