McCoy: Reds go overtime to beat Cubs in season finale

Cincinnati tops Chicago 3-0 in 10 innings
Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India slides safely into home plate on a Elly De La Cruz 2 RBI double during the tenth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India slides safely into home plate on a Elly De La Cruz 2 RBI double during the tenth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

The Cincinnati Reds avoided the ignominy of finishing a disappointing 2024 season with a six-game losing streak and being shut out three straight times.

Barely.

Their last game of the season was a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings on Sunday in Wrigley Field.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates losing their last game, 6-4 to the New York Yankees, the 77-85 Reds avoided finishing in a last-place tie in the National League Central.

It was a meager accomplishment to an underwhelming season, but the Reds finished in fourth place, one game ahead of the last place Pirates.

When Sunday’s 10th inning began, the Reds hadn’t scored a run in 28 innings and only three runs in their last 54 innings.

But thanks, appropriately, to their high-profile figure, Elly De La Cruz, they matched their previous 54-inning total of three runs by scoring three in the 10th.

Even that inning began with something that can’t happen, but did. Noelvi Marte, the free runner to start the inning on second base, was picked off before the first pitch was thrown.

It highlighted what President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall said during a pre-game Bally Sports Ohio Interview: “We need to be less sloppy. We need to play cleaner baseball. That’s become clear.”

Fortunately for Marte, his teammates picked him up.

Immediately after the most-embarrassing situation Marte could feel, catcher Luke Maile, hitting .168, singled. Jonathan India drew a full-count walk.

De La Cruz was 0 for 4 with two more strikeouts, giving him MLB-high 218. He did steal two bases and won the stolen base title with 67.

Cubs relief pitcher Ethan Roberts slipped two strikes past him, then De La Cruz pulled a two-run double into the right field corner. Tyler Stephenson followed with a single to make it 3-0.

Asked how his last at bat of the season felt, De La Cruz said, “I feel great, it feels great. I was 0 for 4 on my last at bat and I get a double for two runs. I feel great because I helped win our last game of the season.”

The Reds were shut out 1-0 and 3-0 in the first two games of the series as runs were hard to come by with a brisk wind blowing in all three days.

“That was tough,” said De La Cruz. “I don’t like hitting here. It’s too tough.”

And De La Cruz said he was happy for interim manager Freddie Benavides to get a win after losing his first four games. De La Cruz and Benavides are close and Benavides is beloved in the clubhouse.

“I feel the love, I definitely feel the love,” said Benavides.

“That was the first one (win) for Freddie,” said De La CruZ. “I hope it’s more next season.” It isn’t likely, though, that Benavides will land the job for next season.

How about De La Cruz’s offseason?

“There’s a lot of things (to improve upon),” he said. “I’ll tell you right now, I’m going to figure it all out. First I’m going to enjoy my family, enjoy my free time and sleep a lot.”

Hunter Greene made his second start after coming off the injured list and survived some control and command issues.

He only pitched four innings and used up 65 pitches, only 39 for strikes while issuing three walks. But the Cubs had only one hit and couldn’t score.

He walked the first two batters in the second and Pete Crow-Armstrong bunted them to third and second. Christian Bethancourt popped up and Kevin Alcantara groundede out.

The first two reached in the fourth, but Isaac Paredes lined to right and Crowe-Armstrong flied to center, moving the runners to third and second.

Once again Bethancourt came to bat with runners on third and second. Earlier this season, he drove in seven runs during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Greene struck him out on three pitches, the last man he faced. In two at bats, Bethancourt stranded four runners in scoring position.

Greene lowered his earned run average to 2.75, seventh best in the majors for pitchers with 20 or more starts.

His record finished at 9-5, but the Reds were only 11-15 in games he started due to run support deficiencies.

After Greene, five Reds relief pitchers kept the Cubs off the board — Fernando Cruz, Brent Suter, Ian Gibaut, Tony Santillan and closer-for-the day Buck Farmer.

The Cubs were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. The Reds were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position until De La Cruz and Stephenson delived in the 10th. So they finished 2 for 7 and left nine on base.

Cincinnati finished with nine hits, three of them singles by Jake Fraley, but none led to any scoring.

And so the curtain dropped on a frustrating and futile season for a team that entertained positive thoughts about making the playoffs.

They came up far short and finished 12 games away from the third spot in the wild card standings and 16 games behind division-winning Milwaukee.

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