Cubs Week in Review: A .500 Week, as Division Drifts Away

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Were one to create an unofficial tagline for the 2026 Chicago Cubs, it might read: "Death, taxes, and losing to mediocre teams they have no business losing to." Okay, so maybe that one doesn't quite roll off the tongue, but the North Siders have formed a bad habit of playing down to the level of their weaker competition, at least periodically. Featuring series with both the American League and National League Central, that theme was the throughline for the week of baseball that was.

First, the North Siders welcomed the Detroit Tigers to 1060 W. Addison for a rematch of the 1945 World Series. Mired in the unenviable drama surrounding their ace Tarik Skubal, AJ Hinch's squad is in "win-to-survive" mode, and that's exactly what they did in the first of a three-game set at Wrigley. A back-and-forth contest swung in favor of the home team late, with third baseman Alex Bregman at the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. A poor swing decision on what would have been ball four sent the game to extra innings. A clutch swing from All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler (and, excruciatingly, a Nico Hoerner error) doomed the Cubs in a disappointing 8-6 defeat.

The next night, the Cubs struck back with one of their signature offensive outbursts, coasting to an 11-2 win over the visiting Tigers. A six-run first (paired with an impressive 6 2/3 performance from David Peterson) guaranteed Craig Counsell's squad the desired rubber match. Rapidly ascending to the top of the WAR ranks and enjoying an MVP-like second half, Pete Crow-Armstrong led the way with another great offensive day.

Making the North Siders' pitching situation even more complex, starter Colin Rea's dud in Game 3 of his club's tilt with the Tigers sunk the home nine. Despite another five-inning appearance, Rea was anything but sharp, coughing up four earned runs and two long balls. Keider Montero of Detroit enjoyed one of his better outings of the 2026 campaign, going 5 1/3 innings in which he set down eight Cubs via the strikeout.

While Wrigley Field spent the weekend going "Bananas", the North Siders arrived in Pittsburgh for their three-game showdown with the Pirates. Matthew Boyd took the ball in the opener, and as he has of late, he dazzled in seven full innings of work. Crow-Armstrong's solo shot in the sixth inning knotted the game at 1-1, paving the way for heroics from Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki in extras. While redemption games are to be expected from a club like Chicago, doing it in such a fashion, on the road, bodes well for the team's prospects in contests with much more on the line.

Riding a high from the night before, the Cubs could do no wrong in their series-clinching 11-0 rout of the Bucs in the second game of the series. A four-hit day from Crow-Armstrong, including his 23rd homer of the season, fueled a punishing offense. With the game well in hand, lauded prospect James Triantos relished the milestone moment of collecting his first hit in the majors. Southpaw Shota Imanaga turned in six innings of scoreless work, providing further evidence of his rediscovered stability on the mound.

With their sixth straight series win on the road secured, the North Siders had designs on a sweep in the series finale. The deservedly maligned former Pirate Jameson Taillon was unable to do his part. Known for giving up home runs early in contests, Taillon yet again saddled his team with a considerable 7-1 deficit after surrendering a grand slam to Ryan O'Hearn. The big fly was the 25th home run Taillon has given up in 76 innings pitched in 2026. A furious rally from the Cubs, including a two-run blast from Seiya Suzuki, fell short, as Pittsburgh seized a narrow 8-7 triumph.

The trade deadline will bring into focus this team's fate for the remainder of the 2026 campaign. Before that, however, the squad arrives in St. Louis to do battle with Jordan Walker and the hated Cardinals in another divisional series. A return home will mark the arrival of the Bronx Bombers for a three-game series. While whatever comes after next Monday will certainly shape the discourse surrounding this team, this clubhouse has demonstrated that if and when they take the field in October, they have just as much chance of going on a run as any of the other top challengers for the Fall Classic.