Cincinnati Reds beat Chicago Cubs for second night in a row with late-inning rally
On a day the Cincinnati Reds put two more starting pitchers on the shelf and then played a team three games ahead of them in two sets of standings, the Reds still managed to make their most compelling story of the day about pitching success.
Well, that and another two-run, ninth-inning rally to take advantage of that pitching and beat the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on Saturday night, this time 2-1.
Hunter Renfroe, one of two outfielders picked up on waivers from the Los Angeles Angels Thursday, drove in the game-winner with a walk-off fielder's choice grounder to short, beating out the relay through to first as TJ Friedl crossed the plate with the winning run.
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The back-to-back wins over the Cubs clinched the season series and tiebreaker for a possible playoff berth.
But not before an emotional return to the mound by reliever Tejay Antone after more than two years working his way back from a second Tommy John surgery.
“It was a wildly long roller coaster that I was on,” he said before the game, choking back emotion. “There were points when I felt like getting off the roller coaster.”
His wife especially, as well as other loved ones kept him going, he said. “I definitely couldn’t have done it by myself.”
Antone took over, trailing by one, to start the eighth and after giving up a leadoff single, got a double-play grounder and then struck out Reds-killer Ian Happ for the scoreless return to the majors.
But the Reds’ pitching story started from literally the start, not long after Graham Ashcraft went on the 15-day IL with a toe injury and Brandon Williamson joined three teammates on the COVID-19 IL.
Starting pitcher Andrew Abbott, the rookie left-hander facing workload limits in the final weeks of the season, rebounded Saturday from a shaky six-start stretch (6.67) to deliver his best start since July – taking a shutout one out deep into the seventh before Jeimer Candelario connected for a solo home run to left.
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It was the longest start for Abbott since July 25, when he pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Abbott, whose 149 innings combined in the minors and majors this year is 31 more than last year’s career high, was asked about his workload and possible fatigue after his previous start – when he didn’t get through the fourth inning of a loss in San Francisco, throwing 85 pitches.
“I feel fine,” he said, blaming his recent issues on mechanics and failing to make adjustments.
If Saturday’s performance against one of the league’s most productive lineups since the All-Star break was a sign that he was right – and might be able to make even four more starts with few restrictions down the stretch – it would be especially welcome news to a rotation gutted by injuries and COVID-19 cases.
Abbott retired 11 of the first 13 he faced Saturday before giving up his first hits in the game on back-to-back, two-out singles in the fourth. He struck out the switch-hitting Candelario to strand the runners at the corners.
He gave up a single without walking a batter the rest of his outing until Candelario’s seventh-inning shot.
Jake Fraley opened the Reds’ ninth with a double, with Harrison Bader taking over as a pinch runner and quickly stealing third (albeit, on a disputed call that was upheld after a review).
Friedl walked, and Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Elly De La Cruz, whose third hit of the day was a single to right to drive home the tying run.
After Nick Martini, who tied the game Friday night with a home run, popped to left, Renfroe grounded toward the hole on the left side of the infield, where Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson dived to make the grab and threw quickly to Hoerner at second for the out. Not quite quickly enough for Hoerner's quick turn to get the third out.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds beat Chicago Cubs again, take MLB season series
