Alfredo Simon leads Reds over reeling Cubs 4-1

Final

Series: Game 1 of 3

Reds 4

(7-9, 3-4 away)

Cubs 1

(4-11, 2-5 home)

2:20 PM ET, April 18, 2014
Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois 

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CIN	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	4	8	1
CHC	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	6	2

W: A. Simon (2-1)
L: J. Samardzija (0-2)
S: J. Broxton (2)

 

 

 

 

Associated Press

Reds Roll Cubs

The Reds beat the Cubs 4-1, handing Chicago its fifth straight loss.Tags: MLB, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Ryan Ludwick, Highlights

CHICAGO -- For the Cincinnati Reds, there was no better place to open a 10-game trip than Wrigley Field.
Alfredo Simon lowered his ERA to 0.86, and the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 Friday for their 16th win in their last 17 games at the Friendly Confines.Making his third start, Simon (2-1) allowed an unearned run in six-plus innings and sent the Cubs to their fifth straight loss. Simon, in the rotation while Mat Latos recovers from elbow and knee injuries, had made 99 relief appearances for the Reds before getting a chance to start this year."He's wanted more opportunity. We've given that to him," manager Bryan Price said. "I think it was a good idea that we brought him into camp to start in case we had an injury or didn't have the depth. And our good fortune is that he came in ready to go and had a great spring and is off to a good start."Simon struck out three and walked two."I feel great," he said. "I just tried to keep the ball down today and just try to (get ground balls)."Jonathan Broxton pitched a hitless ninth for his second save in two tries, completing a six-hitter for the Reds, who stretched their winning streak to a season-best three and have won four of five.Cincinnati, which won last year's season series 14-5, went ahead on Billy Hamilton's RBI double in the fifth. The Reds made it 3-0 in the sixth when Zack Cozart hit a bases-loaded grounder to third, and second baseman Emilio Bonifacio's relay for a double-play attempt went wide of first for an error that allowed Ryan Ludwick to score from second. Ludwick had reached on catcher's interference by Welington Castillo."Believe me, we don't take it for granted that we're coming in here to win all the games," Price said. "I mean, we want to but we don't take it for granted at all."Jeff Samardzija (0-2) gave up three runs -- one earned -- and six hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. He is 0-4 despite a 3.86 ERA in 10 starts since winning at San Diego on Aug. 24."It's a tough day to hit with that wind," he said. "It's just the way it goes sometimes. You can't let it get to you."Luis Valbuena hit an RBI single in the seventh, ending a 24-inning scoreless streak for the Cubs dating to Sunday's loss to St. Louis.Cincinnati scored another run in the eighth on a wild pitch by Justin Grimm."I think we we're a little sloppy in general, and Jeff really kept us in the ballgame throughout," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "I think we'll do better."

Game notes

Reds 2B Brandon Phillips left in the middle of the third, two innings after he felt back spasms after he swung and missed a Samardzija pitch. Price said Phillips was removed as a precaution and said he was hopeful Phillips could play Saturday. ... Price said LHP Aroldis Chapman has been cleared to throw batting practice for the first time since he was hit in the face by a line drive during an exhibition game on March 19. ... Reds LHP Sean Marshall (sore left shoulder) has rejoined the Reds and could be activated this weekend. ... The Reds stole five bases. ... Jon Tinker, a grandson of former Cubs Hall of Fame shortstop Joe Tinker of Tinker to Evers to Chance fame, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Cincinnati's scheduled starter Saturday is LHP Tony Cingrani (1-1), while RHP Edwin Jackson (0-1) is to start for the Cubs.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

 

 

 

 

Regular Season Series

Cincinnati leads 1-0 (as of Fri 4/18)
» Fri 4/18	CIN 4, @CHC 1	Box Score
Apr 19, 2014	CIN (Cingrani) @ CHC (Jackson)	2:20 PM ET
Apr 20, 2014	CIN (Bailey) @ CHC (Villanueva)	2:20 PM ET
Apr 28, 2014	CHC (Samardzija) @ CIN (Simon)	7:10 PM ET
Apr 29, 2014	CHC (Jackson) @ CIN (Cingrani)	7:10 PM ET
Apr 30, 2014	CHC (Villanueva) @ CIN (Bailey)	7:10 PM ET
Jun 23, 2014	CIN @ CHC	8:05 PM ET
Jun 24, 2014	CIN @ CHC	8:05 PM ET
Jun 25, 2014	CIN @ CHC	7:05 PM ET
Jul 7, 2014	CHC @ CIN	7:10 PM ET
Jul 8, 2014	CHC @ CIN	7:10 PM ET
Jul 9, 2014	CHC @ CIN	7:10 PM ET
Jul 10, 2014	CHC @ CIN	12:35 PM ET
Aug 26, 2014	CHC @ CIN	7:10 PM ET
Aug 27, 2014	CHC @ CIN	7:10 PM ET
Aug 28, 2014	CHC @ CIN	12:35 PM ET
Sep 15, 2014	CIN @ CHC	8:05 PM ET
Sep 16, 2014	CIN @ CHC	8:05 PM ET
Sep 17, 2014	CIN @ CHC	8:05 PM ET
Complete Schedule: Reds | Cubs

Scoring Summary

			CIN	CHC
	5th	B Hamilton doubled to left center, D Mesoraco scored.	1	0
	6th	Z Cozart grounded into fielder's choice to third, J Bruce scored, D Mesoraco out at second, R Ludwick to third, R Ludwick scored on throwing error by second baseman E Bonifacio.	3	0
	7th	L Valbuena singled to right, S Castro scored, R Sweeney to second.	3	1
	8th	T Frazier scored, R Ludwick to second on wild pitch by J Grimm.	4	1
View complete Play-By-Play

Game Information

Stadium	Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Attendance	28,699 (70% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time	3:09
Weather	38 degrees, sunny
Wind	12 mph
Umpires	Home Plate - Doug Eddings, First Base - Marvin Hudson, Second Base - Cory Blaser, Third Base - Jim Joyce

Research Notes

Emilio Bonifacio took baseball by storm at the start of this season, batting an MLB-high .500 in his 1st 8 games (through April 9). Including his 1 hit today, Bonifacio has 2 hits since then.   [+]

Jeff Samardzija struck batters out in 54 percent of the plate appearances that he ended with a splitter last season. Samardzija threw the pitch 546 times in 2013, which was third-most in MLB. Joey Votto struggled against the pitch in 2013, going just 4-for-16 with eight strikeouts (thirrd-most in MLB).