Thomas Domol

Image courtesy of Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The Cubs' magic number is 1. They haven't quite earned the right to spray champagne, but they moved much closer this week, with back-to-back series wins over the Atlanta club at Wrigley Field and the Cincinnatis at Great American Ballpark. We've spoken often in this space about how Chicago seems to rise to the level of elite competition. Facing Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Braves in the first of a three-game set at Wrigley Field, that sentiment held up. The capable and increasingly steady David Peterson toed the rubber for the home team, spinning six sparkling, relatively quiet innings. Peterson was fabulous, but as is the case most nights, the club's MVP center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong stole the show. The 10,000 earliest-arriving of the roughly 38,000 fans in attendance clutched their Seiya Suzuki bobbleheads, looking on in wonder as Crow-Armstrong tied Billy Williams for the franchise's single-season home run record for a left-handed batter. The North Siders sealed the opener, 7-3. One night removed from a historic celebration of Crow-Armstrong's excellence, the squad's erratic pitching staff dealt a sobering reality check. Starter Kevin Gausman's shaky 5 2/3 innings gave way to a clean third of an inning for Daniel Palencia. From there, however, Jacob Webb and Edward Cabrera's first relief appearance doomed the home team. The Cubs don't get away with many off nights from their offense, which plated just three runs and stranded seven baserunners in a 6-3 loss. After that frustration, the squad's 8-4, series-winning victory in the final game of the tilt felt cathartic, as well as being deeply needed in the standings. Locked into a groove lately, Shota Imanaga collected his 11th win of the year—a six-inning, eight-strikeout gem. With third baseman Alex Bregman coming just a base hit away from the cycle, it was Crow-Armstrong seizing headlines once again, as he crushed his 43rd and 44th home runs of the year with the lights of Wrigley shining brightly. Basking in the glow of their off-day escapades at the legendary Churchill Downs, the North Siders arrived in Cincinnati to do battle with Terry Francona's charges. The Cubs were slow out of the starting gate (if you will) in the first of a three-game weekend series. Clay Holmes was touched up in his 5 1/3-inning appearance, in which he issued five walks and yielded six earned runs. A silver lining from the visitors came in the form of a two-run knock from Suzuki, as well as a solo shot from Ian Happ, his 24th of the year. More like gold than silver, Dansby Swanson also returned to the lineup—but the cloud was the headline, as the Reds won 6-4. For as long as anyone who supports this squad can remember, we've been looking for even the slightest glimmer of hope from the much-maligned bullpen. On Saturday night, it came, in the form of a reinvigorated Daniel Palencia. Following a brief but clean outing earlier in the week, Palencia came on in relief of starter Matthew Boyd and delivered two innings of six-up, six-down ball. This wasn't a white-knuckle, high-leverage situation, as the Cubs are likely to find in the postseason, but when combined with spotless turns from Aaron Civale and Ryan Zeferjahn, it was as strong a case as ever that this team could make some noise in October. Swanson homered, announcing his return in full, and Chicago won 5-2. Concern for Alex Bregman took up all the air in the room after Chicago's 9-1 series clincher over the Reds. Crow-Armstrong scooped up his 45th homer and 38th stolen base of the season, landing him just two shy of going 40/40. Despite coughing up a solo homer to JJ Bleday, Peterson largely cruised through his six innings. A victory over the Yankees by the Diamondbacks prevented this day from being a more celebratory one, but it was heartening how the North Siders took care of business. The bubbly will be on ice in the clubhouse Tuesday. The North Siders welcome Miami to the Friendly Confines for the last home series of 2026, before hitting the road to take on the Red Sox for the last three contests of the season. Just how good this team really is a(nd how far a potential playoff run will last) is still undetermined, but it will be fun to find out. View full article

Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Be it the MVP heroics of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong or the club's penchant for rattling off big wins versus bigger opponents, we want more out of the 150th edition of the Chicago Cubs. In addition to a squandered chance at a sweep opposite the lowly Pirates, the Cubs failed last week's litmus test in Milwaukee, against the mighty Brewers. Matthew Boyd and his Cubs squad opened a pivotal week of baseball at American Family Field. With memories of their four-game split with the Crew at Wrigley the previous week still fresh in their minds, Chicago looked for ways to beat Pat Murphy's team in the opener. They didn't find them. Though matching Milwaukee in total hits (six apiece), the visitors couldn't keep pace in the most important column on the scoreboard. The Crew strung together the most critical hits in the home half of the eighth inning, including a two-run single off the bat of Jackson Chourio that wrecked reliever Ryan Zeferjahn's appearance. This was just the latest in a seemingly unending string of bullpen blowups for the city's North Side club, who dropped the contest 4-3—although, arguably, it was Counsell leaving Boyd in to become embroiled in trouble in that eighth inning that cost the team. On Tuesday, a subpar outing from David Peterson led the Cubs toward an excruciating 10-inning loss, their third straight. A valiant effort from the bullpen was derailed by a heart-wrenching blown save from the typically solid Jacob Webb. Chourio struck the tide-turning blow again, and Luis Lara walked off Chicago in the 10th. Getting swept at the hands of any squad is bad, but when that group is the standard by which yours is endlessly measured and found wanting, it lingers a bit more. Kevin Gausman was brought in at this summer's trade deadline to be a stopper. He was unable to fulfill that role in the final matchup versus the Cubs' division rival. Despite a furious five-run 9th-inning rally which saw the tying run step into the batter's box for Chicago, Counsell's lineup wasn't able to do much versus Milwaukee's pitching staff. After starter Logan Henderson sailed through the first five innings, his bullpen picked up roughly where he left off until the aforementioned final frame of regulation. The North Siders limped out of town with their tails between their legs. A day off Thursday delivered a much-needed reset ahead of the Cubs' final Friday 1:20 PM game of the regular season. This one was the opener of a three-game tilt with the Pittsburgh Pirates. After going missing for most of the week, the club's potent offense returned dramatically, featuring production from some of its biggest names. Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, and Crow-Armstrong all tallied big knocks in a 12-2 thumping. While the big run total was cathartic, Shota Imanaga's 10th win of the campaign was arguably the most heartening, coming in at six full innings of stellar work. Enjoying the fruits of someone else's bullpen collapse for once, the Cubs were the beneficiaries of a tight 4-3 victory over the Buccos in which Don Kelly's club walked in both the tying and eventual winning run for Chicago. The victory earned the North Siders their first series win since the middle of August, when they thwarted the White Sox in the Wrigley Field portion of the Crosstown Classic. There would be no sweep to make up for the one up north, though. Just as several of the Cubs' recent opponents have done, the Pirates strung together clutch hits, chasing Boyd in the sixth inning and pushing across the go-ahead tallies against reliever Aaron Civale. Ill-timed grounders and a stiff wind gusting throughout the Friendly Confines kept Chicago from a much-needed sweep. Cubs faithful should take solace in a clean appearance from Daniel Palencia, just as they did with Miguel Amaya's two-run blast to left field. For the day, though, all was in vain. With 12 games remaining, the Cubs face the unenviable task of stacking up wins not only in the hopes of clinching a second-straight playoff berth, but also of staving off the red-hot Phillies to lock up the top Wild Card spot and home-field advantage. It's there for the taking, but will the North Siders take it? View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Playoff baseball is special, but anyone lucky enough to have walked through the gates of Wrigley Field knows it’s just a bit more special on the North Side of Chicago. Locked in a back-and-forth battle with the Phillies for the top Wild Card spot in the National League, September kicked off with the Cubs playing their most important baseball to date. Since taking the reins of the Milwaukee Brewers in the wake of Craig Counsell’s departure to Chicago, Pat Murphy has been quite greedy with his stranglehold on the National League Central division. But that didn’t stop the Cubbies from landing a couple of good jabs in the opening contest of their four-game set with Milwaukee. Backed by a record-setting day from his offense, staff ace Clay Holmes largely cruised through six frames of scoreless ball. The Cubs’ lineup produced offense early and often, including a three-home run day from Alex Bregman. In total, the Cubbies went on to bash a franchise-record nine long balls in a 17-3 drubbing of Milwaukee. Decidedly more modest offensive presence and a blow-up from Chicago’s bullpen allowed the Crew to get even in the second game of this series. Tied 3-3 in the sixth, suddenly beleaguered reliever Daniel Palencia surrendered a no-doubter two-run shot to Christian Yelich. The Crew would then tack on two more runs in both the seventh and eighth while the home team’s muscle at the plate all but vanished after getting out to a 3-0 lead, falling 9-4. While generational talents like Pete Crow-Armstrong roam the Chicago clubhouse, Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio reminded the North Side faithful that his club can hang with anyone. Check the box score yourself to see his four-hit day, including a homer off of starter David Peterson. The Cubs’ starter labored from the jump, lasting only 3 2/3 innings and coughing up six earned runs with as many walks as strikeouts. The 9-5 loss put the Cubbies behind the eight ball, hoping to salvage a split the following day in the series’ finale. And fortunately, an outstanding performance from Kevin Gausman ensured that was the case in this critical “get right” game for the North Siders. The former Blue Jay dazzled, lasting seven innings and punching out nine Brewers. Likely National League MVP Crow-Armstrong provided the only offense his squad needed in this one, a two-run blast to the basket in straightaway center field. Even more heartening still, the bullpen earned a measure of redemption with Zeferjahn and Rolison both pitching crisp, scoreless innings for the Cubs. The North Siders prevailed in a 2-1 thriller. Leaving home with a better taste in their mouths, the Cubbies then took their talents to South Beach to square off with the feisty Miami Marlins. A refocused Shota Imanaga toed the rubber for Chicago in the first of this three-game weekend series. The lefty spun six innings of one-run ball, getting backed up by both a capable offense and a stunning, leaping catch in deep center field by Crow-Armstrong. The web gem was just the latest in a virtually endless stream of highlights for the 24-year-old. The Cubs took the opener 6-1. Michael Conforto helped guarantee that Javier Assad’s return to the big-league club was a memorable one, launching Chicago’s 200th home run of the season. The aforementioned Assad had visible rust to shake off in what was far from his best outing of the year. He walked five Marlins in 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs in the process. As it did earlier in the week versus Milwaukee, the bullpen showed up when it was needed, helping the Cubbies hold one for a 6-5 victory. The series win was the first since mid-August, during the Cubs’ Crosstown tilt against the White Sox. In perhaps his most disappointing start since he joined the squad at the trade deadline, Clay Holmes and the Cubs fell in a deflating 10-3 loss to Miami in the finale. The North Side lineup cobbled together seven hits of no real consequence in a 0-7 day with runners in scoring position. The silver lining? The baseball world got to witness Pete Crow-Armstrong become the first Cub since Derek Lee in 2005 swat his 40th homer of the year. It’s hard to predict how far the Cubs could go in the postseason, but the proceedings will certainly be better with PCA as a participant. With the days of regular season baseball waning, it’s up to this capable squad on the North Side of Chicago to tap into a consistent brand of baseball. That they’re stymied by a lackluster, shaky bullpen at this point in the campaign is certainly alarming, though they have enough of everything else to make up for it. View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Marton-Imagn Images In sports, either in anticipation of October baseball or locked in the midst of another exhilarating "March Madness" tournament, the critical moments always seem to come down to a vital call or two; whether the calls fall under reasonable or malpractice is another matter entirely. Sifting through how to classify such matters stymied Craig Counsell's Cubs club and took the focus off baseball at a time when it genuinely ought to be the only focus. Concurrently with the follies taking place on the diamond in the squad's defeats, the same type of elite play from Chicago's brightest stars kept the fires burning with visions of postseason glory on the North Side. Fresh off the heels of a dismaying series loss in Seattle, the Cubbies continued their westward swing, kicking off a three-game set in Arizona with the Diamondbacks. Corbin Carroll's squad is one defined by unfulfilled expectations and is currently fighting for their playoff