Abbott pitches 7 crisp innings as the Reds hold off the Cubs for a 6-2
win
[May 31, 2025]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Abbott pitched seven shutout
innings in his third consecutive win, helping the Cincinnati Reds beat
the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Friday.
TJ Friedl, Tyler Stephenson and Jake Fraley homered for Cincinnati,
which improved to 3-1 on a six-game trip. Will Benson had two hits and
scored twice. |
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea (53) throws against the
Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May
30, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) |
|
The Reds played without outfielder Austin Hays,
one of their best hitters. Hays was placed on the 10-day injured
list with a left foot contusion.
Abbott (5-0) allowed one hit, struck out eight and walked one.
The left-hander improved to 3-0 with a sparkling 0.55 ERA in six
May starts.
Emilio Pagán got two outs for his 14th save, working out of a
jam in the ninth.
Chicago had won four in a row and seven of eight overall. The NL
Central leaders took two of three against the Reds in Cincinnati
last weekend.
Cubs right-hander Colin Rea (3-2) was tagged for six runs and a
season-high 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Friedl drove Rea's third pitch of the game deep to right-center
for his fourth homer of the season. Friedl also singled in the
third for his seventh consecutive game with multiple hits.
Stephenson connected for a two-run shot in the fourth, a
435-foot drive to center for his fourth homer. Fraley added
another two-run shot in the sixth in his first game back after
being sidelined by left calf tenderness.
Chicago scored its two runs in the eighth. Michael Busch hit an
RBI triple and scored on Matt Shaw's single to right.
Key moment
The Cubs had runners on first and second when Graham Ashcraft
replaced Tony Santillan on the mound in the eighth. Ashcraft got
Kyle Tucker to bounce into a 3-6-1 double play, ending the
inning.
Key stat
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out swinging in
his first three at-bats before reaching on a bloop double in the
ninth. He flung his bat off to the side in frustration after
striking out for the final out in the fourth.
Up next
Left-hander Nick Lodolo (4-4, 3.39 ERA) starts on Saturday for
the Reds. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz (2-0, 0.00 ERA) opens for
the Cubs, and right-hander Ben Brown (3-3, 6.39 ERA) also is
expected to pitch.
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