Cincinnati put it away in the 6th, tacking on 3 more runs to turn a one-run game into a two-score cushion the Cubs never seriously threatened again. Holmes had already put himself in trouble before he left the mound, and the runners he left behind all came around to score on his line.
Cincinnati lost reliever Julian Garcia to season-ending elbow surgery hours before first pitch, recalling Julian Aguiar from Triple-A Louisville specifically to pair with Burns — and Aguiar wound up the winning pitcher. Chicago's own bullpen, still without Shelby Miller, Trent Thornton and Gavin Hollowell, actually held up better than the injury report suggested: Javier Assad and Jacob Webb didn't allow an earned run of their own the rest of the way.
- 15-Day-ILTrent Thornton (RP) — Thornton (5-4) worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win in Thursday's 3-2, extra-innings victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out one.09/12
- 15-Day-ILGavin Hollowell (RP) — Hollowell (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.09/04
- 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that the Cubs have shut down Miller's (elbow) rehab, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.09/15
- 60-Day-ILBen Brown (RP) — Brown (neck) has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.09/03
- 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Steele will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.09/01
- 60-Day-ILPhil Maton (RP) — The Cubs transferred Maton (knee) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.08/19
- 60-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Martin (elbow) has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/19
- 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Harvey's (triceps/shoulder) rehab hasn't come along as hoped, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/19
- 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- 15-Day-ILJulian Garcia (RP) — The Reds placed Garcia on the 15-day injured list Friday with loose bodies in his right elbow.09/18
- 60-Day-ILSpencer Steer (1B) — The Reds transferred Steer (wrist) to the 60-day injured list Friday.09/18
- 60-Day-ILBlake Dunn (CF) — Dunn will have ulnar nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.09/15
- 60-Day-ILMichael Toglia (1B) — The Reds transferred Toglia (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Friday.09/04
- 60-Day-ILHunter Greene (SP) — Greene (elbow) will be out for 12-to-18 months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.08/13
Elly De La Cruz reached base four times and stole a base for Cincinnati, and the Polymarket chat room — running at roughly 4 times the season's median crowd for a game like this — was locked in all night. One poster needled the Cubs faithful with "You don’t know ball if you on reds," while another, holding no particular side, kept it simple: "Baby needs new shoes. Let roll."
The loss doesn't do Chicago any favors in a crowded NL wild-card picture, even with the Cubs having taken 2 of 3 from Atlanta and going 3-2 over their last 5 games. Cincinnati has nothing left to play for this season, but Friday was a reminder its patchwork pitching staff can still hold up its end against a contender.