CHICAGO – Wrigley Field opened in a North Side of Chicago neighborhood in 1914, home for the Chicago Whales of the Federal League for two years before the league folded. The Cubs moved into the ballpark in 1916 and it’s become a landmark as the oldest National League park in Major League Baseball.
It’s housed all the greats. Babe Ruth called his shot at Wrigley in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Most Hall of Famers have played at least a few games in The Friendly Confines.
In the 107-year history of the ballpark, few players have ever put on the show Joey Votto did this week.
"I know I'll look back when I'm done playing with Joey," said Tucker Barnhart, who has played alongside Votto for eight years, "and it's like, 'I wish I would've just watched a little more' because of how amazing it's been."
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Votto hit a two-run homer in the first inning Thursday setting a Cincinnati Reds record with home runs in six consecutive games. His teammates rallied for a 7-4 victory, taking three of four games from the Cubs, but Votto was at the center of everything all week.
Was it difficult not to try to hit homers?
"Oh, I’m trying to homer," Votto deadpanned. "That’s the difference. I’ve been trying to homer."
Votto had six homers and 10 RBI in the four-game series, which matched the record for most homers in a series by a visiting player in Wrigley Field history, tying José Abreu (three-game series in 2020) and Matt Carpenter (five-game series in 2018), according to Elias Sports Bureau. New York Giants first baseman George “High Pockets” Kelly had a record 13 RBI in a four-game series in 1924.
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It’s reached the point where Votto’s teammates can only smile and laugh in the dugout. They’re in awe just like everybody else.
"I've never seen anything like it," Kyle Farmer said. "We're in the dugout just kind of shaking our heads. I mean, it's incredible, and the way he's embracing it is really cool."
Votto homered in his first at-bat in all four games this series. Thursday's came on an 88-mph fastball from Cubs starter Alec Mills that was driven 431 feet to center field.
When Votto returned to the dugout, he and manager David Bell said, "believe" to each other, a reference to the "Ted Lasso" TV show.
Votto cracked up the dugout with his first homer Wednesday when he sang a song from the show on his way up the first-base line and he appeared to tell fans near the on-deck circle, "told you," perhaps calling his own shot.
"Joey came up to me, I think before the year, and he was like, 'You've never seen me really good, have you?'" Farmer said. "I've been here since 2019 and I was like, 'I mean, you're really good. I used to watch you all the time when I was, you know, 10.'
"He was like, 'Well, I'm gonna be really good this year. I want to win MVP.'"
Votto has totaled eight homers during his six-game homer streak, setting a club record for most home runs by any Reds hitter over any six-game span, according to Elias.
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"I've seen some pretty good Joey Votto streaks or stretches," Barnhart said. "For me personally, '15 or '16 comes to mind, the second half he had was just incredible. Obviously in '17 when he finished second in the MVP, that whole thing was crazy.
"This stretch that he's on right now. I've not seen it like this, where he's basically calling his shot."
The Reds trailed by a run in the sixth inning when they loaded the bases with no outs through two singles and an error. Votto reached on an infield single, ending a streak where his last eight hits were all homers.
They were in the same situation twice during Monday’s walk-off loss to the Cubs and their inability to score a run with the bases loaded and no outs was costly. This time, Barnhart came through with a two-run ground ball single up the middle.
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The Reds never trailed again, adding three runs in the seventh inning through an RBI double by Farmer, an error and a sacrifice fly by Aristides Aquino. Votto moved a runner over on a groundout to the right side of the infield and he was just as proud of that as his first-inning homer.
"Of course, I want to perform well and home runs are fun," Votto said. "They are the ultimate swing. But we’re trying to win as a group."
The Reds have won five of their last seven games, sitting five games above .500 at Friday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline. Mychal Givens, one of the three relievers the Reds acquired in trades this week, struck out the side in the eighth inning.
After a three-game road series against the New York Mets this weekend, the Reds could play 19 of their next 20 games versus teams with a losing record. If they’re going to make a serious run at a playoff spot, this is the time.
"We know what's ahead of us," Barnhart said. "We know where we've got to go and what we've got to do."
Luis Castillo, who entered Thursday with an MLB-low 1.71 ERA since the start of June, was hurt by a couple of homers. Patrick Wisdom drilled a solo homer in the fourth inning.
In the fifth inning, Willson Contreras clobbered a slider for a go-ahead, two-run homer. It was a rocket, traveling 461 feet to dead center, the longest home run by a Cubs batter this season.
Castillo stewed on the mound. He stared at Contreras as he rounded the bases and his eyes followed him to the dugout.
"(Contreras) hit the home run and he kept staring at it," Castillo said, according to interpreter Jorge Merlos. "It kind of bothered me a little bit."
Castillo responded with a 100-mph fastball on his next pitch, his fastest pitch of the game, and struck out the next batter on three pitches. Then he threw a scoreless sixth inning, aided by Barnhart throwing out Javier Báez on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play.
"Coming back and beating a team on their turf is exactly how you come back from a first game like that," Votto said. "We didn’t get distracted. We stayed the course. We came in, kept it business and left with three wins."
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