Cubs, Dansby Swanson fall inches short of tying game vs. Reds
Cubs fans' cheers reached a fever pitch Monday night at Wrigley Field in the bottom of the seventh inning, when it briefly looked like the team had tied the game against the Reds.
A replay review, however, overturned the safe call at first: Dansby Swanson had stepped short of the base, and the inning was over.
"I don't know if I've ever done that in my baseball life, to be honest," Swanson said after the Cubs' 3-2 loss to the Reds. "So just pretty unfortunate timing."
Swanson's two-run home run in the third inning accounted for all of the Cubs' scoring. But he came inches from driving in another run.
Willi Castro had led off the inning with a single and made it all the way to third by the time Swanson came up with two outs.
The crowd rose to its feet as Swanson worked a full count. Then he chopped a ground ball to the left side of the field and raced up the line.
New Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes charged and fielded it on the run, slinging a throw across his body to first. Castro crossed the plate. First base umpire Adam Beck signaled Swanson safe.
The Wrigley Field crowd led out their loudest ovation of the night.
Then, the Reds challenged the call.
"I felt like I was a little bit short," Swanson said. "I didn't think I was as short as the replay [showed]. I know I touched it some point. I just didn't know when in the process."
The replay showed Swanson's foot land in front of the base, in what would have otherwise been a close play. As he stepped over the bag, he dragged his back foot onto it. But by then, the ball was already in Reds first baseman Spencer Steer's glove.
The crowd's cheers turned into groans.
The Cubs managed to make it a close game, despite starting pitcher Michael Soroka exiting after the second inning of his Cubs debut with a shoulder injury. But the Cubs offense totaled just three hits.
"Not going to win many games with three hits," manager Craig Counsell said. "Simple as that."