Dansby Swanson's tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning led the Chicago Cubs to a 7-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on a rainy Saturday night at Wrigley Field. The win snapped a challenging stretch for the Cubs, who had only won once in their last ten games.
Seiya Suzuki had a mixed performance, committing an error that led to four unearned runs for the Reds in the second inning but redeeming himself with his first career grand slam in the same inning. Nico Hoerner contributed with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI for the Cubs.
Mark Leiter Jr. earned the win, pitching three crucial outs, while Héctor Neris secured his seventh save of the season for the Cubs.
Despite a 3 1/2-hour rain delay at the start of the game, both teams battled through the challenging conditions. The game was tied at 5 when Hoerner's walk in the eighth inning set the stage for Swanson's game-winning homer.
Cincinnati's Spencer Steer stood out with three hits, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cubs' late surge. Reds' pitcher Lucas Sims took the loss after giving up Swanson's homer in the eighth.
The game featured standout performances from both teams, with Suzuki's error and grand slam headlining the action. The Cubs showed resilience in the face of adversity, ultimately coming out on top in a hard-fought contest.
The series finale on Sunday will see Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo facing off against Cubs right-hander Ben Brown. Lodolo is coming off a strong outing against St. Louis, while Brown impressed with a dominant performance against Milwaukee in his last start.
Both teams will look to build on the positives from this game as they continue their respective campaigns in the competitive MLB season.
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