Cubs Observations: Reds get to Arrieta early, avoid sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Cubs' six-game winning streak ended Sunday with a 5-1 loss to the Reds, dropping them to 29-23 this season.
Here are 10 observations from the game.
1. It took 18 2/3 innings, but the Reds took their first lead of this weekend’s series. Tyler Naquin’s sac fly gave Cincinnati a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
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2. Not only did the Reds get that lead, but they never relinquished it. Cincinnati got a long look at Cubs starter Jake Arrieta in the first, sending all nine batters up to the plate while scoring three times total.
3. A number of Arrieta’s misses weren’t particularly close as he battled his command in 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander threw 89 pitches, walked four, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch, to go along with five runs and six hits allowed.
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4. Arrieta was off, but the Cubs defense didn’t do him any favors. Two two-out errors —by Kris Bryant in the first and Patrick Wisdom in the fourth — led to three unearned runs.
5. Bryant's error almost didn't hurt the Cubs. After bobbling a grounder, he flipped the ball to Javy Báez for an inning-ending 3-6 force out. Replay review overturned the play, and Cincinnati scored twice after a successful challenge.
6. In the third, Eric Sogard expressed some thoughts to home plate umpire Joe West after taking a 3-2 fastball off the plate for a called strike 3. The same thing happened when he struck out looking again in the fifth.
7. The Cubs offense was quiet for most of the afternoon, striking out 11 times while scoring just once on four hits. Three of those hits came in the eighth inning.
8. Rex Brothers and Dillon Maples had not gotten much work lately, before this weekend. The two, after last pitching May 19, took the mound both Saturday and Sunday.
9. The Cubs wasted no time adding a roster replacement for David Bote. Infielder Sergio Alcántara was seen taking groundballs pregame, before the Cubs announced they called him up from Triple-A and placed Bote on the injured list.
Alcántara pinch hit in the sixth, popping out.
10. It’s possible for the Cubs to lose by multiple runs after all. Sunday was their first loss of more than one tally since April 30. It also was the first time they allowed more than three runs since May 19, snapping a nine-game streak.
On deck: The Cubs and Padres open a three-game series Monday at Wrigley. Trevor Williams (3-2, 5.36 ERA) and Chris Paddack (2-3, 3.61 ERA) are the probable starters. First pitch is 1:20 p.m.
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