Cubs’ slam foils Garrett’s return
CHICAGO — Amir Garrett’s return to the big leagues didn’t go as expected, as the lefthander gave up five runs in the first inning and the Cincinnati Reds lost to the Chicago Cubs 9-5 on Thursday, pushing their losing streak to six.
Garrett, who was optioned to Louisville nearly two weeks ago in a move that the team said was to keep his innings down, missed one start and pitched just two innings in Louisville between his May 6 victory over the San Francisco Giants and Thursday’s finale of a seven-game road trip.
Nobody wanted to use the layoff as an excuse, but Garrett wasn’t sharp, walking three batters, including one with the bases loaded, and giving up a grand slam.
“I don't make no excuses, everything felt normal, everything was good,” he said. “In another five days, I'll be all right.”
It took 35 pitches for Garrett to get through the first inning and he lasted just four innings. It was the Reds’ 14th start of the season of four innings or fewer.
Garrett walked the second batter he faced, reigning MVP Kris Bryant, before Anthony Rizzo hit a high popup behind second base. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart lost it in the sun and the potential second out dropped for a hit.
That mistake was compounded when Ian Happ, flew out right field for the second out — and what could have been the third out.
That’s when Garrett walked back-to-back hitters, forcing in the first run of the game.
Garrett then got ahead of Cubs second baseman Javier Baez and tried to put him away with a slider. Instead, Baez hit a grand slam.
“I was focused on trying to make it nastier than it needed to be and, you know, that always kills me right there when I try to do that,” Garrett said. “It was up in the zone and it was hanging and he put a good swing on it like I expected him to do. He just hit it out of the park.”
The Reds trailed 9-0 before putting up four runs in the seventh inning and another in the ninth, leaving the tying run on deck.
After a 1-6 trip, Cincinnati opens a homestand today against the National League West-leading Colorado Rockies. The last time the Reds were at Great American Ball Park, they were finishing up a nine-game homestand in which they went 7-2.
“When we’re pitching well, we win,” manager Bryan Price said.