Chicago Cubs Can't Hang Onto Lead, Blow Series Finale

The Chicago Cubs blew a 2-0 lead against the fourth-place Cincinnati Reds for a series defeat on Thursday afternoon.

What was for a short time one of the best bullpens in baseball has quickly become an area for great concern. Since the trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs have the National League's worst bullpen ERA.

The bullpen's failings were on full display Thursday night when they allowed four runs across three innings to the fourth place Cincinnati Reds.

Cubs starter Adrian Sampson cruised for six innings, lowering his ERA to 3.76. Throwing only 75 pitches, Sampson struck out only one, but walked none and allowed just five hits.

The one run he surrendered came in the seventh inning. Facing just one batter in the frame he allowed a solo shot to Kyle Farmer, cutting the Reds' deficit to just one.

Relieving Sampson, the first man out of the bullpen, Brandon Hughes, did a fine job escaping the inning and limiting the damage, as he has done all year. But the Cubs would use four more relievers out of the 'pen on the afternoon to get through just two innings. That is generally not a recipe for success.

Chicago had built themselves a lead though. A fifth inning double from Nico Hoerner and a sac fly from P.J. Higgins brought in the first run before Seiya Suzuki continued his hot streak with a double. A single from next man up Franmil Reyes brought home the insurance run for a 2-0 lead.

By the eighth that lead was gone. Cubs relievers Manuel Rodríguez and Rowan Wick combined to walk the bases loaded, then walk in a run, an amateur way to surrender the lead.

Nevertheless, the red-hot bat of Suzuki answered in the bottom half of the frame. Slashing .381/.447/.619 over his last 11 games, his home run once again put Chicago in the driver's seat.

Yet, down a closer, the Reds answered back quickly in the top of the ninth against Mark Leiter Jr. Beaten by walks again, Nick Senzel scored from first on a triple from Alejo Lopez, who was then scored on a Jonathan India single.

The Cubs went quietly in their half of the ninth. All they could muster was one hit from P.J. Higgins before Alfonso Rivas and Rafael Ortega struck out to end the game.

After that series loss, the Cubs welcome the San Francisco Giants to town for a weekend series. Drew Smyly will be opposed by Carlos Rodón in Friday's 3:05 p.m CST contest.

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