The Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 in a heartbreaking walk-off victory at Wrigley Field, but the loss was overshadowed by a significant injury to Reds closer Emilio Pagán.

Pagán collapsed immediately after delivering a pitch in the ninth inning, clutching his hamstring. The injury will land him on the injured list, dealing a major blow to Cincinnati's bullpen. One inning later, shortstop Elly De La Cruz misplayed a routine grounder, allowing the game-winning run to score on a single by Cubs first baseman Michael Busch.

"It's a tough pill to swallow," said Reds catcher Jose Trevino. "He's one of our leaders, one of our captains. He cares about this team more than most. Obviously, it didn't look good. But we're going to be resilient—EP would want us to be."

Before the late-inning drama, Cincinnati had plenty of reasons to feel confident. Starter Andrew Abbott delivered 5⅔ scoreless innings, showcasing a crisper fastball and renewed confidence after a slow start to the season. Reliever Connor Phillips bailed him out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, preserving the shutout.

But the Reds' offense couldn't pad its narrow lead, leaving the bullpen with no margin for error. In the eighth inning, Cubs slugger Michael Busch crushed a game-tying home run off reliever Tony Santillan, who left a fastball over the heart of the plate. Santillan remained composed after the game. "I trust the process. Being the guy the team relies on to get the game to the closer—that comes with the territory," he said.

Then came the ninth. Pagán, who had dealt with hamstring tightness weeks earlier, lasted just one pitch before collapsing. Manager Terry Francona confirmed Pagán had reported no issues before the outing. "I just went and saw him. He said he warmed up fine. I believe him," Francona said.

Rookie pitcher Jose Franco, primarily a starter, stepped in and kept the game tied through the ninth in the biggest outing of his young career. But in the tenth, after the Reds failed to score their automatic runner, De La Cruz let a grounder slip through, allowing the Cubs to walk it off.

After the game, the Reds' thoughts were with their fallen closer. "Emilio has done a great job with those guys," Trevino added. "Shaping some of these young arms—he's a big piece of this." The team will now have to regroup without one of its most reliable arms as they look to snap their losing streak.