Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/20/26): Cubs 9, Reds 1 – Series Win Overshadowed by Bregman Injury
The Cubs won going away against the Reds on Sunday afternoon, but that was overshadowed by a freak injury to one of the best players on the team. In the top of the 4th inning, Alex Bregman was hit in the face in the on deck circle by a check swing off the bat of Michael Busch and immediately came out of the game.
Ironically, Bregman gave Chicago the lead with an RBI single against Rhett Lowder in the top of the 1st. They added four more in the 3rd on a single by Ian Happ, a bases loaded walk to Nico Hoerner, and a knock by Pedro Ramírez that brought home a pair to make it 5-0.
David Peterson was outstanding for the North Siders, allowing only a solo home run to JJ Bleday in six strong frames. The road team blasted two homers, a solo shot from Michael Conforto and a two-run dinger by Pete Crow-Armstrong, which gave them an 8-1 advantage in the top of the 5th.
The Cubs added one more on a solo dong by Seiya Suzuki in the top of the 8th and went on for a 9-1 victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
Bregman has a swollen cheek and a bloody nose, according to manager Craig Counsell, and is getting tested at a Cincinnati hospital. Hopefully, the damage will be more superficial than anything but it was very scary.
Why the Cubs Won
Plenty of offense and a very good performance by the starting pitcher made this a very easy win.
Stats That Matter
- That is two consecutive quality starts for Peterson: 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 7 K, and 1 BB.
- PCA was a triple short of the cycle and stole base number 38.
- Ramírez had a really good game with three hits.
Bottom Line
The outcome of this game does not matter much, because Bregman being out for more than the next week would be a massive blow to the Cubs’ lineup. Let’s hope they are able to dodge a bullet here.
On Deck
After a day off on Monday, Chicago begins the final home series of the season against Miami Tuesday night at 6:40pm CT. The game will be broadcast on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
