Bryant, Gibson Power Cubs, Caps to Monday Victories

Entering tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs had lost six of their last seven games and were struggling mightily at the plate. Cinci starter Dan Straily absorbed the loss with seven runs plated on nine hits including two homers through 3.2 innings with Ross Ohlendorf serving up two homers. Bryant’s 16 total bases were a Cubs record, and his five hits marked a career high. The record there is 19 (Shawn Green, 2002).

On a stifling, 87-degree evening, back-to-back one-out walks and a two-out, two-run double by Adam Duvall had Arrieta throwing stressful pitches nearly from the start – and quickly surrendering a 2-0 lead that Bryant helped to give him with an RBI double in the first.

Bryant also becomes the youngest player in Cubs’ franchise history to hit three home runs in the same game, passing “Mr. Cub” himself, Ernie Banks, by only ten days.

Not that it matters, but none of the homers were cheap, with one easily gone just a bit left of center and two of them going into the upper deck in Great American Ball Park.

Lamb is winless in his last four starts and has failed to get through six innings in his last three. Chicago are 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Cincinnati and the over is 16-5-2 in the last 23 meetings. But he helped the Cubs’ offense with his fourth career home run.

DODGERS 5, PIRATES 4 (at Pittsburgh) – A.J. Ellis hit a tiebreaking, two-out infield single that capped a four-run fifth inning, and Los Angeles rallied to beat Pittsburgh and salvage the finale of a four-game series.

The Rays got a career-high five RBIs from designated hitter Nick Franklin, who got his first three hits of the season after being recalled Tuesday. It was the first time since 1913 that a player belted three homers and doubled twice in the same game, which is pretty much the only statistic that can make a 5 for 5, 4 R, 6 RBI game seem small in comparison. For Votto, it was his 12th career multi-home run game.

In his first start in Cincinnati since his no-hitter April 21, Arrieta gave back leads of 2-0 and 3-2, had only one 1-2-3 inning and watched his pitch count soar again during another labored outing. He rarely gawks at home runs and is willing to play any position he is asked to play, and those qualities have endeared him to manager Joe Maddon.

The Cubs loaded the bases with one out and Miguel Montero’s sacrifice fly drove home the second run.

Royals 6, Cardinals 2: Danny Duffy matched a career best with eight sharp innings, the Royals kept swinging hot bats and Kansas City routed the visiting Cardinals.

Bryant nearly single-handedly won the game with his bat, too.

“We had eight hits”. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in 10 of his starts.