CHICAGO– Santiago Espinal hit a two-run home run while batting in the seventh inning and the Cincinnati Reds held on to beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Friday.
Espinal, who entered batting just .195, struck out Will Benson with zero strikeouts and Jonathan India at first after a walk. He sent Drew Smyly’s first pitch into the left-center stands at Wrigley Field for his third home run, giving Cincinnati its first 4–3 lead.
“I just stay ready, stay prepared,” Espinal said. “It was a curve right in the middle. I was just trying to be aggressive, put something in the zone and I did it.”
Tyler Stephenson had a two-hitter and run for the Reds, who ended a two-game slide.
Nick Martini added an RBI and TJ Friedl singled in an insurance run in the ninth. The Reds needed that.
Cincinnati closer Alexis Diaz entered the bottom of the ninth with a 5-3 lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to lead off, so Diaz walked pinch-hitter Michael Busch.
Crow-Armstrong scored on Seiya Suzuki’s double into the left field corner with one out. But Nick Madrigal, who had reached a force, was thrown out at the plate on an excellent relay throw by shortstop Elly De La Cruz after left fielder Jacob Hurtubise fielded the ball quickly and hit De La Cruz in cutaway position.
“That’s the game,” Reds coach David Bell said. “Hit the cutoff man and when it’s Elly, we want to get the ball to him. We know what kind of arm he has. Everyone does.”
Cody Bellinger flew to the right to finish and Diaz made his 11th save. The Reds (25-32) won for the fifth time in seven games.
Ian Happ hit two run-homers and walked the bases loaded for three RBIs, but the Cubs lost their third straight and eighth in nine, falling two games below .500 (28-30).
Fernando Cruz (2-5), the first of the Reds’ four relievers, pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Smyly (2-3) suffered the loss in relief of starter Javier Assad. The lefty walked three in 1 1/3 innings.
“There are important moments during the game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “When you add it all up, they did a little more than we did today.”
Counsell was ejected in the bottom of the ninth.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Madrigal homered to Patrick Wisdom. It was unclear whether Diaz’s inside shot looked at Madrigal’s hand or the button on his stick. Home plate umpire Brennan Miller ruled a foul ball and Counsell argued.
“Nick made a clear sign that he was hit and (Miller) said he hit the bat,” Counsell said.
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The Reds sent RHP Hunter Green (3-2, 3.06) to the mound against LHP Justin Steele (0-2, 4.45) on Saturday. Green has made three consecutive quality starts, allowing five runs in 21 1/3 innings. Steele threw seven scoreless innings with no decision at Milwaukee on Monday.
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