Reds Fall To Cubs 9-4

Apr 30, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) slides safely at home plate past Cincinnati Reds catcher Brayan Pena (29) during the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds finished up the month of April losing four of their last five games, which included a  9-4 defeat to the Chicago Cubs Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park to earn a split in a rain-shortened two-game series. Cincinnati finished the month  with a 12-15 record.

Reds starter Tony Cingrani lasted only four innings and allowed three runs on the six hits. He walked two and struck out two, but got a no decision.

Cingrani was hit hard in the first inning with three straight drives to deep center field. One of them was a two-run homer by Anthony Rizzo that gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead. The Reds came back in the bottom inning starter Edwin Jackson, with Todd Frazier hitting a two-run double off of the left-field wall to score Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.

Brayan Pena led off the second inning with his first homer as red the Reds, hitting it to the visitors bullpen, to give the Reds a 3-2 lead. Jackson then settled down after that.

Chicago made it a 3-3 game in the third as Cingrani struggled again, allowing a single and a walk before Starlin Castro hit an RBI single to center field.

Cingrani did not allow any runs in the fourth inning, but had already reached 79 pitches. Manager Bryan Price turned to reliever Nick Christiani for the fifth, and that didn’t go well at all.

Following Junior Lake‘s leadoff double, Christiani walked Rizzo and Castro with eight straight balls. Olt’s fielder’s choice to shortstop plated the go-ahead run. Nate Schierholtz hit a sacrifice fly to left field with Rizzo’s slide avoiding Pena’s tag at the plate for a 5-3 Cubs lead.

In the Reds’ fifth, Billy Hamilton stole third base standing up with one out. There were two outs when Brandon Phillips lined an RBI single to left field against Jackson to make it 5-4.

The Cubs added four runs in the ninth, to blow the game wide open.

Reds will start a four game series tomorrow night as one of the surprising teams in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers come into Great American Ballpark, for a weekend showdown to begin the month of May.

First pitch tomorrow is at 7:10pm, Homer Bailey is on the mound for the Reds he’s probably happy the month of April is over, because he struggled big time, let’s hope the new month, brings out the best of Bailey.