Chicago Cubs Fall to Reds for First Loss in 10 Days

The Chicago Cubs seven-game win streak came to an end on Monday with a series-opening loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

The win streak couldn't go on forever. The Chicago Cubs swept the Philadelphia Phillies, who clinched a postseason berth Monday night, then they swept the Cincinnati Reds at home before falling in front of a sparse crowd at Great American Ballpark 3-1.

Both clubs pitched their stud rookie starting pitchers, making for an interesting contest. Hunter Greene facing Hayden Wesneski could become a matchup that is commonplace in the National League Central for years to come.

Both pitchers dazzled. Wesneski had 15 swings and misses through six innings of two-run ball, while Greene had 14. But the Reds' rookie did something Wesneski could not, light up the radar gun.

Through six scoreless innings during one of the best starts of his career, Greene's fastball was as electric as ever, touching 102 mph on the radar gun twice and averaging a cool 100 mph.

He was nearly unhittable for Cubs batters, who managed just two hits and one walk, striking out eight times against the 23-year-old.

Though Wesneski allowed the two runs, he managed to keep pace. The Reds worked two runs across the plate in the third, but they were only permitted to score on a soft grounder back to the pitcher, on which Wesneski made a throwing error.

Even when runs crossed the plate it was only made possible on a weakly hit ground ball.

No more runs crossed the plate for either side until the eighth when Stuart Fairchild and Jonathan India hit back-to-back doubles to make it 3-0. It felt like a crushing blow against a Reds pitching staff that was already shutting out the Cubs, but it needn't be that way.

Chicago had ended the sixth threatening with runners on second and third and one out with Seiya Suzuki at the plate. Suzuki, though, was unable to come through when he lined a ball to shortstop for Jose Barrero to turn a pickoff double play.

The Cubs wouldn't again threaten until the ninth when Ian Happ came to the plate with one out and runners at the corners. He grounded into what looked like a sure double play but Barrero never touched the bag and Esteban Quiroz was called safe at second.

In the ensuing chaos, Zach McKinstry came around to score before the ball was thrown back to second and an unaware Quiroz was tagged for the final out of the game and the Cubs' win streak.

In the penultimate game of the 2022 season, the Cubs will send Javier Assad to the mound at 5:40 p.m. CDT Tuesday opposed by the Reds' Luis Cessa.

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