Reds fan accidentally catches baseball in beer cup, chugs for crowd

May 24 (UPI) -- A Cincinnati Reds fan attempted to catch a foul ball during the team's loss to the Chicago Cubs, but his beer did most of the work, as the souvenir landed in the cup placed directly in front of him.

The sudsy snag came in the third inning of the Reds' 7-4 setback Monday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The game was scoreless when Cubs first baseman Alfonso Rivas stepped into the box to lead off the half-inning against Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez.

The right-handed pitcher fell behind 3-1 in the count. He then threw fastball for his fifth offering to Rivas. The Cubs infielder made contact and fouled the pitch toward the third base line.

The baseball drifted out of reach of Reds third baseman Mike Moustakas and flew about three rows deep into the stands.

Several fans reached up to catch the ball, which deflected off hands and fell into the man's cup while it was in its cup holder. The man then picked up the cup, raised it to the crowd and chugged the beer with the ball still in it, which prompting applause from fellow fans.

"He just provided the greatest additive to a beverage," Reds broadcaster John Sadak said on Bally Sports. "Oh, the deliciousness, that is game-used beer."

"A little rosin, a little dirt," fellow broadcaster Chris Welsh said. "Thank goodness they've outlawed the spitball."

The Reds also tweeted a joke about an unwritten rule for fans of legal drinking age: "If a ball lands in your beer, you must chug it."

The beer-cup catch came less than a month after another Reds fan caught a foul ball near the same section as he fed a baby with a bottle in his other hand.

Gutierrez went on to walk Rivas, but escaped the inning without allowing a run. The Cubs went up 1-0 on an RBI double from left fielder Ian Happ in the top of the fourth. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom pushed the lead to 4-0 with a 3-run homer in the same frame.

Reds designated hitter Tommy Pham answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth. Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino also hit a two-run shot in the inning to cut the deficit to one run.

Happ returned to the plate and hit a three-run homer in the top of the seventh. Aquino answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth, but the Reds would not score again.

Gutierrez allowed four hits and four runs in four innings to drop to 0-6 this season. Aquino went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Happ went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Cubs starter Drew Smyly allowed four hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings.

The Reds (12-29) own MLB's worst record. They host the Cubs (17-24) in the second-game of the four-game series at 6:40 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Great American Ball Park.