Cubs carry majors-best win streak into rematch vs. skidding Reds

The Chicago Cubs will aim to extend their winning streak to a majors-best seven games on Tuesday night when they continue their four-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

The Cubs were three outs away from losing on Monday night after a lengthy rain delay, but Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly and Michael Conforto’s solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the team to a dramatic 5-4 win over the Reds, who have lost four straight games.

Chicago resides in first place in the National League Central, a division in which each team is above .500.

“It tells me everyone is playing well,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told the Chicago Sun-Times. “It also tells me we haven’t played too many games in the division yet.”

The Cubs have won 12 straight games at Wrigley Field, the team’s longest home winning streak since it won 14 in a row in 2008.

A winner of 16 of its last 19 games, Chicago will turn to right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-1, 4.41 ERA) to start Tuesday’s game.

Taillon allowed three runs on three hits in a season-high seven innings of a 5-4 victory over the San Diego Padres last Wednesday.

He is 7-7 with a 4.46 ERA in 20 career appearances against the Reds.

The Cubs keep finding different ways to win, with different players stepping up.

Conforto, pinch-hitting for Matt Shaw, hammered a 3-2 fastball from Reds closer Emilio Pagan into the seats in left-center field to end the game on Monday. It was Conforto’s first homer in a Cubs uniform and the first walk-off homer in his 12-year major league career.

Cincinnati called up top-10 prospect Chase Petty on Monday, and Petty delivered a solid start of 5 2/3 innings with three runs allowed on four hits. He retired nine of the first 11 Cubs he faced and another eight in a row after allowing a home run to Seiya Suzuki.

But with Nick Lodolo expected to come off the injured list from a blister on Friday, Petty could be headed back to Triple-A.

On Tuesday, Cincinnati left-hander Andrew Abbott (1-2, 5.97 ERA) will start against the Cubs. He earned his first win of the season on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies, 6-4, allowing two earned runs on five hits in six innings.

Abbott is 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA in seven career starts against the Cubs.

The Reds have played 14 games decided by two or fewer runs this season. They had a 12-game winning streak in those games but have lost their last two by one run, including Monday night. They have seven wins in one-run games this season.

“Nothing’s changed as far as our mindset as a team,” Pagan told The Cincinnati Enquirer moments after giving up the decisive home run to Conforto. “We know we’re really good. We’ve played a lot of close ballgames, and quite honestly I haven’t held up my end of the bargain.”

–Field Level Media