Loss could come back to bite Cubs
CINCINNATI — With September looming for the Cubs on the calendar almost as closely as the Brewers loom in the standings, losses like this one against the last- place Reds sting now — and can bite later.
Four outs from a one- run victory with nobody on base in the bottom of the eighth, the Cubs instead suffered a 4- 2 loss Thursday night at Great American Ball Park after the Reds staged a two- out rally against reliever Pedro Strop and a second- best defensive alignment in the outfield.
Instead of a sweep of the Reds halfway through a two- city road trip, the Cubs had their five- game winning streak snapped with a loss that cost them a chance to take a four- game division lead into Philadelphia.
A loss that could become even bigger if the race stays tight in the final month?
“That’s easy to say, yes. But we’re the team in first place,” said righthander Jake Arrieta, who was in line for the victory after allowing one unearned run in 5⅔ innings. “We’re up, what, three games?
“Even though it was a tough loss, we’re going into Philly still feeling pretty good about where we’re at.”
After a single, double and intentional walk, slumping Reds infielder Jose Peraza delivered the game- winner, lofting a high fly to deep left- center — against a shallow- right shift — that went for a ground- rule double when center fielder Ian Happ missed making a long- running catch by “centimeters,” he said.
Manager Joe Maddon said the reason his best center fielder, Albert Almora Jr., wasn’t on the field for late- inning run prevention was because of the “one- run lead.”
“If they were to tie it, I wanted the lefties up against [ closer Raisel] Iglesias [ in the ninth],” he said. “Although [ Almora] wouldn’t have caught that ball, either.
“When you have a one- run lead, it’s different than having a two- or three- run lead with that kind of a closer in Iglesias.”
Any chance the Cubs had of their own rally in the ninth was quelled quickly when Jon Jay followed his one- out pinch single by inexplicably deciding the Reds wouldn’t throw because they weren’t holding him on and getting thrown out trying to steal, trailing by two.
Third shift
Happ, who said he hasn’t played third base at any level, took grounders at the position before the game.
“I just wanted to make sure that if we have a moment like we did the other night that he’s some-
CUBS AT PHILLIES
Friday: Jose Quintana ( 4- 2, 3.73 ERA) vs. Jerad Eickhoff ( 3- 7, 4.66), 6: 05 p. m., Ch. 9, 670- AM. Saturday: Kyle Hendricks ( 4- 4, 3.52) vs. Ben Lively ( 1- 4, 3.70), 6: 05 p. m., Ch. 7, 670- AM. Sunday: John Lackey ( 10- 9, 4.90) vs. Aaron Nola ( 9- 9, 3.58) or Nick Pivetta ( 4- 9, 6.73), 12: 35 p. m., CSN, 670- AM. what familiar,” Maddon said.
When third baseman Kris Bryant was forced to leave the game Tuesday after being hit on the hand by a pitch in the ninth, Maddon shoe- horned Anthony Rizzo into the left- side defense to cover the bottom of the inning.
Happ has played second base and all three outfield spots this season.
Grimm tale
Reliever Justin Grimm, who went on the disabled list last week because of an infection in his right index finger, threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is scheduled for one more Saturday.
Barring a setback, his next step would be a brief minor- league rehab assignment before returning from the DL when rosters expand Sept. 1.