Noelvi Marte hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the host Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night in the finale of a day-night doubleheader.
Chicago beat the Reds 6-2 in the first game of the twin bill.
With his team trailing 2-1 and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Nick Martini ripped a solo home run over the right-center-field wall to tie things up.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand followed with a single and pinch runner Stuart Fairchild stole second as Will Benson struck out swinging. Catcher Yan Gomes made an errant throw, allowing Fairchild to move to third, and he came home on Marte’s game-winning hit to center.
Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay (2-5) allowed both ninth-inning runs to suffer the loss and his third blown save of the season.
Alexis Diaz (7-4) earned the win thanks to a scoreless ninth.
Jake Fraley went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run for the Reds (70-67), who are 3-6 in their last nine games. Elly De La Cruz went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
Recalled from Triple-A Louisville earlier Friday, Cincinnati starter Lyon Richardson gave up two runs on two hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked five and fanned four.
Cody Bellinger homered among his two hits and Ian Happ had a run-scoring single for the Cubs (72-63), who have won 10 of their last 14 games despite taking the loss.
Cincinnati’s comeback spoiled great outings from Drew Smyly and Hayden Wesneski, who combined to give up just one run on three hits in 6 1/3 innings in relief of opener Jose Cuas. The duo walked two and struck out 10.
Chicago pulled ahead 2-1 in the fifth when Nico Hoerner drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Happ’s single. Happ then also stole second, but Bellinger struck out to end the inning.
Much like he did in the first game of the doubleheader, Bellinger opened the scoring with a solo home run, sending a curveball over the right-center-field wall to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the third.
The Reds drew even in the home half of the frame when Fraley and TJ Friedl smacked back-to-back doubles.
–Field Level Media
