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Cincinnati Reds slip past Chicago Cubs

By Jeff Wallner, The Sports Xchange
Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds got past the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI
Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds got past the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI | License Photo

CINCINNATI -- Even if his major league debut on Saturday afternoon is the only start right-hander Jackson Stephens makes before heading back to the minor leagues, the 23-year-old left quite an impression.

Stephens allowed three runs in five innings and also had a two-run single to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park.

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Stephens (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville prior to the game, had eight strikeouts and only one walk to earn his first career win.

"He threw strikes in the first inning, which isn't always easy for a guy in his debut," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He challenged batters in the zone. He had two competitive innings in four and five (allowing one hit with three strikeouts). Great debut for a young guy."

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Adam Duvall had an RBI double and Joey Votto went 2-for-3 with a walk to get within three hits of 1,500 for his career as Cincinnati (35-45) has taken the first two games of the weekend series. Raisel Iglesias pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his 15th save.

Jon Jay hit his first home run of the season and Willson Contreras added a two-run shot for Chicago.

The Cubs (40-41) were hoping Thursday's ninth-inning rally at Washington would provide a spark heading into this series. Instead, they have dropped the first two games to a Reds team they've beaten in 23 of the past 30 meetings.

"We get everybody healthy right now ... I'm very confident that we'll start looking like we're supposed to look," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Overall, the starting pitching has been erratic, I can't deny that. But if you hit with a little more consistency, you cover some of that."

If Stephens was nervous on Saturday, it wasn't easy to tell. He allowed three hits through the first two innings with four strikeouts.

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"Of course, there were butterflies," said Stephens, who had around 30 family members and friends in attendance Saturday. "I was able to keep myself composed. I feel like I belong here. I didn't lay an egg. I just embraced the opportunity."

Stephens' first taste of big-league level adversity came during his second time through the Cubs' lineup.

Jay homered with one out. Two batters later, Contreras crushed a 1-1 pitch deep to left-center, making the score 3-0. It was Contreras' 10th home run of the season.

"The only time he was vulnerable was when he gave up the home run to Jay," Price said. "His breaking ball got a lot better after that inning."

Cubs starter Eddie Butler (4-3) allowed four earned runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Duvall's RBI double and a bases-loaded walk by Butler cut the Reds' deficit to 3-2 in the fourth.

Price decided to allow Jackson to bat for himself, mostly because he wanted to get another inning to see what he could do at the major league level.

The decision paid off handsomely when Jackson laced Butler's first pitch past a diving Addison Russell for his first major league hit, driving in two runs to put Cincinnati ahead 4-3 for his first professional RBIs.

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"It was just enough to get past Addy," Stephens said. "I was just happy to get a hit. The hard part was going back out there and trying to put up another zero."

Stephens' knock highlighted a frustrating afternoon for Butler.

"I located probably my best fastball of the day to the pitcher and he hits a six-hopper up the middle," Butler said. "That's frustrating."

The Cubs missed several scoring chances on Saturday. They had inning-ending double plays in the second and sixth innings.

"It's our inability to move the ball in RBI situations," Maddon said. "We have to score more than three runs."

With the Reds needing to add depth to what is now a seven-man bullpen, Price wasn't certain if Stephens could hang around for another start. Regardless, Price said Saturday's experience was worthwhile.

"There are a lot of balls in the air on this one," Price said. "The big thing, he faced the world champs. They had Bryant back in the lineup, Zobrist on the bench. I enjoyed watching him pitch."

NOTES: Cubs Ben Zobrist was reinstated from the disabled list on Saturday. He arrived at Great American Ball Park shortly before the game and grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. ... OF Mark Zagunis was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. ... Cubs LF Jon Jay's last homer came on May 24, 2016 off the Giants' Jeff Samardzija. Jay has 32 career homers. ... Cubs 3B Kris Bryant returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sprained right ankle and went 1-for-4. ... According to STATS, RHP Jackson Stephens is the first Reds pitcher to record multiple RBIs in his debut since Paul Moskau on June 21, 1977 at Philadelphia.

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