lives with sights set on the third Wild Card spot. Fortunately, starter Kevin Gausman and the visiting North Siders made sure the Snakes would make up no ground on the good in this tilt. The 35-year-old righty sparkled for this side, dealing seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out six, and issuing just one free pass. He's locating his pitches with more accuracy and allowing the typically prolific offense the chance to get going. That came in the form of back-to-back blasts from Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly in the sixth inning. Their emphatic swings gave the Cubbies the momentum necessary to close the door on the Snakes in a 7-0 triumph to open the series. And that's about where the North Siders' fun in the desert ended. Bullpen struggles are nothing new for this Cubs team, but when they falter as they did in this contest, all it can do is linger like the worst desert sunburn imaginable. The visitor's new de facto ace, Clay Holmes, was brilliant, spinning a scoreless seven innings and situating his already impressive ERA at a stingy 2.26. Chicago took a four-run lead into the eighth inning, which marked an unthinkable statistic: the Cubs scored 30 unanswered runs against their opponents dating back to their 19-2 victory over the Mariners. Palencia's gut-wrenching implosion in the eighth inning left the Cubs headed to the home half of the ninth, and the sterling reliever Jacob Webb entering the game to record the final three outs. He came two strikes away from delivering, but in a most jarring fashion, did not. The Cubs' dugout instead was forced to watch a cascading, two-run home run off the bat of the D-Backs' Ryan Waldschmidt sail into the seats in left field at Chase Field in a 5-4 comeback win for Arizona. A supposed and perceived balk from Los Serpientes ace Eduardo Rodriguez in the sixth inning of this series' finale opened up a line of discussion for Chicago sports radio that will continue for months. Should Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs fall short of seizing the Fall Classic, the umpire's failure to properly call the balk on Rodriguez, which would have plated the go-ahead run for Chicago, will firmly be etched as an example of this franchise's mythical plight. Let's not take the focus off of the brilliant performance by Rodriguez. As he has been all season long, he was magnificent, punching out nine Cubs in seven innings of work. From the pitch clock to ABS, baseball has gotten a lot right with its rule changes, but with a looming lockout and new CBA, the efficacy and accuracy of big-league umpires will continue to stay under the microscope of justified scrutiny. The Diamondbacks won the contest 2-0. The North Siders returned home for a much-anticipated three-game weekend tilt with division foe Cincinnati. Taking center stage in this matchup was the reunion of several of the franchise's most legendary players, such as Jon Lester, Sammy Sosa, and Kyle Hendricks. Despite scoring eight runs and matching the Reds' hit tally, the Cubs failed to get the weekend started right. Recently maligned reliever Trent Thornton unraveled in the sixth inning, surrendering five runs to the visitors, a Reds team a full eight games back of the third and final Wild Card slot. A late, modest rally made things interesting for the home team, though it was not enough on this Friday afternoon, falling 10-8. It will be easier said than done, but regardless of how far this team goes the rest of this season, we must find a way to cherish, recognize, and appreciate the brilliance of Pete Crow-Armstrong. Capturing the hearts of baseball fans across the country, Crow-Armstrong's legacy as a Cub is just getting started, but his three-home-run performance in the Cubs' 17-5 rout of Cincinnati is evidence of a legend in the making. Like any generation-defining player, it's not just his performances that inspire; it's his spirit, competitive fire, and love for the game that make him a fixture in MLB. Gloomy clouds and precipitation delayed the finale of this series on NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball. With many Cubs dignitaries still on-hand, another lead off shot from PCA surged electric vibes through 1060 W Addison. But by the fourth inning, a fall in the giddy up of starter Shota Imanaga’s fastball, shut the power down. Big flies from Tyler Stephens and Hector Rodriguez catapulted the away team out in front. The North Siders put traffic on the bases nearly all night but alas, could not withstand every counter from the Reds who handed Chicago its third-straight series loss, 7-5. So now, we’ve arrived at the home stretch. While still in comfortable playoff position, the final month of the season and how the North Siders fare in it will likely determine their postseason hopes. It starts with one of the biggest tests of all, a four-game tilt with Pat Murphy’s division rival Brewers. Should Counsell manage to get the better of his former squad in this matchup, it stands to reason that the Cubs are primed for deep run. Regardless of this club’s flaws, Chicago is still a team that when at or near their best, can seize every opportunity placed in front of them. View full article

Image courtesy of Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images There have been plenty of moments at which the 2026 Cubs felt like something truly special. From clutch pitches on the mound to even more clutch swings from NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong, the team has delivered ample thrills. Their wins this week neatly encapsulated the flavors of brilliance they deliver. In the team's three losses, however, they offered plenty of reminders that they've been inconsistent and enigmatic. Only five weeks remain in the season, and it's still not clear that this team knows who they are. The week began with history in the air. The White Sox rode up the Red Line to tussle with the Cubs at Wrigley Field, with both teams in playoff position, for once. In the first game of the series, Shota Imanaga outlasted Luis Castillo with six full innings of work, striking out 10 Sox and allowing three earned runs. While the offense put the home team out in front early, the bullpen put them behind the 8-ball late. Luckily, Nico Hoerner drove a one-out, game-tying single into center field in the bottom of the 9th. That act of heroism set the stage for Crow-Armstrong to deliver his 30th home run of the year in the most cinematic way conceivable. Leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, Crow-Armstrong hammered a walk-off homer to deep right field, becoming the first player in 16 years to hit both a leadoff and walk-off home run in the same game. The superstar center fielder raced around the bases, emphatically pounding the Cubs logo on his chest while proceeding to celebrate with his teammates—an astonishing 7-5 win for the North Siders. The Cubs followed up their most enthralling victory of the season with a series-clinching epilogue worthy of its own place in this rivalry's history. When a player sparks a hot streak akin to what Alex Bregman has enjoyed the past few weeks, even the