Chicago Cubs defeat Cincinnati Reds 11-4 – MLB Update
Carlos Zambrano displayed an outstanding performance as both pitcher and hitter on Saturday, August 6 to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 11-4 at Wrigley Field.
Saturday’s victory was the seventh consecutive win for the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs on Saturday took to task the straining Johnny Cueto and executed 9 runs against the Reds’ starter. However, for an observer and game expert, Zambrano indeed outrivaled Cueto on Saturday, leaving the Reds struggling in a crucial game.
"We've be playing outstanding the last (seven) games," Zambrano said. "We've been doing the right things, playing good defense. We've been doing the things everybody was expecting from us. That's what this team is capable of. We have a good team."
This was something that even the Cubs’ manager alluded to. “When you're up against Cueto, you probably figure it's not going to be the kind of day we had," Cubs’ manager Mike Quade said. "(Cueto) kind of makes it tougher. (Zambrano) was great."
Both Carlos Zambrano and Johnny Cueto pitched scoreless two innings, keeping the hitters at bay. Nonetheless, the third inning proved to be harbinger of change in a seemingly slow game whereby the Reds’ offence snapped in two runs.
But the Cubs’ hitters barely allowed the lead to take its toll. Zambrano came back on the plate and homered to bring the Reds lead down to 2-1, while Carlos Pena drove in a single to level the score against a stunned Cueto.
Zambrano then pitched a shut-out fourth that was followed by Alfonso Soriano, Starlin Castro and Carlos Pena’s respective singles that took the Cubs’ lead up to 5-2 in the 4-hit three-run fourth inning against Cueto.
The Chicago starter Zambrano prevailed in the fifth inning as well which was further strengthened by an aggressive show of hitting by the Cubs’ offence against Sam LeCure. Starlin Castro drove in a two-run RBI while Aramis Ramirez also snapped in two runs
on the error by Renteria. With Pena’s single in the inning, the Cubs piled up the lead to 10-2 against the struggling Reds.
Yonder Alonso scored a single against Zambrano in the sixth, which was too late for the Reds. Starlin Castro, on the other hand, got another single against Jose Arredondo to make it 11-3 for the Cubs.
Having secured the 11-3 lead, Jeff Samardzija pitched a shut-out seventh to allow John Grabow to pitch the last two innings. Grabow pitched a scoreless eighth and allowed a run to Joey Votto in the ninth to wrap up with an 11-4 win for the Chicago Cubs,
making it the seventh consecutive victory for the team.
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