Cubs Week in Review: "Craigtember" Commences, but Uninspiringly

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Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images

When I see specific opponents pop up on the Cubs' schedule, I feel an inescapable and visceral feeling of deja vu. With the Atlanta Braves pulling up to the Friendly Confines on Labor Day for a massive three-game set, that's the exact sensation that came over me. That familiar feeling was deflation, thinking back to the club's mammoth collapse in September 2023, lowlighted by a tumultuous series full of miscues and follies versus (a much better version of) this squad. It was a chance squandered, and a dream that fell short of reality. 

But that was a different team, a different time. Like a soothing stroll through the Garfield Park Conservatory, the 2025 Cubs calmed concerns of the past. They showed up with a rousing extra-innings victory on the holiday. On another shaky day for starter Colin Rea, the offense played hero ball, with gargantuan swings from Ian Happ and Carson Kelly. Happ is absolutely electric right now. He collected another three hits, came around to score twice, and drove in a run. But in the bottom of the 8th inning, with the home nine down 6-4, Kelly, the squad's workhorse catcher, drilled a game-tying two-run bomb into left field. The long fly was Kelly's 14th of the year, and sent the Wrigley crowd into a state of euphoria that would make Zendaya blush. The bullpen (after excellent showings from Aaron Civale and Brad Keller) trotted out Andrew Kittredge in the 10th, who slammed the door shut on the Nats, making way for Kelly's thunderous curtain call: a walk-off, line-drive single down the left-field line. Cubs win, 7-6.

What did the North Siders do for an encore after collecting one of the most clutch wins on the campaign? Got another one. Though their 4-3 triumph Tuesday came at the steep cost of (temporarily) losing the resurgent slugger Kyle Tucker, it showed us another dazzling and dominant performance by the Cubs' bullpen. After Shota Imanaga got through six innings, Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar set the stage for Daniel Palencia to pick up a cathartic save in the 9th. Despite allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to reach base, Mr. Gasolina went 0-60 in no time flat from the traffic light, fueling his team to the dramatic win. 

Recent evidence has suggested that the Cubs' once-mighty offense might be back. But none of that evidence was provided in the North Siders' series finale defeat, 5-1 on Wednesday. Wasting a five-inning, no-hit masterpiece from the superb Cade Horton, the bats failed to produce more than one run for the likely Rookie of the Year winner. Chicago's 1-for-7 output with runners in scoring position denied them the head-turning sweep, though that shouldn't be the headline here. With three left down in Georgia coming up this week, the North Siders used this series to announce that they are up to the challenge of this breathtaking playoff push. 

Or did they? Turning the page to one of the last remaining regular season weekend tilts at Wrigley, the club played host to their 2026 Opening Day opponent, the Washington Nationals. In the first of a three-game set, Javier Assad took the bump, with each of his appearances serving as critical auditions to his postseason viability. His first three scoreless frames allowed the Cubs' offense to dig their heels in, starting with an explosive five-run first inning. For a time, it appeared as though the scorching hot bats of Dansby Swanson, Reese McGuire, and Pete Crow-Armstrong were leading an all-out romp. While the game never really felt in doubt, things did get a bit trickier in a three-run sixth inning for Washington. Always ready with a counter punch, the Cubs were able to answer most of the Nats' run production, handing the stellar bullpen a sizeable cushion to work with in securing the 11-5 win for the home team. 

The Chicago Cubs are masters of seizing momentum, only to unceremoniously watch it slip from their grasp. And while that may seem a bit melodramatic, each game down the stretch is not only critical toward clinching a playoff berth, it's a chance to greatly shake up the perception of what's possible once they get there. In game 2 of this set, Cubs baserunners were Tom Hanks in "Castaway", which is to say, they were stranded. On another frustrating day which featured an alarmingly pedestrian start from Matthew Boyd, Nico Hoerner and his club couldn't deliver the big hit when they needed it. Matt Shaw laced one in the middle innings that certainly would have put the North Siders up 3-2, perhaps altering the fortunes of the day as a whole, but it was tracked down by a charging Dylan Crews. I don't think that this game was harbinger of doom, just a bad luck kind of outing on an excessively windy afternoon both squads had to reckon with. 

With the backdrop of a thrilling playoff chase behind them, the Chicago Cubs welcomed two of their own, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee, back into the loving arms of their home at 1060 W. Addison. With the two iconic sluggers taking their official place among the greats in the organization's Hall of Fame, it was easy to get caught up in the pomp and circumstance of the moment, and forget how we got here. When it comes to 'Slammin' Sammy", much has been made of his long road to redemption and good standing with his beloved Cubs, but just witnessing the sheer expression of joy and gratitude on the faces of Sosa and his close family members was a magnificently human and endearing moment. As far as "D-Lee", his enshrinement in the Cubs' Hall of Fame seemed never to have been in doubt, yet no less satisfying. With their places in team history cemented, the rubber match of this series commenced.

Counsell rolled out Drew Pomeranz as the opener, in an effort to give Rea a reset without pushing him truly out of the rotation. That part worked, as Rea came on and pitched 5 1/3 strong innings. The team had an early edge and then created a bit of separation late, thanks in large part to two solo homers by Kelly. This time, though, Palencia didn't wriggle off the hook after getting into trouble in the top of the ninth. Two Washington homers led to five last-at-bat runs, and the Cubs fell 6-3 in a heartbreaker. On a homestand against the two worst teams in the NL East, Chicago could only claim a split. Another opportunity missed, although hopefully, this one will turn out less costly.

Weathering the storm of challenging injuries and zeroing in on what they do have, not what they don't have, It's the club's resilience and self-awareness that make them a danger in the postseason. The sudden health concerns around Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong may kneecap this club, though neither has sustained an ailment so severe as to rule them out of being a factor in this squad's playoff success. Things are really starting to get good, and they might even get better. Unfortunately, it was also a week that reminded us that it could get worse.

 

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