best-laid plans from managers of the caliber of Will Venable fall short of expectations. Finding themselves immersed in yet another contest requiring extra frames, Bregman (1-for-4 at that point) laced a first-pitch, two-out single into center field, allowing the courtesy runner at second to sprint home, notching the club's 13th walk-off triumph of the year in style. Unfortunately, the good vibes didn't last. New-arriving ace Clay Holmes turned in his most pedestrian start since joining the squad Wednesday, with 5 2/3 innings of six-hit ball. Meanwhle, the Cubs offense was limited to just two hits on the day, thanks in large part to long reliever José Urquidy, whose six innings of work got the Sox into the 8th unscathed after opener Sean Newcomb got through the first two innings. It was a demoralizing 3-0 loss, and it felt like a missed opportunity to create greater momentum. After a travel day, the team touched down in Seattle to do battle with the struggling Mariners in a three-game weekend tilt. M's starter Emerson Hancock was anything but dominant, allowing three earned runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, but lousy sequencing did in the visitors. Chicago went a staggering 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position, stranding 11 runners. They fell behind, then came back to tie it in the ninth, but they dropped the contest 6-5 in extras. Over the course of this year, Chicago's North Side club has faced off with some of MLB's most heralded pitching prospects. Such was the case in the middle game of this series, with Chicago running into the debut of top prospect Kade Anderson. The rookie put forth a respectable effort, spinning 5 2/3 innings of his own. Meanwhile, David Peterson lasted six full innings, surrendering two earned runs. That was hardly his worst outing as a Cub, but it proved not to be enough. A bullpen collapse—and a Randy Arozarena performance to match the one Crow-Armstrong inflicted on the White Sox at the beginning of the week—turned the game into a third straight Cubs loss. Sunday threatened to be more of the same, especially after an Arozarena leadoff homer. (Again.) Then, in the third inning with the bases loaded, Ian Happ uncorked a towering grand slam off the foul pole in right field, putting his team up 5-2. From there, it became the type of boat race this Chicago team can often lure their opponents into. A stout overall day from Counsell's lineup made the game a cathartic blowout win, even after Imanaga left early. It ended 19-2, as Seattle gave up in the wake of a back-breaking Crow-Armstrong homer. The team needs to do more than go .500 the rest of the way, if they want to finish the season in position to host October baseball at Wrigley Field again. Throughout the week, though, there was plenty to provide optimism that they'll do just that. View full article

Image courtesy of © William Purnell-Imagn Images As anyone with a background in video games can attest, the further you advance in your digital adventure, the higher the stakes become, and the more daunting the adversaries grow. Unlike a frustrated virtual hero tossing the controller halfway across the living room, the new-look Chicago Cubs have leveled up. Facing down an "all boss fights" gauntlet of contests, Craig Counsell and his squad pushed several of the right buttons in arguably their best week of baseball yet. The reputations of clubs like Chicago and Los Angeles tower higher than the buildings that fill their respective skies. Welcoming the vaunted Dodgers to Wrigley for a hotly anticipated three-game set, the drama in this potential NLCS preview grew higher yet. North Side newcomers Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and others looked on as their new squad dialed up a heartily impressive victory versus MLB's prohibitive World Series favorite. The free-swinging Cubbies figured out L.A. starter Justin Wrobleski early, tallying two runs apiece in each of the first three innings. Marking an upward trend for the whole offense, the Cubs benefited from long balls cashed in by Kevin Alcantara, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, and Carson Kelly. While the offense kept things moving, North Siders' starter Matthew Boyd hung tough through 6 2/3 innings against one of the game's most prolific lineups. His exit made way for his squad's increasingly stingy bullpen to lock the door on Hollywood's finest, lifting the Cubs to a 10-5 win. Los Angeles' trade deadline acquisition of the game's best pitcher, Tarik Skubal, meant that the eyes of the entire baseball world were fixed on 1060 West Addison to witness the Cy Young lefty's first start in his new uniform. By human standards, Skubal clocked in a respectable first day at work with six full innings, allowing just two earned runs. But it was the Cookie Monster-backed home team that found production from its biggest stars like Hoerner, Crow-Armstrong, and Swanson when they needed it most. Postseason play is defined by blockbuster, marquee battles like this, and the Cubs sent a message to the rest of the league that they will not kowtow to anyone's preconceived notions of who ought to take home the crown in October. Their 5-1, series-clinching win proved as much. Through two full games in their tilt with Los Angeles, Chicago demonstrated the true power of team play by employing tried-and-true consistency at the plate, coupled with their signature lockdown defensive play. But in game three of this crucial series, the stars came out to play. Treating the fans in attendance to a show like no other, NL MVP favorites Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong lit up the scoreboard and millions of screens across the nation. They each smashed two homers each in one of the most exhilarating displays of offensive prowess and competition since the days of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Starter Shota Imanaga and his squad had the game well in hand until the Dodgers unloaded with five runs in the eighth inning before reliever Jacob Webb came out for the decisive ninth, in which he calmly set the visitors down in order, scooping up the emphatic series sweep. So, after surviving a brutal run of facing one ace after another, what would be the reward for the boys in blue pinstripes? The chance to beat another. In the most unlikely fashion imaginable, that's exactly what they did in their make-up game with Dylan Cease and the Toronto Blue Jays. Through seven sparkling innings, Cease silenced the normally vociferous Cubs' lineup, racking up ten strikeouts and zero earned runs. Sometimes the best pitchers get the best of you, but the North Siders' third baseman Alex Bregman had other plans. With two out and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth, Bregman drilled a game-tying two-run blast to the basket in left field, stirring up a thunderous roar from the home crowd we'd all love to get used to. Crow-Armstrong's jaw-dropping walk-off run on a wild pitch in the eleventh frame firmly closed the argument as to how strong and how special this team is in a 3-2 win. In search of their fifth straight victory, the