Elly De La Cruz hits 2-run triple in 10th to lead Reds to 3-0 win over Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit two-run triple in the 10th inning to break a scoreless tie and the Cincinnati Reds ended their season with a 3-0 shutout of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

De La Cruz tagged Ethan Roberts (1-1) for the go-ahead hit down the right field line on an 0-2 count after Luke Maile singled and Jonathan India walked. Tyler Stephenson came up next and drove in De La Cruz with a single to center to help the Reds end a five-game skid.

“Elly, before today, said he was going to get us that win and sure enough he came up big today,” said Reds interim manager Freddie Benavides, whose team was shut out in the first two games of the series.

Tony Santillan (3-3) got the win and Buck Farmer worked the bottom of the 10th for his first save.

The Cubs, seeking a sweep of the Reds, managed just three hits as Cody Bellinger and Dansby Swanson got the day off.

Caleb Kilian made his first start of the season for the Cubs and allowed three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings. Hunter Greene worked the first four for Cincinnati and gave up a hit with three walks and three strikeouts.

De La Cruz had a pair of stolen bases and finished the season with an MLB-best 67. He’s the first Cincinnati player to lead the majors in steals since Bobby Tolan swiped 57 in 1970.

“I feel good about this year, really good,” De La Cruz said after appearing in his 160th game. “I feel proud to keep my body safe and be able to play every day.”

Luis Vazquez logged his first career hit for Chicago, which matched last season’s 83-79 mark.

Cincinnati finished the year 77-85, a five-win decline from last year. The Reds haven’t posted consecutive winning seasons in more than a decade. The club also will be looking for a new manager during the offseason to replace David Bell, who was dismissed last week after six seasons.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Reliever Keegan Thompson left in the middle of an eighth-inning at-bat with an undisclosed injury.

TURNSTILE COUNT

The Cubs sold 2,990,794 tickets this season, a little more than 15,000 more than last summer. Fans were hoping for a postseason berth during the offseason, when Chicago made Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in the game’s history. The Cubs never could make up any ground on NL Central winner Milwaukee in the season’s final month.

“It wasn’t a lack of talent, it wasn’t a lack of effort. It was just this thing we couldn’t get over,” Bellinger said. “I believe in (Counsell). He’s a very smart man and he’s going to take this organization places.”

UP NEXT

Cincinnati begins its spring season Feb. 22 with a split-squad visit from Cleveland and a trip to Milwaukee’s training complex.

Chicago gets its exhibition slate started with a Feb. 20 game at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ complex.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Scott Held, The Associated Press