The Reds solved their Jake Arrieta problem — the Cubs ace allowed a season-high five runs in five innings nine weeks after throwing a no-hitter in a 16-0 victory over the Reds — only to run into a Bryant problem.
Bryant became the first player in major-league history to hit three home runs and two doubles in the same game. He’s the third player in modern baseball history with five extra-base hits in a game. Josh Hamilton had four home runs and a double for the Texas Rangers on May 8, 2012. Joe Adcock also had four home runs and a double for the Milwaukee Braves on July 31, 1954.
Bryant broke a franchise record with 16 total bases, three shy of the big-league record. The 24-year-old third baseman became the youngest player in franchise history to hit three home runs in a game.
“He had a great game,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “I hope to never see it again.”
Reds starter Dan Straily gave up a double and two home runs to Bryant.
“I tried to get in on him the first at-bat,” Straily said. “The second at-bat, I tried to slow a fastball down and away, and it ended up belt high. He hit that one. The next one, I tried to throw a slider down and away, and it was middle high again. He did what good hitters do with those pitchers. They do damage with them.”
Bryant doubled to drive in a run in the first. He hit a 403-foot solo home run in the third to break a 2-2 tie. He hit a 440-foot three-run home run in the fourth to give the Cubs a 7-3 lead. His final home run measured 403 feet.
The Reds didn’t go away after falling behind 2-0, then 8-3. Joey Votto hit a two-run home run in the fifth. Tucker Barnhart drove in a run with a double in the sixth. Adam Duvall scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to cut the deficit to 8-7.
The home runs by Bryant and Rizzo in the eighth gave the Cubs an 11-7 lead. Votto hit another home run in the ninth, his 13th
Straily allowed a season-high seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Michael Lorenzen allowed one earned run in two innings. Ross Ohlendorf allowed two earned runs in two innings.
Jumbo Diaz, who pitched one third of an inning, and Blake Wood, who worked the ninth, were the only Reds pitchers to escape without allowing a run.
“We had eight hits. We had six walks, eight runs,” Price said. “Typically, that’s enough to win a ballgame. Tonight it wasn’t. The Cubs had their hitting shoes on, and they did a lot of damage. Five homers, eight extra-base hits, 11 runs, 17 hits, 20 balls hit on the numbers. That isn’t going to play too well as far as winning a ballgame. We’ve got to come back and be a lot better. We’ve got to get the ball down and inside for strikes. We go inside and we miss off the plate. We go right back over the plate, and they kill it. They’re really happy and comfortable against our staff right now unfortunately.”
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