Cardiac Cubs took their show on the road to the house that George Brett built for a three-game weekend tilt with the Royals. The interleague matchup finally saw the debut of new Cubs' ace Kevin Gausman versus the underachieving Kansas City lineup. Gausman spun seven dazzling innings, holding Bobby Witt Jr.'s squad to a modest four hits and two earned runs. Clutch RBI knocks from Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong supplied the necessary production to secure the victory in the opener, 6-4. A night after his teammate made his opening remarks as to why he was made a Cub in the first place, Clay Holmes fell short of making a similar statement. Holmes labored through four innings of baseball, allowing six hits and four earned runs. Finding themselves in an early hole, Chicago could not string together enough timely hits to dig themselves out. A rare hitless night from Crow-Armstrong set the tone for a frustrated offense in a 6-3 defeat at Kauffman Stadium. The most resilient ball clubs scratch the memory of a tough loss as quickly as they can seize momentum in the next contest, and the Cubs made good on that concept in the rubber match. The seasoned veteran southpaw Matthew Boyd took the ball and proved the stopper. Boyd cruised through seven magnificent innings, not yielding a hit until the fourth inning. The Cubs' bats unloaded eighteen hits, including a three-run bomb from Miguel Amaya and a multi-hit day with a homer from Ian Happ. The free-swinging party created a route for the visitors, capping a 6-1 week and just a shade under notching their 70th win on the campaign. With aggressive moves and a solidly galvanized clubhouse, the Chicago Cubs are without a doubt one of the best teams in baseball. A day off on Monday will then make way for the North Siders' three-game set with the Nationals in the District of Columbia, before heading home to face off with the Saint Louis Cardinals. View full article

Image courtesy of Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images The Cubs weren't able to swing the deadline's big blockbuster. As everyone predicted, Tarik Skubal is a Dodger. But while off-the-field affairs kept baseball diehards captivated, the team from Wrigleyville undertook a seven-game slate of contests that further proved this club is worth the investment. The NL Central has become strictly a two-team race between the Cubs and Brewers, but that didn't stop Chicago's four-game series in St. Louis from feeling the familiar pinch of rivalry and intensity. Craig Counsell and his squad seized the first game of the set in a mostly convincing 7-3 win. Clutch homers from Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner capped an impressive showing from the offense. The North Siders' starter, trade steal David Peterson, kept the Cards off balance through 5 2/3 innings, allowing 2 earned runs before handing things over to a steady bullpen. Jacob Webb allowed his first run in over a month, but the game was never truly in doubt. Clinching no worse than a split in the series, Colin Rea and the dangerous offense behind him waltzed to a 10-2 victory on Tuesday night. Rea dealt six full innings of quality work, allowing just one run on four hits and minimizing opportunities for the Cardinals. Meanwhile, the North Siders' charged-up offense, led by newcomer Pedro Ramírez and the sizzling Seiya Suzuki, taxed St. Louis's pitching staff, with those two combining for six hits. Contests like this don't necessarily provide a window into what this team could be come October, but they sure are fun. Tough losses are an inevitable part of this great game, but it's what makes the losses tough that sticks with you. The third game of Cubs-Cardinals this week was a spellbinding pitcher's duel between Dustin May and Matthew Boyd. The Cubs' veteran lefty was magnificent, going seven strong shutout innings, issuing just two walks and striking out five, but his offense couldn't come up with a run in support of him. The sides finished the regulation nine at 0-0.. In the top of the 10th inning, NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong came through with a signature moment by absolutely detonating an 0-1 pitch from Luis Gastelum. The swing put Chicago ahead 2-0 heading into the home half of the frame. Making perhaps the strongest case yet for a bullpen overhaul, though, reliever Trent Thornton failed to play his role in capturing a cinematic win for his squad, surrendering the walk-off knock to Iván Herrera on the first pitch of the at-bat with two on and only one out. (The real trouble, arguably, came when the team failed to find an out on a ground ball to second base, and then when Thornton walked a batter to put the winning run aboard.) The Cards escaped with an enthralling 3-2 triumph. Good teams find a way to put adversity behind them, and that's exactly what the Cubs did with a 4-2 revenge win in 10 innings on Thursday. Timely hits and sound baserunning let the North Siders stick around long enough to once again find their way into free baseball, and this time, they did not throw away their shot. After Alex Bregman's go-ahead double, Ian Happ traded places with his teammate, driving in the all-important insurance run before Webb and Aaron Civale turned away the home team in the bottom half of the inning. Returning to the Friendly Confines after claiming three out of four games from their division foe, the Cubs hosted the New York Yankees in the first of a three-game matchup. Squandering a quality 6 2/3 inning start from hurler Shota Imanaga, the hosts failed to string together the right hits at the right time, suffering a 2-0 loss in the opener. Deflating as the defeat was, the contest demonstrated the type of baseball necessary to compete with playoff-caliber clubs like Aaron Boone's squad. New York might not share much of the same DNA, but they're still fighting in the same weight class. In front of a national audience, the North Siders bounced back to win a big game with a big, late rally Saturday. After a Hoerner homer tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Crow-Armstrong laced an RBI triple down the line in right field, scoring Ramírez. One batter later, Suzuki sliced an RBI single into right field to pad what turned out to be the game-winning run driven in by Crow-Armstrong. Cubs' starter David Peterson was brilliant again: 6 1/3, 2-run innings. Whatever happens to this rotation in the wake of the trade deadline, Peterson has earned the right to keep his spot. The body of work he's produced since his first, dismal start in his North Side debut proves that he wields the resiliency and the stuff to add a serious weapon to the squad. Sunday's finale saddled Cubs fans with the sinking, unfamiliar feeling of a series loss, as Chicago fell to the Bronx Bombers. The Cubs made excellent use of their ABS challenges throughout the game, except for a perplexing sixth-inning scenario which saw Hoerner miss an opportunity to challenge a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded. Had he challenged, replay showed it would have been ball four, allowing the tying run to score. Frozen in the moment, Hoerner later flied out to end the threat as the game entered the top half of the seventh. Learning hard truths through those in-game situations is an excruciating form of tough love, but may yet fortify this team, making them ready for when these key moments inevitably resurface. Standing at the spiritual crossroads of the season, Chicago (as they have been for much of the season) is a team in control of its own destiny. The front office set itself up to complete a successful deadline period by acquiring Kevin Gausman Sunday night. Now, they have to make more moves to capitalize on their opportunity to put together a more satisfying October foray. This week was successful, but not so much so as to hide what needs to be done. View full article

