Reds get walked off by the Cubs for the second straight game

For the second night in a row, the Cincinnati Reds lost on a walk-off hit to the Chicago Cubs, this time 3-2 in 10 innings. Not only did the Reds lose their fifth straight and seven of the last nine, the Reds also likely lost their closer to injury, as Emilio Pagan was carted off the field in the ninth inning after falling to ground and grabbing his hamstring in pain.

Similar to Monday night, the Reds jumped out to an early lead. Also, similar to Monday night, it was via a JJ Bleday home run. Bleday’s home run, his fourth in eight games, came in the first inning, a 99.7 mph laser to right center field to put the Reds up 1-0.

Andrew Abbott looked sharp through the first two innings, with two strikeouts through the first six batters. In the third, it looked like Abbott might start the inning in trouble after giving up a leadoff double to Michael Busch, but the Reds asked for a replay review and Elly De La Cruz just got the tag on him with the throw from Spencer Steer. The call was overturned and Abbott finished the inning in just six pitches. Steer also got his first outfield assist in right field on that play.

The Reds had a golden opportunity to add on in the fourth. Back-to back two out hits for Nathaniel Lowe and Spencer Steer, and a Tyler Stephenson walk brought Matt McLain to the plate with the bases loaded, but he would fly out to leftfielder Ian Happ to end the inning. It would come back to haunt them later.

The Cubs threatened in the fourth with a leadoff single and a walk. Abbott escaped the inning after striking out Happ, getting some stellar defense from Ke’Bryan Hayes who made a nice sliding catch on a 91.3 mph ground ball from Seiya Suzuki to save a run, and inducing a ground ball from Swanson to end the inning.

The Reds would play add-on in the sixth when Nathaniel Lowe hit a two-out, 108.1 mph home run to right field and extend the lead to 2-0.

It was clear that Abbott was getting tired in the sixth. He got two quick outs, but then after getting ahead 0-2 to Suzuki, Abbott walked him, gave up a single to Swanson, and then got ahead 0-2 again to Busch and walked him. He left the game after going 5.2 innings, allowing four hits and no runs, with four strikeouts and four walks. Connor Phillips entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded and got Moisés Ballesteros to hit a dribbler back to him. Phillips shoveled it to Stephenson for the force at home and to preserve the lead.

Because it’s never easy for the Reds these days, Phillips was in trouble again in the seventh, this time in a situation he created for himself. He got a quick strikeout of Miguel Amaya, but then Pete Crow-Armstrong singled, and after he stole second, Phillips walked Nico Hoerner. Alex Bregman singled home Crow-Armstrong to score the Cubs first run of the game. However, Phillips was able to work out of the jam he created for himself with a strikeout on a sweeper to Happ and a Suzuki groundout.

Tony Santillan gave up a solo home run to Busch in the eighth inning that tied the game. Emilio Pagan entered the game in the ninth and threw one pitch, crumbling to the ground after doing so while grabbing at his hamstring. Pagan would be carted off the field at Wrigley. Jose Franco came into the game and worked around two walks to send the game to extra innings.

The Reds would fail to score in the 1oth, and the Cubs took advantage in the bottom of the 1oth. Busch hit a 98.7 mph scorcher up the middle that bounced off De La Cruz’s glove and into the outfield to score the ghost runner, Swanson, and end the game.

Key Moment of the Game

Michael Busch’s solo home run in the eighth inning off Tony Santillan to tie the game at 2-2. It was a fastball that ran back across the heart of the plate and Busch didn’t miss it.

Notes Worth Noting

-A somber Terry Francona gave an update on Pagan after the game. Francona said Pagan will definitely be going to the IL, but they will know more about the extent of the injury when he gets a scan tomorrow morning at 8:50 am.

-Jameson Taillon came into the game having allowed nine home runs in 2026, second most in the National League. That total increased to 11 with the home runs from Bleday and Lowe tonight.

-According to Jim Day during the Reds broadcast, Abbott and the Reds coaching staff have been diving into the analytics behind his poor outings this season. They determined he was not throwing his sweeper enough. Tonight, he threw his sweeper 23% of the time, up from a 17.7% average across his previous starts.

-Spencer Steer extended his hitting streak to eight games. He’s now hitting .385 with an .814 OPS in 13 at-bats in the month of May.