 pulled within a half-game of Washington for the top spot in the wild-card standings and stayed two games back of NL Central-leading St. Louis, which held off the Nationals for a 4-2 win.Steve Cishek, Mills (1-0), Rowan Wick, Kyle Ryan and David Phelps combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of an ineffective Cole Hamels.It was Mills' first major league win in his 17th big league appearance.''Every time he shows up, he does something good for us,'' manager Joe Maddon said, ''and he does it in a very quiet, professional manner. He's outstanding.'' It was Chicago's first game since Rizzo had an MRI that showed the big first baseman had a moderate lateral right ankle sprain sustained during Sunday's 16-6 victory over Pittsburgh.Rizzo will wear a walking boot for five to seven days, casting doubt on his availability for the rest of the season.''We're not shutting any doors, but we're realistic that this is a legitimate injury that under ideal circumstances would take some time to heal,'' president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.Cincinnati (70-81) had won three of four, but the Reds went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.''We had opportunities early and didn't get enough out of those,'' manager David Bell said. ''It turns out that was kind of the difference.'' Kevin Gausman (3-9) pitched two innings in his first start since the Reds claimed him off waivers from the Braves last month. The right-hander has been a starter for most of his career, and Bell wanted to give him another look in that spot while giving the rest of his rotation an extra day of rest.Gausman got into trouble in the first when Chicago put runners on first and second with one out. Schwarber then connected for the second straight day, driving a 2-2 pitch deep to center.''I kind of put my team in a hole right there,'' Gausman said.It was No. 37 for Schwarber, the highest total for a lefty batter for the Cubs since Hall of Famer Billy Williams hit 37 in 1972.Schwarber also robbed pinch hitter Derek Dietrich with a stellar grab on his liner to left in the fourth. Phillip Ervin's sacrifice fly cut Chicago's lead to 3-2, but Cishek struck out Eugenio Suarez looking to end the inning.IN-GAME CHANGEReds infielder Josh VanMeter left in the fourth inning because of a family medical issue. He started at first base after Joey Votto was scratched with an illness.HE'S HEREThe Reds promoted infielder Christian Colon from Triple-A Louisville. Colon was hit by a pitch while batting for Gausman in the third and scored on Curt Casali's bases-loaded walk. It was Colon's first major league appearance since June 20, 2017, for Miami against Washington.TRAINER'S ROOMReds: SS Jose Iglesias (sore back) was out of the starting lineup. Bell said Iglesias likely will start Tuesday. ... SS Freddy Galvis missed his second straight game with left knee soreness. Bell said Galvis doesn't have meniscus or ligament damage and won't be out long-term.Cubs: RH reliever Brandon Kintzler is dealing with a mild left oblique strain. ... Closer Craig Kimbrel (right elbow inflammation) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Tuesday and could return this weekend. ... SS Addison Russell (concussion protocol) hit off a tee before the game.UP NEXTRHP Sonny Gray (10-7, 2.80 ERA) faces RHP Yu Darvish (6-6, 3.97 ERA) on Tuesday night in a matchup of two of baseball's best pitchers since the All-Star break. Gray is 4-1 with a 1.29 ERA in his last eight starts for Cincinnati. Darvish struck out 14 while pitching six scoreless innings in Chicago's 4-1 victory at San Diego on Thursday.---Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Despite Rizzo injury, Cubs look to ensure playoff spot against RedsFLMThe Chicago Cubs will go for their fifth straight win when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night to open a three-game series.But Chicago (81-68) might be distracted as it tries to close the gap on the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the National League Central. Veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo sprained his right ankle on Sunday, and the team will learn more about the severity of the injury when Rizzo undergoes an MRI before Monday's game."It's not ideal," Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber told reporters. "The guy's been a staple in the middle of the lineup for years now." The Cubs already are playing without star shortstop Javier Baez, who is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a hairline fracture in his thumb. The team also has been without players such as Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist and Craig Kimbrel for extended periods of time this season as it tries to qualify for the postseason."We're used to this, in a sense," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The depth has got to pick us up." Meanwhile, Cincinnati (70-80) will look to play the role of spoiler. The Reds are coming off a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks and have won three of their past four contests.In 16 meetings this season, the Reds have a 9-7 advantage over the Cubs and have outscored them 81-73.Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels (7-7, 3.89 ERA) will make his 26th start of the season. He is looking to bounce back from three consecutive losses, including a 4-0 defeat in his last outing Wednesday against the San Diego Padres. He gave up one run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings in that game.Hamels has a 7.58 ERA (25 earned runs in 29 2/3 innings) in his last seven starts. That is a far cry from his first 18 starts, during which he posted a 2.84 ERA (33 earned runs in 104 2/3 innings).In 19 career starts against the Reds, Hamels is 11-2 with a 2.21 ERA. He has 114 strikeouts in 122 innings.The Reds will counter with right-hander Sonny Gray (10-7, 2.80), who is slated to make his 30th start of the 2019 campaign. He is coming off a hard-luck loss in which he allowed three runs on two hits in 6 1/3 innings against the Seattle Mariners.Gray is 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA in five starts against the Cubs. Four of those matchups have come this season, with Gray going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA."He believes he's the best pitcher out there and that he can get every hitter out," Reds manager David Bell recently told reporters. "Combine that with his stuff and experience, he's just continuing to get better. It'll be exciting to watch how far he can take it." Reds slugger Eugenio Suarez clubbed his 46th and 47th home runs on Sunday. He is trying to challenge New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso for the home run title with two weeks remaining in the regular season.--Field Level Media
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