CINCINNATI — Pete Crow-Armstrong’s towering fly hung in the air for so long it seemed to defy physics. Then it clanged off the right-field foul pole, ringing in the young star’s first career grand slam.
Facing the visitors’ dugout at Great American Ball Park, Crow-Armstrong beat his chest in celebration. Visiting Cubs fans chanted ‘‘P-C-A’’ before the at-bat and after the home-run call withstood a replay review.
‘‘I thought it was going foul, and then it didn’t,’’ Crow-Armstrong said after the Cubs’ 13-6 victory Friday against the Reds. ‘‘Glad we didn’t have any Wrigley wind.’’
It was Crow-Armstrong’s second home run of the game and gave the Cubs their first lead as part of a six-run seventh inning. Crow-Armstrong drove in six runs for the second time this season, already tying the Cubs’ single-season record for games with six or more RBI, according to ESPN.
In all, the Cubs hits four homers, with Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson, who extended his career-high on-base streak to 22, joining in.
‘‘All through the lineup, there’s danger,’’ manager Craig Counsell said. ‘‘And when you can do that . . . it shows up. Make it hard every single pitch, every single hitter, to get through the lineup.’’
The Cubs scored 11 runs in the last three innings. It was the third time this season they scored 10 or more runs from the seventh on, already tying the franchise record for a single season (also 2023 and 1883), according to team historian Ed Hartig.
Hoerner impact
The Cubs faced Reds ace Hunter Greene in his first game back from a strained groin muscle that landed him on the 15-day injured list two weeks ago. Batting eighth in the order, Nico Hoerner was the first Cubs to get a hit against Greene, roping a double to left field in the third.
The Cubs put up their first runs when Suzuki doubled and Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the fourth. After Michael Busch and Swanson drew walks an out later, Hoerner was the last Cubs to face Greene. He worked a 12-pitch before popping out to end the inning, but ran Greene’s pitch total to 83.
‘‘Obviously would have liked to have driven in a run there, but that was a big deal to get him out of the game,’’ Hoerner said. ‘‘He’s one of the better pitchers in our division. And nice to get into their bullpen.’’
In another example of doing the little things, Hoerner bought the Cubs an extra out early in their seventh-inning rally with his baserunning. He evaded Reds second baseman Matt McLain’s tag to advance on a routine fielder’s choice.
Notes
Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd needed 34 pitches to get out of the first, when he faced eight batters and allowed three runs. But he rebounded to allow only one more run before departing after the fourth.
• Before the game, the Cubs reinstated reliever Ryan Brasier from the 15-day IL (strained left groin) and optioned right-hander Ethan Roberts to Triple-A Iowa.
• The Cubs have scored in double figures 11 times this season, the most in MLB. It’s the first time they’ve achieved that feat in the first 51 games of a season since 1898, according to Elias.