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images 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. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images If you remember exactly what you were seeing, feeling, and smelling during life's grandest milestones, you were probably transported in time this weekend when you tuned in or showed up for Cubs baseball. Though the visiting Minnesota Twins gave the team a rude welcome home after the All-Star break on Friday night, with the 2016 World Series team reuniting throughout the weekend, the home nine rediscovered their form in a hurry. Craig Counsell's team opened their three-game set with Minnesota under hazy skies, with the reliable Colin Rea toeing the rubber. For better or worse, Rea starts are among the more consistent in this rotation. Lasting six innings and allowing four total runs, this outing was no different for the Iowa native. He deserved better than that, too. The runs came mostly in a string of second-inning accidents, including a semi-controversial error when a throw hit baserunner Luke Keaschall's sliding mitt and a deeply unfair home run by Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers that the heat, humidity and hitter-friendly wind conspired to create. His offense could not provide him with meaningful run support, squandering early opportunities at the plate. Michael Busch got the scoring started early with an RBI single in the first inning, and from there, the well ran dry with the club going an astounding 1-for-10 with RISP in a 5-2 loss. After lifting the proverbial curtain on the anticipated "Champions Gate" pavilion inside Gallagher Way, the team evened the series in Game 2 with a 6-2 victory. Left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd delivered a quality start, working six one-run innings. Clutch swings from Miguel Amaya and Nico Hoerner's 4-for-4 day at the plate gave the good guys more than enough offense to secure the win and keep the bleacher party (featuring legends like Anthony Rizzo) going well beyond the final out. Shota Imanaga spun a seven-shutout-inning gem to help deliver a dominant 10-1 win in the rubber match of the three-game interleague series. Nico Hoerner continues to be the early second-half story. His bases-clearing, three-run triple ("triple"; it should have been ruled a single and an error) in the bottom half of the third broke the game open, as the Cubbies went up 6-0. Since play resumed, the Gold Glove second baseman is a blistering 8-for-12 at the dish. His and much of the lineup's play aided in securing the team's 56th win of the season, positioning the North Siders at 13 games above .500, though still trailing the Brewers by 6 full games in the standings. Next week, the Cubs welcome Riley Greene and the Detroit Tigers coming to town for three games before heading to Pittsburgh to square off with the Pirates. Regardless of whether or not Chicago overtakes Milwaukee (or even gets within a whisper of them), they look increasingly like a playoff team. What happens once they get that far is impossible to predict. View full article

Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Resilience in baseball must take many forms. Teams and players have to shake off personal setbacks and off-field distractions. They have to withstand injuries and gut-wrenching losses and show up the next day ready to win. They have to perform even when dead tired. The Cubs haven't passed those tests at all turns this season, but heading into a weeklong road trip before the All-Star break, they were in a good position, with a chance to further strengthen it. First up, the team paid a visit to the Baltimore Orioles, a team who got slammed with as much adversity as Chicago has this year but hasn't handled it as smoothly. Matthew Boyd toed the rubber for the North Siders, picking up the win and a quality start by going six scoreless innings and surrendering just three hits. He appears much more in control on the mound of late, and gave his offense (fueled by a two-RBI day from Alex Bregman) the opportunity to put just enough cushion between them and the O's in a 5-2 win to open the series. Despite being outhit 14 to 8 in the middle contest of the three-game set in Charm City, the North Siders secured a 9-7 win. All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed two long balls, one to deep right field and one to right-center, to reach the 20/20 mark (20 stolen bases and 20 home runs) for the second straight year. Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly chimed in with big hits to help Chicago hold off the O's on a night when the pitching staff showed its cracks. The home team spoiled a nine-hit day for the visitors in the finale, salvaging one in the series with a 3-2 victory over the North Siders. Encouragingly, starter David Peterson bounced back from a dismal showing in his previous turn, as he managed five innings of work, allowing just one earned run, though walking four. Squandered opportunities doomed the Cubs, who went just 1-for-9 with RISP. The next day, the weary travelers arrived at Great American Ballpark to do battle in their final series before the All-Star break, a three-gamer with the division rival Cincinnati Reds. They couldn't get anything going against Hunter Greene and the Reds. Greene set down 12 Cubs batters via the strikeout in one of his sharpest outings of the season. That made waste of a good showing from Shota Imanaga, who allowed just one run over five innings. Chicago dropped the opener 4-0. Wiping away the stain of two consecutive deflating losses, the Cubs bounced back Saturday with a 5-3 win. Fans have waited most of the first half to witness starting third baseman Alex Bregman heat up, and that wait might have ended. With the game tied in the seventh inning, Bregman drilled a go-ahead, two-run home run to left field. Outside a lone run coughed up by Drew Pomeranz, the bullpen rose to the occasion, blanking the Reds in the final three frames. Bookending a strong week on the bump, starter Matthew Boyd tallied his fifth win of the year in an 8-4 triumph Sunday to sail into the intermission. Boyd lasted 6 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs. A gargantuan day from the lilliputian Bregman helped his squad win the day. His towering, three-run blast in the seventh blew the game open. The win was the club's 54th of the year, ending a consistent run of victories from the end of June into mid-July. And with that, the first half of the 2026 MLB season draws to a close. Though they're diminished by injury and sit a handful of games behind the powerhouse Brewers, the Cubs have just as much to play for now as they did in the campaign's nascent stages. They've already survived a lot. Now, they get a chance to recharge and reset, before a furious finish in which they have to switch into 'thrive' mode. