Michael Conforto Powers Cubs Game 5-4 Comeback Over Reds

Michael Conforto finished the cubs game with one swing Monday night, driving a walk-off solo home run over the left-center field wall in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Chicago erased a late deficit, moved to 23-12, and stayed in first place in the NL Central.

Conforto Ends It

The Cubs were three outs from opening Game 1 of the four-game series with a loss before Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the ninth with a triple. Nico Hoerner followed with a sacrifice fly to tie it at four, and Conforto then pinch hit for Matt Shaw and turned a 3-2 pitch into his first home run of the season.

The ball cleared the left-center field wall and sent the Cubs to their fifth walk-off win. Conforto finished with six RBIs on the year and a.323/.436/.548 slash line.

Chicago's Ninth-Inning Push

Chicago had already answered an early 3-0 hole to keep the game within reach. The Reds built that lead on JJ Bleday’s solo homer in the top of the third inning and Ke'Bryan Hayes’ two-run homer in the top of the fourth, but Seiya Suzuki tied it with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.

That left the Cubs chasing again after Spencer Steer put Cincinnati back in front with an RBI single in the top of the eighth. The final inning flipped the game in a few pitches: Crow-Armstrong’s triple, Hoerner’s sacrifice fly, then Conforto’s drive.

Reds Slide to Four

The loss was Cincinnati’s fourth consecutive defeat. For Chicago, the comeback mattered because the Cubs kept the series opener and protected their position at the top of the division instead of handing the Reds a road win after trailing late.