Cubs Week in Review: It Doesn't Get Easier

The specter of pitching injuries has haunted the Cubs all season, but for much of it, they've kept winning, anyway. They haven't lost at Wrigley Field since April 11, and with the Reds coming to town for four games last week, it was important that the team prove that was a product of their poise and talent, rather than just the good luck of facing some cold opponents. As it turned out, the Reds were as cold as they come, but the Cubs did an admirable job of taking advantage.

Surrendering three runs and setting down eight Reds batters, Edward Cabrera's quality start Monday felt pedestrian—even insufficient on a day wherein offense came at a premium. After a Pete Crow-Armstrong triple and a game-tying sacrifice fly by Nico Hoerner, though, Michael Conforto delivered the first moment that felt like a signature of a good team getting great: an opposite-field walkoff homer. The moment was reminiscent of the best moments from last October, sending shockwaves that could be felt from Rogers Park all the way to Northwest Indiana. The Cubs took the opener by a score of 5-4. 

The next night required the same mettle. Trailing the Reds 2-1 in the eighth inning, Michael Busch smashed a one-out bomb to deep right field to knot things up. The dramatic home run reset the contest after another business-like outing from starter Jameson Taillon, who was picked up by dazzling relief appearances from Javier Assad, Jacob Webb, and Daniel Palencia. The latter's outing came in extra innings, wherein Palencia was masterful in keeping Cincinnati locked at two. Their tenth-inning escape made way for another cinematic moment for Busch, who delivered the game-winning knock with a single up the middle, allowing zombie runner Dansby Swanson to race home in a 3-2 triumph. 

While walk-off wins are not the ideal way to win a ball game, they sure are exciting. And with a chance to secure an impressive series victory, the North Siders delivered their third-straight "last-chance" victory. For the second-straight evening, the game made it to extra innings. After a blowup by reliever Corbin Martin greatly diminished his squad's chances of earning a 14th consecutive victory at home, Crow-Armstrong—a player made for the big stage—crushed a game-tying two-run homer. Anyone who needed further proof of Crow-Armstrong's return to form got it with that swing. Another scoreless 10th frame from the Cubs' bullpen got the home team up to bat in the bottom half of the frame. An implosion from Reds reliever Brock Burke brought Michael Busch to the dish with the bases loaded after issuing an intentional walk to Seiya Suzuki. With two outs, the lefty took a 3-1 pitch up and in, drawing the walk-off walk and an improbable 7-6 victory. 

The reinvigorated Shota Imanaga toed the rubber for Chicago in the series' finale. Searching for their second consecutive sweep, the Cubs found and displayed their best qualities. Imanaga set the tone with six strong innings, setting down 10 batters. Holding onto a 1-0 lead, Craig Counsell's squad unloaded in the fourth inning with a seven-run onslaught. Michael Conforto continued his impressive stretch with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, driving in two runs. The up-and-down Gavin Hollowell briefly made the home team adjust their seats in what was otherwise a laugher. Palencia replaced the 28-year-old righty, earning his second save of the 2026 campaign. 

Winning at a pace as torrid as the Cubs have created an expectation for success. Discovering such a variety of ways to win instills confidence in the clubhouse's ability to rise to any occasion. Injuries being what they are for this squad, Ben Brown was summoned for his first start of the season Friday night in Texas, hoping to run his club's win streak to 10. With Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, serving as the backdrop, Brown answered the call, as he didn't allow a hit over four innings. His colleagues picked up where he left off as a combination of Ryan Rolison, Javier Assad, and Ethan Roberts allowed just two hits and one run in a 7-1 victory for Chicago. 

That's pretty much where the fun stopped, unfortunately. The Cubs were shut out in back-to-back games to close out the series. The Rangers tacked on here and there, and it never felt like the team was in either game. Cabrera and Taillon had workmanlike performances, again, but neither was good enough to lament much on their behalf, even with zero run support. Great pitching performances might be harder to come by for a while, too, since this week, the team lost Matthew Boyd to a torn meniscus in his knee. Boyd could miss anywhere from a handful of weeks to three months, but either way, the path ahead will be much tougher than the one behind them. That only makes the banked (almost stolen) wins they've compiled over the last few weeks more important, though. If this team does win the NL Central for the first time since 2017, it will be thanks in large part to the kinds of wins with which they started this week—even if it's equally obvious that they could lose the division race based on losses like the two to close it out.