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Winning baseball teams don't make you wonder what's coming next; they settle into repeatable rhythms. That's why it feels like the 2026 Cubs have a long way to go to call themselves one, even after a 16-6 streak that has carried them back into playoff position. Just one week removed from their signature series win versus the Brewers, Chicago made its way back home to 1060 W. Addison for the start of a three-game set with the San Diego Padres. No one in baseball has more walk-off victories than the Cardiac Cubs, and another dramatic offensive delivery from Seiya Suzuki gave them their latest in the opener of this series. Shota Imanaga proved that the best version of this club features him at his best, as well. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs and punching out four. The home team locked up a 3-2 win. Stability on the mound is one of the glaring shortcomings of this squad. If you're invested in the team's fortunes, that should make Matthew Boyd's five-inning outing Tuesday even more encouraging. The oft-injured veteran scooped up his third win of the season. while his teammates got things going at the plate. Dansby Swanson continued his blistering hot streak with another multi-homer day. Joining him in the round-trip hit parade were Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the squad's 9-7, series-clinching victory. Tying a franchise record for home runs set just one year ago, the Cubs blasted eight taters in a 23-3 laugher against the Friars Wednesday afternoon, earning their second sweep in the last three series. Swanson went ballistic, launching three home runs. He was joined by pretty much everyone else in the lineup, including stalwarts Michael Conforto and Seiya Suzuki. Days like this occur about as frequently as the city's rogue gator sightings, but they make it fun to dream about what this club could do when firing on all cylinders. A lousily-timed off day set them back, though. The Cardinals came to town Friday and thwacked the hosts, 17-1. David Peterson was shelled in his second start for the North Siders, failing to go four full innings of work. His colleagues on the offensive side of the ball didn't fare much better, punching in a paltry 1-for-8 with RISP. Fireworks exploded over foggy Wrigleyville skies for America's 250th birthday, but even the Cubs batters one could make out on TV were virtual no-shows Saturday night. A leadoff home run from JJ Wetherholt saddled Imanaga and his squad with an early deficit. Weather had delayed the start of the game, and it forced a 15-minute intermission late in the contest, too. The Cubs might as well have slipped away in the gloam; they lost 3-0. With all the resiliency such an inconsistent team needs, the North Siders salvaged the conclusion to their series with the Cards. A decisive sixth-inning rally, punctuated by a clutch, opposite-field single from Nico Hoerner flipped the momentum of the contest, giving the Cubs a 6-3 lead at the time. Two strong relief innings from Jacob Webb picked up a shaky return for Drew Pomeranz. The 6-4 win marked the squad's 50th victory of the season. If you don't establish some consistent identity, this game and its calendar will force one on you. Now, standing 10 games above .500, the North Siders hit the road to Baltimore and Cincinnati for a pair of three-game contests in the last full week of baseball before the Midsummer Classic. The second half looms, with several fate-altering moves yet to take place. They need to finish the unofficial first half strong, though, to prove that they're not cycling downward again, toward an ugly averageness that doesn't suit the roster or its payroll. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Depending on your age, you probably have some level of reverence for Disney sports movies. The feel-good tales, which reached ubiquity in the 1990s and early 2000s, feature scrappy but capable underdogs who inevitably—despite the daunting odds—triumph in the end. None of those fictional clubs had to deal with the injuries the Cubs are saddled with, though. Doing his best Gordon Bombay impression, Craig Counsell and his team stacked up a heartening string of much-needed wins, which left the rest of us wondering whether or not this squad really can pull off a Hollywood ending worthy of those beloved films. Threatening weather in Wrigleyville and Queens, respectively, gave the North Siders an unexpected two-day gap in competitions before kicking off their four-game set with the Mets at Citi Field last Tuesday. A resurgent Dansby Swanson and his squad's offense made it worth the wait. Feeding off the offensive energy of teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong, Swanson hammered a two-run shot to left field off Mets starter Kodai Senga, pushing Chicago's lead to 7-2 at the time. The standout shortstop collected four RBIs on the day to add to the three provided by Crow-Armstrong, whose excellence has become routine. While seizing a 9-6 victory in the opener, the squad once again had to reckon with crushing injury news, as starter Edward Cabrera suffered a multi-muscle leg strain while making a tough play covering first base. With gleeful supporters of Norway's men's World Cup soccer team looking on, Chicago's North Side Baseball club notched a cathartic sweep of the Mets in Wednesday's doubleheader. Javier Assad took the ball in Game One of the twin bill and, as he's been all year, was remarkable in 5 full innings of work. The story of this contest, however, was the way the whole club worked together, seeing strong showings from the offense and the pitching staff. Swanson's two-home run day set the tone for a team quickly rediscovering its potent offense at a time when it's an absolute necessity. Chicago's bullpen was magnificent, shutting down New York's brightest stars with a two-hit, zero-run combined outing from Ryan Rolison, Caleb Thielbar, and Tyler Ferguson. That allowed the visitors to cruise to a 10-3 win. Game Two of the doubleheader treated Cubs fans to excellent performances from Nico Hoerner and former All-Star starter Shota Imanaga. Length in starting pitching is not a luxury this squad has enjoyed at any point throughout this season, but with Imanaga's 5 1/3-inning outing serving as the latest example, they're starting to put things together a little more on the mound. Fans had waited too long for Hoerner's return to form, and that he found his way back in this contest earned the Cubs a hard-fought, high-offense sweep. His three-hit day kept his squad's offense on the field longer and allowed key rallies in the 10-5 win. With the series win secured, the