Chicago Cubs & Cincinnati Reds clinch victories on Saturday’s NL Central showdown

Cardinals vs. Cubs Game Highlights (7/22/23) | MLB Highlights

The Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds won their respective matchups in Saturday’s NL Central showdown.

The Cubs rallied four times from behind to secure an 8-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Meanwhile, Cincinnati dominated the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 4-2 victory.

Outfielder Cody Bellinger was Chicago’s standout player. He led the way and shined with four runs batted in. Shortstop Nico Hoerner also delivered an impressive performance, contributing three of Chicago’s 15 hits.

Cincinnati’s T. J. Friedl, Matt McLain and Jake Fraley stole the show for their match. The trio delivered three consecutive home runs in the sixth inning, leading to the team’s fourth straight victory.

The Cubs still have upcoming games against the Cardinals on Sunday and Monday before seeing Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Likewise, the Reds will still face the Diamondbacks until taking on the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

Cubs’ rainy victory in Wrigley Field

The Cubs vs. Cardinals matchup faced a 25-minute delay at the beginning due to intermittent rain and a heavy downpour that halted the game. During the extended break, the lively Wrigley Field crowd of 40,425 sang along to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?”

Until the sixth inning, Chicago trailed 1-0, 3-1, 5-3 and 6-5. However, they turned the tide, taking the lead for the first time with three crucial runs. Bellinger played a key role, hitting a powerful two-run single to right field. Seiya Suzuki added an RBI single, extending the Cubs’ lead to 8-6.

“These guys are really fighting for every pitch, taking their walks and also getting big hits,” Chicago manager David Ross said.

Bellinger, who might be traded before the August 1 deadline, continued his impressive hitting streak in the match.

The 2019 NL MVP has been in excellent form, boasting a .382 batting average (42 for 110) with 21 RBIs in his last 30 games. Bellinger’s remarkable .353 batting average against left-handers this season has been particularly noteworthy.

“It’s super impressive to watch. I think what he’s done against lefties this year has been really impressive,” teammate Ian Happ said, praising Bellinger’s outstanding performance.

Second three consecutive homers since 2022

Saturday’s victory marked the Reds’ fourth consecutive victory against the Diamondbacks. The matchup’s highlight came in the sixth inning when Friedl, McLain and Fraley each hit straight home runs.

Friedl started the streak with a blast to the right-field bullpen on a 0-2 pitch. Following his lead, McLain hit a strong home run to left field. Fraley completed the trio with a shot to right field, propelling the Reds to a 3-1 lead.

“It is awesome going back-to-back-to-back like that,” Friedl said. “Matty hit his. Jake hit his. I thought let’s see how many we can get to.”

The Reds achieved three consecutive homers on July 13, 2022. At the time, the trio who accomplished the feat were Kyle Farmer, Mike Moustakas and Stuart Fairchild at Yankee Stadium.

“The first inning a lot of times when you have an opportunity like that and the pitcher makes pitches to get out of it, it takes a few innings to get it going again.”

David Bell, Cincinnati Reds manager

In the recent game, Reds rookie left-hander Brandon Williamson delivered an impressive outing. He managed to limit the opposition to one run and three hits. Over his last 20 innings, Williamson has only given up five runs, maintaining an impressive 2.25 ERA during that period.

Despite Williamson’s solid performance for most of the game, the Diamondbacks managed to break through in the sixth inning. Jake McCarthy led off with a double and subsequently scored on Ketel Marte’s single.