The Reds got the kind of early punch they needed Sunday, then watched it disappear in a hurry.
Eugenio Suárez’s two-run homer helped Cincinnati build a 4-2 lead in the third inning at Great American Ball Park, but Chicago answered immediately and never let go, rolling to an 8-4 win that sent the Reds into the All-Star break on a sour note.
Andrew Abbott had already been working from behind when the Cubs jumped him in the first, and the trouble never fully went away. He lasted four innings, threw 79 pitches, and gave up four runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
“I fell behind and really had to grind to get them out," Abbott said.
The Reds’ lineup gave him a chance to escape the damage. After a 31-pitch opening frame that started with a leadoff walk to Pete Crow-Armstrong and led to two Chicago runs, Cincinnati answered against left-hander Matthew Boyd. Suárez’s 11th homer of the season, a two-run shot to left, put the Reds in front 4-2.
That edge didn’t last long.
Carson Kelly opened the fourth with a four-pitch walk, Michael Busch followed with a double to right, and Ian Happ drew another four-pitch walk to load the bases. With two outs, Kevin Alcantara hit what looked like a routine grounder up the middle, but the ball skipped off second base and into center field for a two-run single that tied the game.
“Third time through the lineup, we were looking at matchups facing those guys just trying to keep the momentum on our side," Abbott said. "Heat has zapped you, you’re out of energy.
Facing these guys, you don’t want to put your team in a bad spot. Just being able to hold them, the baseball gods said you’re going to get a couple of bad bounces -- can’t do anything about it.”
Francona didn’t sugarcoat the bigger issue.
“Always," he said when asked if giving up a lead right after taking one was more frustrating. "That’s a very big inning.
In my opinion, it’s the most important inning. I know it happens sometimes more than once but when you score, you’ve got to shut them down.”
He also pointed to the walks.
“You get unlucky when the ball hits the base but if we don’t have the walks it doesn’t matter," Francona said.
Cincinnati’s offense couldn’t keep pace after that. The Cubs tacked on four more runs in the seventh against Chase Petty, Sam Moll and Pierce Johnson, with Alex Bregman’s three-run homer off Johnson putting the game away.
Spencer Steer went 2-for-5, but the Reds finished the day 3-6 on their final first-half homestand after dropping two of three each to the Orioles, Phillies and Cubs.
“It just seems like we can’t string wins together at the moment, it’s frustrating," Steer said.
The loss left Cincinnati 43-52, a season-high nine games under .500, and 23-41 since May 1. The Reds are also 6-22 against the National League Central, a brutal mark that has dragged down their season.
Abbott, though, finished his first half on a more encouraging note than it began. He has a 4.11 ERA through 20 starts, but over his last 14 outings that number sits at 3.18 after he opened the year 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in his first six games.
“I still had a pretty good first half after a rough patch starting," Abbott said. "To end it on a strong note, to be healthy for one, that’s always a big thing with me. You can’t ask for more.”
Francona said the four-day break should help.
"Our record certainly isn’t anywhere near what we want to be and we know that," he said. "Still, it’s a good group and they play hard and they’re exhausted. This will be good for them.”
Steer said the reset needs to turn into a push.
“Just reset, take some time to get away from the game, enjoy time with our families, enjoy the rest our body gets and our minds get, come back ready to play with our hair on fire," Steer said. "It’s pretty obvious we’ve got to go on a run here.”
In Other News...
Reds Fans May Hate Whos Emerging As A Deadline Casualty
The All-Star break has arrived with the Reds in a familiar spot for a club trying to sort out its next move, and the trade deadline is quickly turning into a referendum on how much of the roster should be preserved. Cincinnati has not gotten the kind of return it wanted from recent additions Eugenio Suarez and Nathaniel Lowe, which has only sharpened the sense that this is a team more likely to reshape than reinforce in the coming days.
Among the names drawing attention, Spencer Steer stands out because he gives a contender a little of everything: a useful bat, a steady profile at the plate and the kind of defensive flexibility that plays in July. He has been one of the more dependable pieces on a roster under review, which is exactly why his situation feels so uncomfortable for Reds fans as the front office weighs whether to cash in on value or keep a player who still fits just about anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Just Sent A Clear Day 1 Draft Message
The Reds came out of the first day of the 2025 MLB draft with a clear organizational theme, using five selections to load up on up-the-middle talent and add depth on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati opened by taking a pair of college shortstops, then kept building with a first baseman, a right-handed pitcher and a left-hander as the board unfolded.
The mix says plenty about how the club wanted to attack Day 1: add athleticism, keep the pipeline moving and give the front office multiple ways to shape the class from here. The Reds also used their competitive balance pick as part of the haul, and the early run of selections gives them a foundation that should be easy to evaluate once the full draft class is complete. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Day 1 Draft Haul Already Sparks One Big Debate
The Reds opened the 2026 MLB Draft with a clear emphasis on infield talent, taking Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron in the first round before turning right back to the middle of the diamond with Virginia infielder Eric Becker at No. 58. It was the kind of Day 1 haul that invites instant comparison, because Lebron brings the louder tools and the bigger ceiling, while Becker looks like the steadier bet to make it to Cincinnati in some form.
That contrast is already driving the early debate around the class. Lebrons appeal is obvious, but so are the contact questions that could determine whether his bat plays against top-tier pitching, while Beckers path looks cleaner even if his ultimate role may be less glamorous. Add in power bat Mulivai Levu and the two arms the Reds added later, and the front office has already given itself a draft board that feels balanced, even if the first-round conversation is going to linger for a while. [Read more 🡒]