BOX SCORE

CHICAGO — The Cincinnati Reds appeared to be shutting down the Cubs’ potent offense for the second day in a row.

A late salvo by the Cubs’ bats proved to be the difference, though, as they beat the Reds 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Now Chicago (36-22) will look to win their sixth consecutive series Sunday in the finale of the three-game set against NL Central rival Cincinnati (29-30).

Here are three takeaways from Game 2 of the series:

A fun third act

The Reds blanked the Cubs through seven innings, as another quality start by a Cincinnati starter – six shutout innings from left-hander Nick Lodolo – kept Chicago hitters at bay.

But, as the Cubs’ lineup has shown time and again, it’s hard to keep them silent for 27 outs — especially when the other team gives them extra chances on a third or fourth trip around the order.

See the eighth inning as the latest example.

Seiya Suzuki hit a looping fly ball to right field with one out, and Ian Happ at second base and Kyle Tucker at first. Reds right fielder Will Benson appeared to slip before the wall, and the ball dropped, leading to a double and the game’s first run.

That ball had a .010 expected batting average, per Statcast.

Then, three batters later, with the bases loaded, Dansby Swanson hit what appeared to be a routine inning-ending groundball to Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Swanson hustled down the line and beat out the throw, though, giving the Cubs a much-needed insurance run.

The Cubs’ offense is strong enough that an opposing team can’t afford to give them extra outs. When they do, it can be devastating for them, as the Reds saw firsthand.

A perfect opening act

Cubs manager Craig Counsell opted to use an opener — left-hander Drew Pomeranz — as the team looked to combat some of starter Ben Brown’s early game jitters.

The tactic worked, as Pomeranz threw a perfect first inning, needing just nine pitches to retire the first three Reds hitters. Pomeranz induced a popout and a flyout, then struck out De La Cruz looking to pick up the first three outs of the game in his first MLB start since 2019.

That set the tone for Brown, the young right-hander whom the Cubs need to fix as their beleaguered rotation enters the summer months. Brown had a 9.90 first-inning ERA in his 10 starts this season, putting him and his team behind the eight ball early in games.

“I’m getting so excited, so pumped up to pitch, I’m losing sight of what I do best,” Brown said Friday. “And it’s like a mental [thing] not being able to throw strikes. There’s a real dynamic to the first inning of baseball games that is different than other innings.

“So, I have been working a lot with coaches and trainers, just trying to navigate throughout the process to make it a little bit easier for me.”

Using Pomeranz paid off, but it remains to be seen if the Cubs will continue to employ this strategy while Brown works through his first-inning woes.

A stellar second act

Brown not only avoided first-inning struggles with Pomeranz opening the game. He thrived.

The right-hander pitched six shutout innings, racked up nine strikeouts and, with Pomeranz’s 1-2-3 first inning, carried a combined no-hit bid into the sixth. It was the exact type of performance the Cubs know Brown is capable of when he’s at his best.

Brown primarily relied on his fastball-knuckle curve mix, with the breaking pitch generating eight swings-and-misses for a 53 percent whiff rate. It’s not the first time this season Brown has proven capable of picking up quality outs for the Cubs — he pitched six shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers this season — but it was an important outing.

It’s possible that, in another year and in a different situation, Brown would have been optioned to Triple-A to work on those first-inning woes and the Cubs would have used another starter in his rotation spot. But the Cubs are without 60 percent of their projected Opening Day rotation, and the only other starting option on their 40-man roster – Jordan Wicks – is on the injured list at Iowa with a left hamstring strain.

The Cubs simply need Brown, and the opener strategy might be the perfect formula to help unlock him to be a key piece of their rotation.