Cubs Lose 6th Straight As Reds Get 10,000th Win
CHICAGO (AP) — Cincinnati batted around in the first inning and cruised to a 9-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday for the 10,000th win in franchise history.
Harsh winds and chilly temperatures didn't slow down Cincinnati's offense as Drew Stubbs drove in three runs for the Reds, who joined the Cubs, Giants, Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals as the only teams to reach the 10,000 win plateau.
The Cubs dropped their sixth straight and fell to 3-11 on the year.
Winds were blowing in, gusting up to 27 mph, and the game-time temperature was 35 degrees with the wind chill.
Chris Volstad (0-2) labored through a four-run, 41-pitch first inning. He gave up run-scoring singles to Joey Votto and Chris Heisey, and an RBI-groundout to Willie Harris as the Reds batted around for the first time this season.
Starlin Castro and Marlon Byrd didn't help Volstad by committing errors in the inning, but only one of the runs was unearned.
Fielding woes were contagious as Heisey was unable to haul in Castro's fly ball in the third inning, which led to two unearned runs. The teams combined to make five errors.
The Reds tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth on Stubbs' double into the right-field corner. He finished with three hits and two stolen bases.
Volstad gave up six runs — five earned — on seven hits over five innings. He was lifted for pinch-hitter Blake DeWitt in the fifth. DeWitt doubled and came around to score on Darwin Barney's groundout to cut the Reds' lead to 6-3.
Homer Bailey (1-2) pitched seven solid innings for his first victory of the year. He allowed four runs, but only one was earned. Bailey struck out two and walked none. He also drove in a run with a groundout in the sixth.
Aroldis Chapman struck out a pair in a scoreless eighth, and Jose Arredondo pitched a flawless ninth to close the door.
Bryan LaHair had two more hits for the Cubs. He's batting .375 on the year and has base hits in every game he's started.
Notes: The Cubs placed RHP Kerry Wood (right shoulder fatigue) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled LHP Scott Maine from Triple-A Iowa. Maine walked one and struck out two in a scoreless seventh . Ryan Dempster (strained right quad) is questionable for his start on Sunday. RHP Randy Wells will be recalled from Iowa if Dempster is unable to go. . Paul Maholm takes the mound for the Cubs on Saturday in the second game of the series against Mike Leake. Both are in search of their first win this year.
Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
