Bregman starting to heat up as Cubs finish 1st half on strong note

CINCINNATI -- Heading into the All-Star break, the Cubs have fully demonstrated the ability to weather storms and injuries. They have withstood the loss of pitchers in the rotation and bullpen, a 10-game losing streak and travel adventures.

On Sunday, they did it again, rallying for their 27th comeback win, led by one of their leaders they’ll be leaning on in the second half.

Alex Bregman unloaded a three-run homer in the seventh to break open a one-run game and power the Cubs past the Reds, 8-4, on Sunday in the final game of the first half at Great American Ball Park.

Bregman, who had the game-winning two-run shot in Saturday’s 5-3 win, finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs in the finale. That helped the Cubs finish their six-game trip through Baltimore and Cincinnati at 4-2, improving to 54-42 heading into the break.

“I feel like we're pretty calloused as a group,” Bregman said after Sunday’s win. “We've kind of been through a lot: 10-game winning streaks, 10-game losing streaks. Feel like our whole rotation's gone down, and our closer. So I feel like it kind of builds a certain kind of toughness into a group, and it's a good thing.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell added: “It’s a great way to finish the half, and I think [Bregman] goes into it feeling really good and able to enjoy it. I think we've been a resilient group, and I think he's a big part of the resiliency that the group is showing.”

Bregman’s home run was off Cincinnati reliever Pierce Johnson, coming two batters after Pete Crow-Armstrong’s go-ahead RBI single gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead.

Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd (5-1) allowed four runs on six hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings, striking out three to earn his fifth straight win -- and third since returning from the injured list on June 25. He recorded 10 outs after the four-run third inning.

After first-inning RBI doubles from Bregman and Michael Busch gave Boyd a two-run cushion, Cincinnati broke out with four runs in the third, highlighted by a Statcast-projected 433-foot shot to the upper deck in left by Eugenio Suárez that gave the Reds a 4-2 lead.

“Frankly, there wasn't a whole lot of adjustment,” Boyd said. “It just was [thinking], ‘Don't throw the fastball down and in [the zone] to Suárez.’ I've had his number most of my career, but he hits mistakes. That's what makes Geno so good. Our team battled back there, erased that deficit, and then came up big.”

“Matt did a heck of a job,” Counsell said. “Obviously, he had a bad inning in the third, but he came back and gets 10 more outs after that, which is getting us into the seventh inning, which is great. So hats off to Matt.”

Then the Cubs showed their resilience with an immediate answer.

Carson Kelly worked a four-pitch walk off Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott to open the fourth, followed by a double to right from Busch that put runners on second and third.

After Ian Happ walked to load the bases, Dansby Swanson struck out and Abbott had two strikes on Kevin Alcántara when he hit a potential inning-ending grounder up the middle. Instead, the ball hit the bag and hopped past Edwin Arroyo, allowing Kelly and Busch to score, tying the game at 4.

The Reds attempted to rally in the ninth down four runs, but reliever Jacob Webb recorded the final two outs for his fifth save in nine chances after the Reds put two runners on in the ninth.

Sunday’s win was just the latest demonstration that this Cubs team feels like it’s positioned to do something special in the second half -- and Bregman will be a big part of it.

“I think his track record speaks for itself, obviously, but I mean, once he starts barreling balls, like anything can happen, and you're just gonna see that OPS shoot through the roof,” said Crow-Armstrong of Bregman. “He's shown recently that he can kind of hit wherever in the lineup, two, three, four, whatever it is. So that's All-Star, postseason or whatever you want to call it, Alex Bregman. When he pops, it's going to be one of those things to look forward to in the second half.”