Not even Frank the Tank or the hot hitting of Ian Happ could keep the longest active winning streak in the majors alive for an eighth straight game.
Despite three Cubs homers — including one by Happ — the Cubs fell a one-run loss short against the Reds at Wrigley Field in their bid to extend their season-high winning streak to the club’s longest since its 2016 World Series championship season.
“We were down most of the game, but it never felt like we were truly out of the game,” said Cubs starter Adrian Sampson, who surrendered two homers in the first inning of the 4-3 loss, then added four scoreless in his five-inning start.
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The Cubs’ seven-game winning streak was their longest since 2019. The last time they had a longer one was an 11-game streak from July 31 to Aug. 12, 2016.
During the streak:
- The bullpen allowed just two earned runs in 35 innings (0.51).
- Frank Schwindel went 14-for-30 (.467) with five homers, 13 RBIs and a 1.467 OPS, earning the NL Player of the Week award.
- Happ went 12-for-31 (.387) with three homers, seven RBIs and a 1.129 OPS.
- Rookie left-hander Justin Steele made two promising starts for a team desperate to identify a starter for next year’s rotation from its crop of rookies.
On Tuesday:
- Reliever Manny Rodriguez gave up a leadoff double and back-to-back two-out, RBI singles in the eighth to turn a 2-1 game into a three-run game.
- Schwindel was hitless for the first time since Aug. 28.
- Happ had three of the Cubs’ eight hits, including one of two solo homers (also Rafael Ortega) in the bottom of the eighth to make it a one-run game into the ninth.
- At which point the Cubs fell to 21-23 this season in one-run games.
