CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) – Luis Valbuena hit a tiebreaking, two-run in the 12th inning and the Chicago Cubs avoided a rare five-game sweep in Cincinnati with a 6-4 win Thursday.
Highly regarded prospect Arismendy Alcantara singled with one out and went to second on Starlin Castro’s two-out infield single. Valbuena, 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, sent a ball to deep right field off J.J. Hoover (1-6) that Skip Schumaker couldn’t catch up with and was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run. The out call stood after an umpire crew chief request for a replay review to make sure the new rule regarding home plate collisions wasn’t violated.
Blake Parker (1-0) pitched the last two and the Cubs snapped their losing streak at a season-high six games.
Both benches and bullpens emptied in the middle of the ninth inning after Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo apparently took exception to the Reds’ inside pitches.
Rizzo, who was hit by Homer Bailey’s pitch in the first inning, seemed to have words with somebody in the Reds dugout and approached it while taking his position for the bottom of the ninth. Chicago’s John Baker and Cincinnati’s Zack Cozart also were hit by pitches, and Reds left-hander Aroldis Chapman threw back-to-back inside pitches to Nate Schierholtz that reached the backstop in the top of the ninth.
The two teams gathered in foul territory down the first-base line, but no punches appeared to be thrown and nobody was ejected.
Bailey left the game with an apparent injury in the sixth inning. With the Reds leading 4-3, he was delivering a 1-2 pitch to Starlin Castro, but he didn’t throw the ball while gingerly completing his motion. After a visit from trainer Paul Lessard and manager Bryan Price, during which Bailey pointed to a spot on the mound, he walked off the field and was replaced by the right-hander Sam LeCure.
The Reds also had center fielder Billy Hamilton and second baseman Brandon Phillips leave Wednesday’s victory over Chicago with injuries.
Phillips is expected to miss six weeks after he has surgery on Friday to repair torn ligaments in his left thumb.
Phillips injured his thumb diving for a ground ball in the eighth inning Wednesday night and an MRI Thursday morning revealed torn ligaments in his left thumb. The Reds’ former Gold Glove second baseman was hitting 272 at the time of the injury.
The team placed former MVP Joey Votto on the disabled list earlier in the week with soreness in his left thigh.