CINCINNATI -- Jordan Wicks turned 24 on Friday, and it was a birthday to remember. Wicks was solid in the first game of a day-night doubleheader, while teammate Cody Bellinger provided most of the birthday presents in a 6-2 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
“We definitely have our eyes set on the [division],” Wicks said. “I think it’s awesome. We show up on the field every day, and the only thing we worry about is winning games. We have a great group. … When we get as many guys [focused] on one thing, I think it’s really powerful. It shows the special bond we have in that locker room.”
Games remaining: at CIN (2), vs. SFG (3), vs. ARI (4), at COL (3), at ARI (3), vs. PIT (3), vs. COL (3), at ATL (3), at MIL (3)
Standings update: The Cubs (72-63) are 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers (75-59) for first place in the NL Central. The teams have split the season series so far, so the tiebreaker has not yet been determined. Chicago sits in the second Wild Card spot, two games ahead of the Giants (70-65) and D-backs (70-65) and 2 1/2 behind the Phillies (74-60). The Cubs won the tiebreaker over San Francisco, but they lost it to Philadelphia.
Bellinger homered again in the nightcap, but Chicago lost a heartbreaker when Noelvi Marte’s walk-off single lifted Cincinnati to a 3-2 win. The Cubs had a 2-1 lead going into the ninth inning before closer Adbert Alzolay blew the save by giving up a game-tying homer to Nick Martini and the winning hit to Marte.
Manager David Ross felt the turning point of the game occurred in the first inning against Reds starter Lyon Richardson. Chicago had the bases loaded with one out, but Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki struck out to end the threat.
“We had a chance to blow it open in the first," Ross said. "It’s one of those things I jotted down on a sheet of paper. Maybe just missed opportunities."
Six days after going five strong innings in his MLB debut on Saturday, Wicks -- Chicago’s No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- continued to show that he can become a mainstay in the rotation in Game 1. Again, he pitched five solid innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out three.
“I thought he had to work really hard today,” Ross said after Game 1. “[The Reds] took a lot of good changeups down. He had to fill up the zone. He never gave in -- one run over five. Really nice job competing. [The Reds are a] tough lineup -- all righties.”
The Reds had traffic on the bases during Wicks' time on the mound, but for the most part, he was relatively unscathed. Take the fourth inning: With runners on first and second and one out, Marte singled to center field to drive in Nick Senzel. But Wicks managed to get out of the inning by retiring Stuart Fairchild and Harrison Bader.
“The thing for me is, as long as you can limit crooked numbers, single runs are not going to kill you,” Wicks said. “As long as I can get out of there with one run and keep it at a 1-1 ballgame, I knew our offense would respond.”
It was Bellinger who provided most of the run support for Chicago. In the fourth inning, with right-hander Graham Ashcraft on the mound, Bellinger swung at an 0-1 pitch and hit the ball over the right-center-field fence for his 21st home run of the season.
“I saw it well out of [Ashcraft’s] hand,” Bellinger said. “I didn’t try to do too much with it.”
Bellinger broke a 1-1 tie and provided two more runs against reliever Lucas Sims two innings later when he singled to right field to drive in Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ. Since the All-Star break, Bellinger has been red hot, going 62-for-179 (.346) with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs.
“Belli has been good for us. Nice homer to get us on the board,” Ross said. “You always want to win that first [game] of a doubleheader. You don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself. He continues to come through -- second and third, and he’s ready to hit. That’s what he’s done all year. Really nice job from him.”
Suzuki added an insurance run with a homer off Daniel Duarte in the eighth, while Happ provided two runs an inning later with a two-run shot.
The run support helped Wicks improve to 2-0 after the first two starts of his big league career.
“He is really poised. That’s the biggest thing,” said Jed Hoyer, the Cubs’ president of baseball operations. “His stuff plays. He has a lot of weapons. The changeup is a great Major League pitch. … I see really good execution for a young pitcher. He’s going to get challenged in the big leagues. There are going to be more moments to see if he is truly unflappable. But, so far, to pitch like this in a pennant race has been really impressive.”