
TJ Friedl drives in late game-winner as Reds nip Cubs
Friedl's blooper to shallow center on a 2-2 pitch from Caleb Thielbar was the Reds' third two-out in the inning. His single brought home Jake Fraley, who doubled to right center off Ryan Braiser (0-1), as the go-ahead run.
Tyler Stephenson homered for the Reds, while Dansby Swanson hit a two-run shot to account for the Cubs' offense. The two teams only combined for nine hits in what became a bullpen game due to both starters exiting early with injuries. The teams combined to use 12 pitchers.
Reds starter Nick Lodolo retired the first five Cubs he faced but left after throwing a first-pitch strike to Justin Turner. The team later announced the 27-year-old left-hander had a blister on the index finger of his throwing hand.
Nick Martinez entered and allowed Swanson's homer, a two-run shot in the third that scored Ian Happ after he led off the inning with a single.
Scott Barlow (5-0) allowed just two walks, struck out four in two innings and kept the Cubs from adding to their lead.
Michael Soroka's debut for Chicago lasted just two innings. He allowed just one hit, Stephenson's homer, before Ben Brown replaced him on the mound. The Canadian right-hander, who also celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday, left due to right shoulder discomfort, the team announced.
Brown cruised through his first three innings, but McLain reached on an infield single with one out in the sixth. The Reds second baseman scored the tying run when Elly De La Cruz hit a check-swing double down the left field line.
The Cubs appeared to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out chopper by Swanson, who was initially ruled safe with an infield single plating Willi Castro. However, the Reds challenged the call, and replay showed Swanson missed the bag as Ke'Bryan Hayes' throw resulted in an inning-ending out.
Emilio Pagan pitched a perfect ninth for his 24th save.
--Field Level Media

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
NFL rookie eyes up $12.5million Las Vegas mansion... before even playing his first game
NFL rookie Ashton Jeanty may not have suited up for the Las Vegas Raiders yet but that hasn't stopped him from shopping for a stunning property in the area. The highly-rated running back is gearing up for his first season in the NFL after being selected by the Raiders as the sixth pick in the 2025 draft. The 21-year-old signed a four-year deal worth $35.9 million with the franchise - which included a stunning signing bonus worth just under $22.75 million. Evidently, Jeanty is already looking to splash some of that cash and was seen eyeing up a beautiful $12.5million Las Vegas mansion in a video posted by Overtime SZN. The Raiders rookie was seen - alongside realtor Michele Sullivan in Nevada - touring the stunning property which features 'real platinum and gold' throughout. The video showed Jeanty being shown around and even discussed where he would place his Rookie of the Year trophy, should he win the accolade this season. The 21-year-old is eyeing up his first lucrative purchase in the form of a $12.5m mansion Pointing to a specific cabinet inside of one walk-in wardrobe, he said: 'If I were to win, I'd put it in this one right here'. Jeanty continued the tour and was shown the impressive games room, which boasted a view of the Vegas strip, along with a pool table and darts board. The Raiders rookie then toured the outside of the property and came across the stunning swimming pool located in the garden. Reflecting on it, he said: 'One of the things I always said, whenever I get a little bag and get a nice house, I'm going to use every single thing in it. I'm going to make the most of my house.' Jeanty ended his viewing by admitting that the property might be slightly out of his budget - but had helped motivate him to reach that level of status and wealth. He said: 'I've always dreamed of playing in the league and buying a big house. To be here, looking round, it gives me motivation. 'I don't know if these are in my price range right now! But one day, potentially, I could be here'. The Raiders are currently in the middle of their training camp, as they step up preparations for the upcoming NFL season. There's plenty of expectations for Jeanty after his impressive displays for Boise State saw him come runner-up in the Heisman Trophy last year. According to Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer, Jeanty has already impressed Raiders coaching staff during the training camp. Breer said, 'Ashton Jeanty has come as advertised. All the obvious stuff to all the coaches and scouts who evaluated him is the contact balance and the ability to hide behind his linemen as a shorter, more compact player. 'And get past defenders before they could even see him. He can take a 10-yard run and turn it into a 50-yard run. All that stuff is there. 'What's been a little surprising to coaches is how quickly he's adjusted in the passing game. Pass pro can prevent young players at that position from getting on the field early in their careers. 'And it's something that Ashton Jeanty, as a college player, like a lot of great backs, didn't do a ton of in college, but he's taken to it right away.'


The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Rain-shortened MLB Speedway Classic tops Saturday sports ratings
The 2025 MLB Speedway Classic was the most-watched sporting event on Saturday, despite being rain-shortened. FOX's rain-delay coverage of the game out-performed all competitive prime-time telecasts that night with 1.78 million viewers, FOX Sports said Tuesday. Game-play coverage from 9:42-10:32 PM ET on Saturday peaked at 2.4 million viewers. A record crowd of 91,032 for a regular-season Major League Baseball game got to see all the hype leading up to the event at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, before rain washed out the game in the bottom of the first inning. The complete MLB Speedway Classic on FOX averaged 1,601,000 viewers over Saturday and Sunday. Atlanta beat Cincinnati 4-2 when play resumed on Sunday. ___


Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump announces task force for 2028 LA Games as Karoline Leavitt boasts about his 'athletic expertise'
President Donald Trump is forming a task force for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles – an event he's been eagerly anticipating since securing the games during his first term in office in 2017. He was scheduled to sign an executive order Tuesday, according to a social media post from the White House featuring a picture of Trump alongside a wrestler from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. The LA Olympics will be the first games held in the US since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Casey Wasserman, a high-profile sports agent leading the 2028 organizing committee, expressed his gratitude for Trump's decision in a statement. '[The formation of the task force] marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028,' he said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed Tuesday's announcement as another win for Trump. 'During his first term, President Trump was instrumental in securing America's bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. 'Sports is one of President Trump's greatest passions, and his athletic expertise, combined with his unmatched hospitality experience will make these Olympic events the most exciting and memorable in history.' Leavitt did not expand on Trump's 'athletic expertise,' but the President is an avid golfer who also enjoys watching football. Additionally, he was a first baseman in high school, writing on Twitter in 2013 that he was 'the best player in N.Y. state' while at New York Military Academy. Previously, in a book titled 'The Games Do Count: America's Best and Brightest on the Power of Sports,' Trump claimed he was so good on the diamond that he was invited to a professional tryout where he competed with 'another young kid named Willie McCovey.' However, Trump's boast is rather suspect, considering McCovey – the late Hall of Famer and legendary San Francisco Giants slugger – was born eight years before the President. In fact, when the young McCovey made his major league debut in 1959, Trump was still a decade away from graduating high school. Slate's Leander Schaerlaeckens previously uncovered nine box scores from Trump's high school games, during which he went 4 for 29 at the plate. The opening and closing ceremonies for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics will be overseen by former chairman of Walt Disney Television and head of 21st Century Fox Peter Rice. 'Peter is one of the rare individuals whose expertise seamlessly combines creativity, operational insight and production excellence to deliver Ceremonies that will captivate audiences around the world,' Wasserman said last month. 'He's been a leading figure in shaping the modern television and film landscape and is the perfect asset to reimagining the delivery of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the digital age, leaving a legacy well beyond the Games.' The opening ceremonies will be held on July 14, 2028 at 8pm at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The closing ceremonies will return to the Coliseum on July 30. It's unclear what impact Trump's task force will have on the 2028 games and whom from his administration will be involved.