Reds 6, Cubs 2: The Day Game

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Last year, the Cubs absolutely dominated the Reds, going 15-4 and outscoring them 143-69.

That tells you the difference between the regular season and spring training. The Reds came into this game 0-6, but teed off on Rob Zastryzny and several minor-league Cubs relievers and won their first game of the spring over our favorite team by a 6-2 score.

Zastryzny actually did pretty well into the third inning, but then a sharp ground ball hit by the Reds’ Hernan Iribarren went off his right leg. Zaz wound up throwing Iribarren out, took a couple of warmup tosses and stayed in the game. That might not have been a great idea, as the next three hitters all hit the ball hard. Two of them landed for hits, and that was all for Zastryzny. Sounds like he’ll be OK:

There’s certainly no reason to “push it” in a spring-training game, and here’s hoping Zaz is OK and can pitch again in a few days:

Minor leaguer Miguel Mejia entered and immediately gave up a two-run triple to Jose Peraza.

The Reds scored another run in the fourth off Pierce Johnson, and another in the sixth off Jose Rosario, that one unearned due to an error by minor leaguer Todd Glaesmann.

The Cubs’ regulars got just two hits (a single by Addison Russell and one by Willson Contreras) before they all left for minor leaguers in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. In the seventh, the Cubs loaded the bases on a single by Mark Zagunis, the Contreras single and a walk drawn by David Bote. Eloy Jimenez drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Ian Happ drove in a second run with a single, but Bote was thrown out at third.

That’s all good, in fact. Nice to see Happ and Jimenez come through, as those two are among the team’s top prospects and could play key roles for the Cubs in future seasons.

The Reds added a pair of runs in the eighth off Felix Pena. One of those runs was driven in by Chad Wallach, son of former big leaguer Tim Wallach. Pena eventually had to be removed after allowing four hits while retiring only two Reds.

6,722 attended the game in Goodyear, which is nearly 1,000 more than the Reds drew for their previous two home games combined (5,770). From what it sounded like on the cubs.com broadcast, the crowd was mostly Cubs fans.

Jake Buchanan will start tonight’s game at Talking Stick against the Diamondbacks, who will counter with Shelby Miller. The game is sold out:

A preview with lineups, etc. will post for that game at 7 p.m. CT. (I’m still wondering what’s on that “Mega Dog.”)