Starting Lineups:

Cincinnati Reds (20-16):

1) TJ Friedl (L) CF

2) JJ Bleday (L) LF

3) Elly De La Cruz (S) SS

4) Sal Stewart (R) 3B

5) Nathaniel Lowe (L) DH

6) Spencer Steer (R) 1B

7) Will Benson (L) RF

8) José Treviño (R) C

9) Matt McLain (R) 2B

Starting Pitcher: RHP Brady Singer (2-2, 5.57 ERA)

Chicago Cubs (24-12):

1) Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

2) Moisés Ballesteros (L) DH

3) Alex Bregman (R) 3B

4) Ian Happ (S) LF

5) Seiya Suzuki (R) RF

6) Michael Busch (L) 1B

7) Carson Kelly (R) C

8) Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

9) Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Starting Pitcher: RHP Colin Rea (4-1, 4.41 ERA)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL — In game three of four between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs beat the Reds in walk-off fashion, their third walk-off in a row, 7-6.

The Reds would get on the board early in the top of the first inning.

After a walk by TJ Friedl and a single by JJ Bleday, Elly De La Cruz hit an RBI groundout to put the Reds up 1-0.

The Cubs would respond immediately in the bottom of the first.

After Alex Bregman dropped a single into right-center field with two away, Ian Happ crushed a two-run homer to left field to put the Cubs ahead 2-1. Happ hit his ninth home run of the season and extended his on-base streak to 27-straight games.

The Cubs would score twice in the bottom of the fourth inning.

After Happ notched a base hit through the right side of the infield, Seiya Suzuki plated Happ with an RBI-double to put the Cubs ahead 3-1.

Michael Busch kept the line moving by singling to right field to put runners on the corners with no one out. Carson Kelly grounded into a double play, scoring Suzuki, putting the Cubs ahead 4-1.

The Reds would cut into the lead with a solo shot from Matt McLain in the top of the fifth – he mashed a solo-homer to right field to make it 4-2, Chicago.

The Reds would grab four runs in the top of the ninth inning.

Spencer Steer started the scoring by hitting a solo-shot to deep left-center field to make it 4-3, Chicago.

Will Benson kept the Reds’ hopes alive with a single through the left side of the infield. Tyler Stephenson would collect a base hit to put two on, with no one out. McLain reached base on a bunt single to load the bases. Two batters later, JJ Bleday would tie the game with an RBI single, knotting the game at 4 apiece.

Following Bleday, De La Cruz would hit a two-RBI sac fly to deep center field to put the Reds ahead 6-4.

The Cubs would tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Carson Kelly collected a one-out base hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, and PCA found a pitch he liked and parked it into the left-center field seats to tie the game at 6 apiece.

In the bottom of the 10th, Miguel Amaya would bunt Nico Hoerner, who started the inning on second, over to third base. The Reds would intentionally walk Bregman, Happ struck out, and they would intentionally walk Suzuki to load the bases, and Michael Busch was hit with a pitch to walk it off for the Cubs, 7-6.

Ian Happ – photo courtesy of the Fan Graph Baseball

The Good: Ian Happ continues his offensive tear at the plate — he’s reached base in 27-straight games and hit his ninth homer of the season. He has also hit the 11th most home runs in Cubs history, passing Alfonso Soriano (181) with 182. Also, Pete Crow-Armstrong would tie the game in the ninth inning with a two-run homer, his fourth of the year.

Honorable Mention: Michael Busch was the walk-off hero for the second-straight night. He was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to earn the win for the Cubs 7-6, and walked it off with a single last night against the Reds.

The Bad/The Ugly: Both teams’ bullpens — Cub’s reliever Corbin Martin would blow a two-run lead in the ninth, giving up a total of 3 runs. Red’s closer Graham Ashcraft would give up two runs in the ninth for the game to be tied at 6 apiece.

-Matt Koper

Founder of Koper’s Korner