By Hal McCoy
The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs enacted chapter one of a Battle for the Basement Monday night in Great American Ball Park.
They were in a virtual tie for last place in the National League Central and the Reds were solid winners in game one, 7-1.
That pushed the Reds record in the opening game of a series to 24-11, best in MLB.
The Reds ripped three home runs and there was some extra-curricular activity after the third one, a 402-foot explosion three-fourths of the way up the moon deck in right field off pitcher Nate Pearson by Jeimer Candelario.
On his next pitch, Pearson hit Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson in the head with a 96 miles an hour fastball. Crew chief umpire James Hoye immediately threw Pearson out of the game and added manager Craig Counsel when he protested vehemently.
Pearson was making his first appearance for the Cubs after he was obtained Sunday in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Carson Spiers, fresh off the injured list, held the Cubs to no runs and one hit over five innings. Not wishing to push him in his return, manager David Bell went to the bullpen early and it worked.
Spiers retired the last 12 Cubs he faced.
That’s partially because it appears home is where the hits are for the Reds, who struggled mightily on a just completed 3-5 trip through Washington, Atlanta and Tampa Bay. They scored four runs in three games at Tampa Bay, but nearly doubled that in one night Monday.
It was rumored that Chicago starter Jameson
Taillon was auditioning Monday, thought to be trade bait for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and others.
If so, those teams most likely turned their heads in another direction as the Reds ripped him for six runs and six hits, the most runs he has given up this year.
In 17 previous starts, he had given up three or fewer earned run in 15.
The Reds, though, assaulted him with the long ball, a two-run home run in the second by Will Benson and a three-run rip in the fifth by TJ Friedl. Friedl’s blast into the right field seats ended Taillon’s night and probably canceled his trade ticket.
Stephenson opened the second with a single and was forced at secon on Jake Fraley’s grounder.
Benson argued with Taillon for eight pitches, fouling off four, before he launched a 388-foot home run on an 80 miles an hour sweeper.
Benson stood at home plate admiring his accomplishment, then did a dramatic bat flip as the Reds took a 2-0 lead. Pearson’s reaction to Candelario’s home run might have been a response to Benson’s peresonal Admiration Society on his homer.
The Reds stole a run in the third. Spencer Steer doubled and stole third when Patrick Wisdom forgot to cover the bag. That enabled Steer to romp home on Taillon’s wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
With one out in the fifth, Santiago Espinal beat an infield single, extending his batting streak to nine games. He played shortstop while Elly De La Cruz took only his third day off, one he didn’t want.
Jonathan India walked and Friedl turned on a 1-and-1 93 miles an hour four-seamer and drove it 374 feet into the right field bleachers and it was 6-0
Friedl, just four games back after his third trip to the injured list this season, has played only 30 games and his talent and enthusiasm are important to the Reds.
“The toughest thing is getting your body back into playing every day,” said Friedl during a post-game interview with Bally Sports Ohio. “Putting your cleats on and playing every single day is a lot of wear and tear on the body.
“That’s the biggest step, getting the body back in shape to play every single day,” he added.
The Cubs put two runners on base in the first inning against Spiers on a walk and Ian Happ’s single, the only hit off Spiers. He struck out Mike Tauchman to end that threat.
He walked the first batter in the second, Dansby Swanson, but he never budged as Spiers flicked aside the next three and he was on his way to retiring 12 straight.
Sam Moll gave up a leadoff single to Nico Hoerner in the sixth then went 1-2-3, stranding Hoerner on second after he stole it.
Justin Wilson went 1-2-3 in the seventh with two strikeouts, Lucas Sims went 1-2-3 in the eighth with a strikeout.
The shutout got away in the ninth when Buck Farmer gave up a leadoff home run to Michael Busch. He retired the final three as the bullpen gave up one run and two hits over the final four innings.
The Reds’ outfield had their gloves working overtime, outstanding plays on the run toward the wall twice by center fielder Friedl, who ran and snagged balls in both gaps, and one each by left fielder Benson and right fielder Fraley .
“It felt good covering gap-to-gap,” said Friedl, coming off a hamstring issue. “Going to get balls in the gap like that is just kinda reassuring that my body is in a good place.”