Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/19/26): Cubs 5, Reds 2 – Palencia, ‘Pen Strong in Victory
The Cubs got back on a winning track Saturday night against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The bullpen turned in a strong performance to make sure the road team came out on top.
Chicago broke through against Nick Lodolo in the top of the 2nd inning on a sacrifice fly by Matt Shaw. Seiya Suzuki expanded the lead with an RBI single to put his team ahead 2-0 in the 5th.
Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd ran into his only trouble in the bottom of that frame, when a pair of run-scoring singles by JJ Bleday and Ke’Bryan Hayes allowed Cincinnati to tie the game. Michael Busch responded in the 6th with a go-ahead solo home run off of Lodolo to put the North Siders on top 3-2.
Daniel Palencia had a very encouraging appearance, pitching two perfect innings out of the bullpen to protect the one-run lead. Nico Hoerner had an RBI single against Pierce Johnson in the top of the 8th to make it 4-2 Cubs.
Dansby Swanson provided additional insurance with a solo homer in the top of the 9th. Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison combined to finish off the bottom of the frame, preserving the 5-2 victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
Zeferjahn struck out Sal Stewart with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 8th to end the threat and preserve the Cubs’ 4-2 lead.
Why the Cubs Won
They added a couple of late insurance runs, but more importantly, the relievers didn’t give anything up.
Stats That Matter
- Boyd did a nice job and Craig Counsell pulled him a bit early after he tired rapidly in his previous couple of outings: 5 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 4 K, and 2 BB.
- Busch got on base three times with a single and a hit by pitch in addition to the homer.
- Swanson is officially back with a single and a dinger.
Bottom Line
Any time the Cubs bullpen can do its job well has to be encouraging with all the recent difficulties. Even decent work from that unit would make this a very dangerous team in the playoffs. That is especially true of Palencia, who has more than enough stuff to be a shutdown closer if he can figure it out.
On Deck
The deciding game of the series is Sunday afternoon at 12:40pm CT. David Peterson is on the mound against Rhett Lowder in a matchup televised on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
