Cubs beat up on Reds again with a 9-0 rout

Published 4:06 am Monday, April 25, 2016

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds don’t play the Chicago Cubs again until June 27.

That might be too soon for Cincinnati.

Anthony Rizzo homered twice and drove in four runs, Jason Hammel pitched six impressive innings and the Cubs routed the Reds 9-0 on Sunday.

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Beaten 13-5 Saturday, the Cubs bounced back as Tommy La Stella had a home run and two doubles and Jason Heyward added four hits and three RBIs. Overall, Chicago outscored Cincinnati 38-14 in the four-game series, which started Thursday with Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter in a 16-0 win.

The Cubs have won six of seven against the Reds this season.

“They roughed us up in five of the seven games and we lose six of seven,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “They outplayed us.”

Hammel (3-0) allowed three hits and struck out a season-high seven. Hammel, Arrieta and John Lackey all are 3-0, giving the Cubs a trio of 3-0 pitchers before May 1 for the first time in franchise history.

Rizzo hit two-run shots in each of his first two at-bats, helping the Cubs lead 8-0 after three innings.

Alfredo Simon, making his first start since getting only two outs in the shortest start of his career at Chicago on April 13, pitched 2 2/3 innings.

Simon (0-2), who missed his start on Tuesday with right biceps tendinitis, allowed nine hits and eight runs with one walk and three strikeouts. He actually lowered his ERA against Chicago from 67.16 to 35.14

Most of Simon’s problems stemmed from who he was facing, catcher Tucker Barnhart said.

“Just a tough lineup,” he said. “If you make a mistake against them, it’s tough to get it back. It seems like they have a (No.) 3 or 4 hitter coming to the plate every time.”

The Reds have lost in all four of Simon’s appearances this season, including three starts.

ERASER TIME

The Reds announced before Sunday’s game that an error charged to Chicago shortstop Addison Russell in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game had been changed to a hit for Cincinnati’s Zack Cozart. The change lifted the Reds’ hit total to 15, matching their season high.

DOUBLE CHECK

A 2-minute, 17-second crew chief review of Rizzo’s first-inning home run confirmed that the ball did leave the field of play and there was no fan interference.

HELLO, LOUISVILLE

RHP Tim Melville, who was designated for assignment by the Reds on Friday, cleared waivers and was outrighted on Sunday to Triple-A Louisville.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani, who hasn’t pitched after suffering a strained left oblique in spring training, three 61 pitches over four innings for Double-A Pensacola on Saturday and felt great, Price said. DeSclafani is scheduled to pitch on Thursday for Single-A Dayton.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks, loser of his last two starts, starts the opener of Chicago’s three-game home series against Milwaukee. Hendricks is 4-1 in six career starts against the Brewers, and his 1.45 ERA is his best against any team he has faced at least four times.

Reds: RHP Raisel Iglesias (1-1) makes his first career appearance against the Mets as Cincinnati opens a six-game road trip with the first of three in New York. The Reds are 3-1 in Iglesias’s four starts this season.