The Chicago Cubs came out hot against the Cincinnati Reds, scoring five runs in the first inning and then Cody Bellinger blasted a two-run homer in the second. Not only did Bellinger get two runs back for the Cubs after the Reds scored a pair of their own, but his bomb ended up breaking a part of the scoreboard in right field.
This was a bomb!
That was Bellinger’s second hit on Tuesday night in as many plate appearances. The left-handed hitter kept the first-inning rally going with an RBI-single to center field that gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead against Ben Lively.
Bellinger has been on fire since the final week of June and he was one of the best players in all of MLB during the month of July.
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Through his first two plate appearances on Tuesday night, Bellinger is up to a 144 wRC+. He’s now slashing .318/.369/.549, with 16 home runs.
This is amazing.
From June 24 through July, Bellinger had a 1.073 OPS in 32 games. His slash during that period was .397/.429/.645, with a 188 wRC+. That’s going up after Tuesday night.
The Cubs began Tuesday five games back of the Reds for first place in the NL Central Division, while sitting 3.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot.
Trade Deadline
The Cubs made an aggressive move this week, trading a pair of prospects to the Washington Nationals for Jeimer Candelario. Although he was the only major acquisition the Cubs did address their biggest weakness on offense, finally getting someone who can provide production from the first base position. The move also helps the overall versatility of the roster, as Cody Bellinger can now return to center field.
Meanwhile, the Cubs bit the bullet and DFA’d Trey Mancini on Tuesday. The veteran hitter is still owed another $7 million for the 2024 season.
David Ross told the media that Candelario will primarily play first base, which might lead to Mike Tauchman getting more playing time in right field, like the case was Tuesday night. Maybe Seiya Suzuki, who has been struggling for a couple of months at the plate, is now in the Mancini role for the Cubs and will be used more sparingly, especially if Tauchman continues his hot hitting.
Tauchman started in right field Tuesday night and he began the game 2-for-2, with a walk and a three-run homer in the third inning.
The left-handed hitting outfielder is up to a 119 wRC+ with a slash line of .274/.369/.421, following his sixth home run of the season.
