Cincinnati Reds: Conforto’s HR gives Cubs 5-4 walk-off win at Wrigley Field
CHICAGO — A game that should have been the highlights of the young careers of starting pitcher Chase Petty and Blake Dunn turned into a game that’s the lowlight of Emilio Pagán’s season so far. After Petty and Dunn, two recent call-ups, provided a spark and helped the Reds establish a lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. But then, Emilio Pagán allowed a walk-off homer to pinch-hitter Michael Conforto as the Cubs beat the Reds, 5-4, on Monday, May 4, at Wrigley Field.
“Nothing has changed as far as our mindset as a team,” Pagán said. “We know we’re really good. We played a lot of close ballgames.
Quite honestly, I haven’t held up my end of the bargain. As painful as today is, I feel like I’m getting really close to being who I can be. I made two mistakes today, and they both got hit.
” First, Pagán left a splitter right down the middle to Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in a two-strike count. Crow-Armstrong hit a towering fly ball to center field. Fighting the ivy, Myers couldn’t complete the catch.
“He’s fighting the wall and the basket,” Reds manager Terry Francona said “He took a jab step. You could see where he just kind of lost it off the side of his glove. ” Pagán’s next mistake was the fastball right down the middle to Conforto that won the Cubs the game.