North Siders turned their attention to a four-game sweep. Thanks to a cinematic go-ahead double into deep right field from Crow-Armstrong, they delivered. During the club's slow climb back into the division race, clutch at-bats from their biggest names have them building the momentum needed for long-term success. Instances such as Alex Bregman's RBI double point to a whole lineup of players getting back to their winning ways at just the right time. The 4-3 victory marked Chicago's seventh win in nine contests, earning it a winning record on this seven-game road trip. To ascend to the game's highest heights is to accept certain undeniable truths. The Chicago Cubs, like it or not, are chasing the class of big-league baseball, Pat Murphy's Milwaukee Brewers, and must thwart them to summit the peaks on which their gaze is fixed. Facing Jacob Misiorowski (arguably the best pitcher in the game), they began that long, hard job the only way one can: with a first step. A solo shot from the piping-hot Seiya Suzuki briefly had the Cubs out in front of the Cy Young-contending fireballer. Alas, Ian Happ's failure to come through in a two-out, bases-loaded scenario against "The Miz" let the Brewers off the hook, ultimately escaping with a 6-2 win in the opener of a three-game set in which the Cubs pen showed its weakness. One day later, the Cubs earned their first win of the season against Milwaukee, in a fifth try. Recently acquired starting pitcher David Peterson settled in wonderfully after surrendering a first-pitch solo shot to Jackson Chourio to start the game. Peterson was locked in from that point, getting through 5 2/3 innings of work, while his new team's offense did the rest. Joined by long flies from Ian Happ and Michael Conforto, Suzuki went deep for the second-straight day, assisting his squad to a relatively pain-free 8-2 victory. With rising temperatures set to ignite summertime in Chicago, the Cubs delivered the statement win of the year Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee. Ryan Rolison's two innings kicked off a bullpen day versus the Cream City's best. Chicago's depleted bullpen rapidly became a glaring weakness for a squad that had labored, falling short of solutions around every corner. But in front of a screaming crowd of over 45,000, the squad's relievers (led by a remarkable 4 1/3-inning outing from Bryse Wilson) demonstrated it deserves mention among the league's most resourceful. A wild pitch allowed the Cubs to tie the game late, leading to a pulse-pounding extra frame that will have supporters clad in Cubby Blue talking for weeks to come. As he has done so often in recent games, Seiya Suzuki came up big. He pumped a two-run single into left field, putting his club up 4-1. Three grueling, high-blood-pressure outs later, the North Siders emerged with their best series win of the year by a final score of 4-3. Believing in the unimaginable is taxing for each sports fan, but if you belong to Generation Underdog, you can still do it. With the San Diego Padres coming to Wrigley Field next for a three-game set, the North Siders are (arguably) right back in the race for the NL Central, sitting just 5.5 games back of Milwaukee. While their proximity to the top is of paramount importance, what Chicago did this past week—going 6-1 on a marathon road trip amid injuries that could have scuppered their hopes for good—would make a good turning point montage in one of those films. Now, to see whether art can really inspire life. View full article

Image courtesy of © John Hefti-Imagn Images If you stick with something long enough, eventually, you will see the fruits of your labor. Until very recently, as they flirted with a losing record, it seemed the 2026 North Siders were the glaring exception to that rule. The Chicago Cubs' persistent hardships have sent expectations for this squad speeding in the wrong direction. If Javier Assad is thinking about that, he certainly doesn't show it. Though buffeted by the baseball gods, injuries, and (at times) his own organization, Assad has remained unflappable. At no point was this clearer than in his outing Friday night in San Francisco. For any successful big-league pitcher, prosperity originates from having a steady, repeatable process that doesn't change much from game to game. Yes, the strategy for attacking a specific offense or an individual batter may change, but the routine, delivery, and execution do not. What's made Assad such an attractive option for Craig Counsell as he navigates the club's pitching plight is his righty's nasty, increasingly unhittable off-speed pitches. To date, Assad has logged 38 1/3 innings on the mound in the majors, with a critical 6 1/3 of them coming in their tilt with the Giants at the start of the weekend. Before fans in the ballpark could even settle into their seats with Ghirardelli sundaes in hand, Assad treated the many Chicago enthusiasts in attendance to something just as sweet as the ice cream in those bowls. For his second straight start, Assad clocked at least six innings with no runs allowed, halting a string of games in which the Cubs' pitching made mediocre lineups look much more threatening. His arsenal focuses primarily on breaking stuff, with six of his seven pitch types leaning toward movement rather than velocity, but his sinker is his nastiest and most confident weapon. Per Baseball Savant, Assad deploys his sinker 40.5% of the time, with his cut fastball sitting in a distant second at 16.3%. What makes these and his other pitches so effective is what he allows batters to do with them, which (lately) isn't much. Assad cruised through quick, mostly harmless innings because opponents aren't getting a good piece of the bat on the ball. Though his barrels are slightly up from last season, Assad has been forcing batters to top the ball at a staggering rate. He's getting batters to hit the top of the ball at a 33.6% clip, resulting in weak grounders or otherwise painless outcomes for the defense. The nature of these pitches puts less stress on him, creating more low-leverage situations per inning and allowing him to stay within his game plan. The squad's best-laid plans haven't materialized for over a month at this point, but with Assad toeing the rubber, the offense is resurfacing in at least a facsimile of its expected imposing form. Cashing in on early run-scoring opportunities changes the entire complexion of a contest, and with heartening production from the likes of Michael Busch, Assad had an easier time getting his feet under him, with knowledge that his squad's offense was ready to do their part. Punching in good work while punching out the opposition has the murmurs of this club's resurgence growing just a little louder. While it's far too early to call Chicago's few encouraging contests last week a trend, it has at least provided convincing evidence that the version of this team we thought was lost without a trace still exists. Assad, who got this latest start because Matthew Boyd still isn't ready (and might not be for a while) will be key to their efforts to be that club for the foreseeable future. View full article