Chicago CubsvsCincinnati Reds
CHC 0/CIN 4
Things to say
The Cincinnati Reds shut out the Chicago Cubs 4-0 at Great American Ball Park.
01
opener
Reds took it 4-0, flat-out shut the Cubs down. Great American is a bandbox and Chicago still couldn't push a run across. That tells you the arms were dealing.
02
key player
Whoever the Reds ran out there really got into his stuff. A shutout in that park? The heart of the Cubs order didn't touch him.
03
hot take
Cubs are 52-42 and getting blanked by a sub-.500 club. That's a lineup coasting on record, not swinging like it.
04
deep cut
Getaway day, day game energy, and Cincy still put up a zero. The bullpen didn't blow it late for once, which for them is the story.
05
exit
Anyway, Cubs better wake up the bats before the next series, or this stops being a fluke.
The recap
The Reds slammed the door on the Cubs at Great American, riding a shutout to a 4-0 win that had to sting for a Chicago club that came in ten games over .500. Cincinnati's pitching absolutely got into its stuff, blanking the heart of Chicago's order all afternoon and never letting the Cubs sniff a threat.
Four runs was plenty of cushion when the arm on the mound is dealing like that. Getaway day going the home team's way, and the Reds needed it sitting under .500.