Cincinnati Reds Done In by Kyle Schwarber’s Late HR in 5-4 loss to Cubs

W: Fernando Rodney (6-5)

L: Burke Badenhop (1-4)

SV: Hector Rondon (25)

Kyle Schwarber may only have 189 major league plate appearances, but he’s already showing that he could be a thorn in the side of the Cincinnati Reds for years to come. For the second time this season, the Middletown native came up with a go-ahead home run against his hometown team to give his Chicago Cubs a win.

With the Cubs down a run in the seventh inning in Tuesday’s game, Schwarber crushed an offering from Burke Badenhop over the ivy in Wrigley Field for a two-run home run that would put his team up for good.

That wasn’t the only time that a Reds pitcher would blow a lead. Starter Anthony DeSclafani was given a 3-1 lead, but couldn’t get out of the sixth inning. He allowed one run before exiting and an inherited runner scored off of reliever Sam LeCure.

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DeSclafani had pitched well until that point, giving up only two hits and striking out seven, with the only damage against him being an RBI bloop single from Kris Bryant. When all was said and done, he was charged with three runs on four hits and two walks in 5.2 innings of work.

The Reds got off to a quick start, as Joey Votto continued his torrid stretch of hitting since the All-Star break with a solo home run in the first. Bryant’s bloop single tied things in the fourth, but the Reds would take the lead back on an RBI single by DeSclafani in the fifth and back-to-back doubles by Jay Bruce and Votto in the sixth.

After DeSclafani blew the lead, Eugenio Suarez came up with a big home run for the second night in a row to put the Reds ahead again in the seventh, but Schwarber made sure that 4-3 lead didn’t last long with his homer in the bottom of the inning.

Other Notes:

• Brandon Phillips stole two bases, giving him 20 on the season, the first time he’s reached that number since swiping 25 bags in 2009. That’s pretty incredible when you consider he’s 34 years old and had seven steals in the last two seasons combined.
• Votto was the only Red to reach base more than once (two singles, one walk). He was also the only Red without a strikeout and the only one to draw a walk.
• Jumbo Diaz also pitched in this one and got through 1.1 innings without giving up a run, though he did have several close calls on fly balls that were caught at or near the warning track.

Up Next: The Reds will have one more chance at their first series win since July as they take on the Cubs on Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. ET. Raisel Iglesias will look to stay hot as he takes the mound for the Reds, while Jason Hammel will start for the Cubs.

Next: Reds make first round of September call-ups