MLB· Season 2026
Cincinnati hit five home runs, including three in a six-run sixth inning, to outlast Chicago 10-8 at Wrigley Field. Rhett Lowder earned the win and Emilio Pagan saved it.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Cubs starter David Peterson held the Reds scoreless through three innings while his offence built an early lead. Seiya Suzuki scored on an Alex Bregman double in the first, and Michael Busch crushed a two-run homer in the third to stake Chicago to a 3-0 advantage.
Cincinnati chipped away. Hector Rodriguez singled home JJ Bleday in the fourth, and Stewart led off the fifth with his 29th home run of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
The game flipped in the sixth. Cubs reliever Trent Thornton, replacing Peterson to start the frame, allowed four straight hits. Trevino tied it with a solo homer (his fifth). Stewart singled in Rodriguez for the lead, and Stephenson followed with a three-run blast, his 13th, to make it 7-3.
Elly De La Cruz added a two-run single in the seventh — part of a 3-for-5, two-RBI night — pushing the lead to 9-3 before the Cubs mounted their own rally.
Chicago answered with a run in the seventh on a Suzuki RBI single, then exploded for four in the eighth. Pedro Ramirez crushed a three-run homer off Tejay Antone, and Suzuki doubled home Matt Shaw to cut it to 9-8.
But Emilio Pagan, acquired at the trade deadline, shut the door. He struck out one in a perfect ninth for his 18th save. Friedl had added a critical insurance run — a solo homer in the top of the ninth — to make it 10-8.
The Turning Point
Thornton's meltdown in the sixth was the decisive sequence. He faced four batters, retired none, and allowed three runs without recording an out before being lifted. Stephenson's three-run homer turned a 3-3 tie into a commanding 7-3 Reds lead that Chicago could not fully overcome.
Key Performers
- Sal Stewart (CIN): 2-for-4, HR (29), 2 RBI, 2 R. His solo shot in the fifth started the comeback and his single in the sixth gave the Reds their first lead.
- Seiya Suzuki (CHC): 3-for-5, two doubles, 2 RBI, 2 R. Kept Chicago in the game with clutch hits in the seventh and eighth.
- Tyler Stephenson (CIN): 2-for-5, HR (13), 3 RBI. The three-run blast in the sixth was the biggest swing of the night.
- Pedro Ramirez (CHC): 1-for-4, 3-run HR (4). His eighth-inning blast gave Wrigley Field a jolt and pulled the Cubs within one.
Player of the Match: Rhett Lowder (CIN) — The rookie right-hander battled through five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts, and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third to keep the game close long enough for his offence to take over.
By The Numbers — Interpreted
The Reds and Cubs each collected 13 hits, but Cincinnati's five home runs (to Chicago's two) told the story. The Reds went 5-for-5 on balls that cleared the fence, driving in eight of their 10 runs via the long ball. Both teams left runners in scoring position, but the Reds' 2-out damage was devastating: Stephenson's three-run homer, De La Cruz's two-run single, and Rodriguez's RBI single all came with two down. The Cubs committed two errors (Bregman, Peterson) that extended innings.
What It Means
The Reds (64-71) snapped a five-game slide and avoided falling to 11 games below .500, though they remain fifth in the NL Central and 11th in the National League — 9.5 games out of a Wild Card berth with 27 games remaining. The Cubs (76-59) saw their lead for the top NL Wild Card spot shrink to one game over the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago hosts Cincinnati again on Saturday at 19:20 UTC (David Festa vs Justin Steele expected).
Verdict
The Reds' power display — five solo or multi-run homers — turned a quiet night into a slugfest. Lowder's resilient start kept the game within reach, and Pagan's perfect ninth showed why the Cubs have struggled to close games lately. Chicago's 4.5 runs per game at home over this stretch masks a bullpen that has blown three of its last five save opportunities.
Rivalry since 2023
Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds Head to Head Results· 50
Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds have met 50 times — Chicago Cubs won 22, Cincinnati Reds won 26, with 2 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2023. Cincinnati Reds leads the head-to-head with 26 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 503 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 10.06 per match (266 for the home side, 237 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 43 matches (86%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 46 games (92%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 20–9 in 2023.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 29 Aug 2026