Reds walk off Cubs in 10-inning slugfest as Chicago OF Ian Happ carted off field

In a game where the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs combined for 32 hits and 25 runs, it was quite helpful to have the last chance to hit.

Nick Castellanos ended the slugfest when he lined a walk-off single against Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel, lifting the Reds to a 13-12 win in 10 innings Sunday at Great American Ball Park. It was Castellanos’ fifth hit of the game and his fourth RBI.

Castellanos was mobbed by teammates at first base, taking two of three games against the Cubs to take the weekend series.

The Reds have won two straight series and will enter Monday’s off day with a 13-14 record. They own a 7-2 record against divisional opponents at GABP this season.

Amir Garrett and Ryan Hendrix combined to pitch a scoreless top of the 10th inning with an automatic runner at second base. Garrett struck out the two batters he faced, both lefties, and said, “I’m back,” to himself a few times after he was replaced by Hendrix with two outs and pitcher Jake Arrieta coming to the plate as a pinch-hitter with an empty bench.

Hendrix struck out Arrieta in five pitches. Garrett hopped over the dugout railing and clapped to celebrate with Hendrix at the end of the inning.

It was one of those games where no lead was safe. The Reds led 6-4 after three innings, 9-6 after six innings and 12-8 after seven innings, but each time the Cubs found a way to respond.

The Reds provided a four-run lead for Tejay Antone, who was attempting a seven-out save, in the seventh inning.

Tucker Barnhart thumped a two-run homer over the right-field fence and Nick Castellanos followed a few batters later with a solo homer of his own. It was Castellanos’ second home run of the afternoon and he’s tied for the MLB lead with nine homers this season.

The Cubs responded with four runs against Antone in the top of the eighth inning. Antone, who entered with a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings, pitched into trouble when he walked two batters. Pinch-hitter Jake Marisnick hit an RBI bloop single into right field and then Ian Happ hammered a game-tying, three-run homer.

Happ later left in the bottom of the eighth inning when he collided with second baseman Nico Hoerner on a shallow fly ball that Hoerner caught.

The Cubs and multiple trainers gathered in the outfield around Happ and Hoerner. The Cubs players immediately motioned for the trainers to head onto the field.

Happ held a towel over his mouth and was carted off the field.

After the Cubs tied the game, 6-6, in the sixth inning with an RBI double from Hoerner, the Reds pulled ahead in the bottom half of the inning. They loaded the bases with two singles and a hit batsman before the go-ahead run scored when Mike Moustakas was hit by a pitch.

Next up was Eugenio Suárez, who delivered a two-out, two-run single into left field. Suárez, who advanced to second base on a throw to the plate, held up his as he looked at his teammates in the dugout, then clapped his hands before taking off his shin guard.

Suárez had three hits Sunday, including the end of back-to-back homers with Moustakas in the third inning. It was his first multi-hit game since April 10. He entered Sunday with one hit in his last 33 at-bats and 15 strikeouts. He was batting .125 entering Sunday, which was three points below the combined batting average for the team’s pitchers.

Reds manager David Bell insisted he saw signs that Suárez was improving at the plate and gave him the chance to hit out of his slump. Suárez finally had a chance to reward him for his faith.

After the Reds carried a three-run lead into the seventh inning, they called upon Lucas Sims out of the bullpen. Sims surrendered a one-out single to Happ and then Javier Báez hammered a two-run homer to center field, a ball that left his bat at 108 mph and traveled 434 feet.

It was one of those days where it didn’t matter who was on the mound, the ball was flying. Tyler Mahle allowed nine hits and six runs in five innings, including a pair of homers to Kris Bryant. Cubs starter Trevor Williams, a longtime pitcher for Pittsburgh, permitted six runs on six hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings.

The last time there was 10 homers in a game at GABP was April 14, 2014 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Joey Votto homered in that game, along with Todd Frazier, Ryan Ludwick and Devin Mesoraco.

It was an early slugfest Sunday as the two teams combined for 12 hits and 10 runs in the first three innings. The Reds hit three homers in a four-batter stretch in the third inning.

The third-inning homer barrage started when Williams tried to flip a 90-mph fastball over the middle of the plate in a 3-0 count. Castellanos didn’t miss it, crushing it over the left-field fence for a game-tying, two-run homer.

Two batters later, it was Moustakas’ turn. In a 0-2 count, Moustakas pulled a 77-mph curveball over the right-field wall for a solo homer. Then Suárez added to the fun with a homer to center field on the next pitch, a 91-mph fastball down the heart of the plate. That was Suárez’s 800th career hit.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nick Castellanos, Reds walk off Cubs in slugfest; Ian Happ injured