Top Play (WPA): Jorge Soler connects for a dramatic, game-tying homerun (.383) to tie the game at six in the bottom of the eighth inning. The blast was his second two-run home run of the game, driving in Anthony Rizzo each time.
I cringed when it appeared Soler missed his pitch after fouling off an 0-1 fastball left out over the plate. Of course I should have known he preferred the drama of an 0-2 fastball for his heroics.
Bottom Play (WPA): Joey Votto inexplicably breaks for third base on a tapper back to Hector Rondon in the top of the 10th inning and no one out (-.171). Rondon threw wildly to Coghlan (yes, Chris Coghlan playing the hot corner) at third, but Coghlan acquitted himself nicely by making an athletic catch-and-tag to retire the sliding Votto. It was an out-of-character moment for the veteran Votto, defusing a Cincinnati scoring chance at a critical juncture.
Key Moment: Arismendy Alcantara singles sharply past the drawn-in infield to give the Cubs a second consecutive come-from-behind victory. The 10th inning walk-off hit snapped an 0-16 start for Alcantara.
Trend to Watch: The Cubs! For the first time since 2009, the Cubs pull two games above .500, and into first place in the Central. Yes, you read that correctly, at no point in the past five-plus seasons have the Cubs reached this mark. Six games are not enough to draw any significant conclusions, but this team certainly feels different.
The 2-3-4 hitters for the Cubs (Rizzo-Soler-Coghlan) combined to reach base 11 times tonight. Led by this group, Cubs batters are trending in the right direction, having walked 18 times in the last four games, after amassing just three total walks in their first two games. With Kris Bryant and Addison Russell knocking on the door in Des Moines, this offense could certainly prove to be something special.
The Cubs bullpen continues to be utterly dominant, with Schlitter, Motte, Strop and Rondon all tossing scoreless, walk-free innings. This is an evolving story, but this group appears to be a dominant force.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Jon Lester delivering his best Matt Garza impersonation, tossing a pickoff attempt of Zack Cozart into the right field corner. The play resulted in the highly unusual 1-9-5 pickoff, as Jorge Soler fired a strike to third to cut down Cozart. Here’s hoping Lester figures out his pickoff demons, as it has already become a tiresome story.
Coming Next: Jake Arrieta will make his second start of the season for the Cubs on Tuesday, squaring off against Reds youngster Anthony DeSclafani. Arrieta looks to continue his impressive string of dominance, having recorded quality starts in 18 of his last 20 appearances dating back to June 3, 2014. DeSclafani also makes his second start of the year, and just the seventh of his career. The patience Cubs hitters have shown the past four games will be tested by DeSclafani, who has walked just 1.4/9 in his short career. The Cubs look to continue their all-time dominance of Cincinnati, cruising to a 1034-1033 record.