CINCINNATI — The Cubs’ 1-0 loss Sunday to the Reds enabled the Brewers to clinch the National League Central title and resulted in a few dubious firsts for the North Siders.
‘‘They’re having a great season,’’ Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of the Brewers. ‘‘They’ve got the best record in the game by a pretty good margin. They’ve been wonderful the second half of the season. . . . They’re going to put up a huge number.’’
The Cubs, who were swept in the four-game series, have their longest losing streak of the season. And not only were they shut out Sunday, but they also failed to score in the series opener Thursday. It was the first time this season they had been shut out twice in a series.
‘‘Obviously would have loved to get out of here with some wins,’’ said Cubs starter Jameson Taillon, who held the Reds to one run in seven innings. ‘‘But that’s a team that’s extremely motivated and playing for their [wild-card] lives, and they just played really well.’’
The Reds scored their only run by linking together doubles from Matt McLain and Gavin Lux in the third.
The three other hits Taillon allowed were singles, one of which bounced just out of diving third baseman Justin Turner’s reach in the first.
With one out in the seventh, Taillon shook out his left leg after a fastball to Ke’Bryan Hayes and tested it with a squat. Counsell and a trainer ran out to the mound to check on him. After a conversation and a warmup pitch, he remained in the game to put the finishing touches on a start Counsell deemed ‘‘excellent.’’
‘‘I just felt like I landed into my glute a little bit differently, felt a small little cramp,’’ Taillon said. ‘‘Might be a little sore tomorrow or something, but I’m not worried about it at all.’’
It was Taillon’s third start since a stint on the 15-day injured list with a strained left groin.
Wild-card watch
During the 71-minute rain delay before the game, the video boards at Great American Ball Park played the Mets’ game against the Nationals.
At the time, the Mets were a game ahead of the Reds and occupying the last NL wild-card spot. Reds fans cheered for the Nationals as they waited for their team to take the field.
The Nationals eventually claimed a 3-2 victory. So when the Reds beat the Cubs, they moved into the third wild-card spot by matching the Mets’ record (80-76) and owning the tiebreaker.
The Cubs face the Mets in a three-game series this week at Wrigley Field.
