Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/11/26): Cubs 5, Reds 3 – Bregman Blast Keys W
The Cubs needed to bounce back from a shutout loss to the Reds on Friday night, and they got it done. One big swing from the much-maligned Alex Bregman made the difference as the road team evened the series.
Cincinnati took the lead against starter Javier Assad with back-to-back solo home runs by Nathaniel Lowe and Eugenio Suárez in the bottom of the 4th. Chicago got one back against Nick Lodolo with an RBI single by Seiya Suzuki that cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 5th.
Carson Kelly blasted a long game-tying home run to open the top of the 6th, and Lodolo had to come out with a blister issue. Lefty Caleb Ferguson came on and surrendered a run-scoring double to Ian Happ that gave the North Siders a 3-2 edge.
The Reds wasted no time responding with a solo home run from JJ Bleday on the first pitch thrown by Drew Pomeranz to even the score in the bottom of the frame. Bregman had his big moment against Julian Garcia in the top of the 7th when he lifted a high drive just over the left-field wall for a two-run homer that put the Cubs in front 5-3.
Cincy brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 9th, but Trent Thornton got Sal Stewart to ground out to seal the victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
It was big for the Cubs to come right back after giving up the lead in the bottom of the 6th, and even bigger that Bregman was the one to break the tie.
Why the Cubs Won
They got a couple of homers and the bullpen held together just long enough to take home the win.
Stats That Matter
- Assad had another solid five-inning outing: 5 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 4 K, and 0 BB.
- Michael Busch had three hits, including a double.
- Kelly had a pair of knocks with a single as well as the homer.
Bottom Line
Bregman could be a big factor for the Cubs if he can get hot in the second half. This team is in pretty good shape despite getting almost nothing from their new third baseman. Saturday demonstrated how dangerous he can be in the middle of the lineup when he is producing power.
On Deck
The rubber match of the series is Sunday afternoon at 12:35pm CT. Matthew Boyd is on the bump against Andrew Abbott in a game televised on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
