CINCINNATI _ After Joe Maddon witnessed one of his "least favorite games as a Cubs manager," Jose Quintana and Ian Happ erased some of the stench with performances that re-established some balance in a mercurial season.
Quintana threw seven innings of one-hit ball to quell some questions about his value and provide rest to a bullpen that labored during the final five innings of a frustrating 11-inning loss in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
After losing his leadoff spot at the end of April, Happ is starting to regain the batting stroke he possessed in spring training, as he went 4-for-7 with three walks and two home runs to help the Cubs achieve a split.
Maddon's early ire stemmed from witnessing a 1-for-16 performance with runners in scoring position, as well as fielding and baserunning miscues that eventually cost them a 5-4 loss after Justin Wilson walked Billy Hamilton with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th.
Happ's homer, along with a four-RBI performance from Jason Heyward in his first start since suffering a concussion May 6, enabled the Cubs to coast to a 10-0 victory in the second game and alleviate some of the frustration from the setback in Game 1.
Javier Baez, who was engaged in a vocal exchange with Reds reliever Amir Garrett, admitted his frustration as he is in a 2-for-22 slump with nine strikeouts.
"I'm not that lost at the plate," Baez said. "Things aren't going my way, and I'm just trying to get a hit and hit the ball well. I'm not doing it, and I get frustrated sometimes. That's not me. I play hard every day."
But Baez took responsibility for jogging to first after hitting a grounder in his final at-bat in the ninth. He didn't play in the second game.
"There were so many things in my head," Baez said. "It's my fault, and I'm the one looking bad."
Anthony Rizzo didn't slide on a force play at second that would have extended a rally in the sixth, and shortstop Addison Russell committed a fielding error that led to a two-run sixth that knocked out a once-efficient Kyle Hendricks.
"We have to do a much better job," Maddon said after the first game. "That's one of my least favorite games as Cubs manager."
Quintana's performance, however, provided some relief after he allowed six runs on nine hits in 42/3 innings of a loss to the Braves on Monday. He equaled his season high with seven innings, thus giving the bullpen some rest in case Yu Darvish encounters a recurrence of his right calf cramps that limited him to four innings in his last start Tuesday.
"(Quintana) is on a mission," Maddon said. "He has done it before."
Happ is 8-for-21 during his six-game hitting streak. He became the first Cubs player to hit home runs in both games of a doubleheader since Chris Coghlan on July 8, 2014, at Cincinnati.
"He's a (big) part of our present and future," Maddon said.
This marked the 87th time a Cubs player has homered in both games of a doubleheader. Billy Williams holds the team record with 10.
