Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/4/26): Cubs 5, Reds 4 – Conforto Homer Walks Off Reds
The Cubs found themselves behind in the bottom of the 9th against the Reds at Wrigley Field on Monday night. That late deficit did not deter them, however, as they rallied for a pair of runs to earn a walk-off victory in the series opener.
The evening began with a roughly 100-minute rain delay before things finally got underway. Cincinnati built an early 3-0 lead on Chicago starter Edward Cabrera with a solo homer by JJ Bleday in the 3rd inning, followed by a two-run shot by Ke’Bryan Hayes in the 4th.
The North Siders drew a pair of walks against rookie starter Chase Petty to open up the bottom of the frame. That brought Seiya Suzuki to the plate, and he quickly blasted a mammoth game-tying three-run home run to even the game.
The Reds jumped back in front against reliever Ben Brown in the top of the 8th with a walk, a stolen base, and an RBI single by Spencer Steer that made it 4-3. The Cubs tied it against closer Emilio Pagán in their last at-bat when Pete Crow-Armstrong tripled and came home on a sacrifice fly by Nico Hoerner.
Chicago wasn’t done doing damage against Pagán in the bottom of the 9th. Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto lifted an opposite-field solo homer to left field to win the game 5-4 and send Wrigley into a frenzy. (Box score)
Key Moment
Center fielder Dane Myers settled under PCA’s fly ball, but dealing with the wall and the basket was too much. The ball clanged off his glove and went for a triple as the Cubs went on to win.
Why the Cubs Won
They made sure not to waste a runner on third base with nobody out and got a couple of timely home runs to get the victory.
Stats That Matter
- Cabrera didn’t have the sharpest stuff, but it was a quality start: 6 IP, 3 R, 9 H, 8 K, and 2 BB.
- Suzuki got on base three times and has been rolling recently.
- Conforto hasn’t played much, but he makes an impact when he does.
Bottom Line
Make it 12 wins in a row at Wrigley Field with that exciting finish. The Cubs seem to have a different hero every night, which is something you can do when you have talent up and down the roster. Conforto would probably be starting for half the teams in baseball right now, yet he is one of the last guys on the bench for Chicago.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Tuesday night at 6:40pm CT. Jameson Taillon takes the mound against Andrew Abbott in a contest broadcast on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
