At times, I’ve promoted the idea that MLB should have a mercy rule – down 10 runs or more after seven innings, the two managers should be able to just say, “We quit.”
It’s games like this that might make me reconsider that idea. On a very hot and windy afternoon at Wrigley Field, Dansby Swanson smashed three homers, giving him five in two games, tying the MLB record for such things. That led an eight-homer demolition of the Padres, 23-3. The eight homers tied the Cubs franchise record, set last July
4 against the Cardinals. That, my friends, was fun, even if the last eight runs came off a position player.
There is a lot of stuff to unpack about this game, so let’s get started!
After a scoreless top of the first, the Cubs got right to work in the bottom of the inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled and Alex Bregman walked. After Michael Busch struck out, Seiya Suzuki launched a home run [VIDEO].
For Suzuki, that was his 100th career home run. More on that from BCB’s JohnW53:
Seiya Suzuki is the 27th batter to hit at least 100 home runs as a Cub. He is tied with Keith Moreland. Next up: Shawon Dunston, 107; Willson Contreras, 117; Kyle Schwarber, 121; and Jody Davis, 122. Andy Pafko is 20th, at 126, 12 behind Leon Durham’s 138.
The Cubs made it 4-0 in the second. With one out, Swanson hit his first long ball of the afternoon [VIDEO].
Colin Rea got into a bit of trouble in the third on a double and two hit batters, loading the bases, but ended the inning with a ground ball.
Then the Cubs blew the game open in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Suzuki walkwd and Ian Happ doubled. One out later, Michael Conforto was intentionally walked so Walker Buehler could pitch to Miguel Amaya.
Bad idea, Padres. Amaya’s two-run single made it 6-0 [VIDEO].
That left Conforto on third and Amaya on first and it’s Dansby’s turn to go deep again! [VIDEO]
If you’re keeping count, that’s four homers for Swanson in a game (yesterday) plus three innings (today) and four RBI already. It’s 9-0 Cubs. Incidentally, Buehler had been on a pretty good run, with a 2.64 ERA over his last nine starts. This game marks the first time in Buehler’s career where he allowed nine runs. His season ERA went from 3.81 to 4.61 with his four-inning outing.
Rea made it through the fifth inning, allowing a pair of runs in that frame to make it 9-2. You could tell he was running out of gas in the heat, issuing two walks to load the bases after the two runs had scored, but he struck out Jake Cronenworth to end the inning. Earlier in the fifth, Rea had some defensive help from Happ [VIDEO].
Rea turned 36 today. Fun fact from John about that:
Cubs starters on their birthdays have won six consecutive decisions: Rea today, Jordan Wicks in 2024 and 2023, Justin Steele in 2024, Marcus Stroman in 2022 and Randy Wells in 2010. The last to lose was Carlos Zambrano, who gave up seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits (no homers) and two walks in 5.0 innings on June 1, 2007. Rea’s start is the 11th since then. Since 1901, Cubs starters on birthdays are 21-15, with 17 no-decisions.
The Cubs piled on four more runs and two more homers in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Conforto went deep [VIDEO].
Amaya followed with a walk and Swanson reached on a fielder’s choice, with Amaya winding up on third after an error on Cronenworth.
That set up PCA for this three-run blast, his 19th [VIDEO].
Now it’s 13-2 and the fun isn’t anywhere near done!
Trent Thornton threw a 1-2-3 sixth on only six pitches, and then the Cubs tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Happ walked. One out later, Conforto went deep for the second time [VIDEO].
If you’ve lost count, that’s six Cubs homers and a 15-2 lead.
Jordan Wicks was given the ball for the seventh and he retired the Padres in order. He allowed a run in the eighth to make it 15-3, and that’s when the position player pitcher fun began. Padres catcher Rodolfo Duran had thrown the seventh and retired the Cubs 1-2-3 – the only Padre to do that in this game.
He wasn’t so fortunate in the eighth, but Cubs fans enjoyed the show. Michael Busch, who had been 0-for-4, singled leading off the inning. Suzuki doubled him to third. A single by Kevin Alcántara scored Busch [VIDEO].
A walk by Justin Dean loaded the bases, and Conforto singled to make it 17-3 [VIDEO].
The bases are still loaded for Amaya, whose single made it 18-3 [VIDEO].
The bases are still loaded and there’s nobody out.
Step up, Dansby, and hit a slam!
Oh, we have SO MANY fun facts about that! First, as noted above, that matches the MLB record for most home runs in a two-game span. But also:
Pretty good company, I’d say. Also, from John, who I asked, “Who’s the last Cub to have back-to-back multi-homer games?”
Patrick Wisdom, Aug. 27-28, 2021, at White Sox. Three-run shot in first inning and solo in ninth of first game, then solos in fourth and fifth of second gam
And at Wrigley Field?
Javier Baez, April 10-11, 2018, in 8-5 loss and 13-5 win over Pirates.
Only six such earlier pairs at Wrigley:
Bill Williams, Sept. 9-10, 1968
Andre Dawson, June 1-2, 1987
Sammy Sosa, June 19-20, 1998 and Aug. 20-21, 1999
Derrek Lee, May 27-28, 2005
Alfonso Soriano, May 16-17, 2008
Note that Williams had a day off between games.
Swanson had eight RBI in the game. That also accomplished something rare:
Swanson’s slam was home run number seven. Two outs later, Busch made it eight [VIDEO].
That completed the Cubs scoring.
Wicks finished off the game, allowing a pair of hits in the ninth, but getting this ground ball to end it [VIDEO].
Since Wicks threw three innings and finished up, he gets a save – with a 20-run lead!
More facts about this crazy game from John:
This is the 43rd game since 1901 in which a Cub has hit three home runs. None has hit four.
Michael Busch was the last to do it, on July 4 of last year, when the Cubs set the franchise record of eight home runs that they tied today.
Sammy Sosa did it six times; Ernie Banks, four; Dave Kingman and Aramis Ramirez, three; Kris Bryant, Hank Sauer and Alfonso Soriano, two.
The Cubs are 31-12 in the three-homer games.
…
The Cubs had hit at least five homers in back-to-back games only twice before:
Aug. 10-11, 2002, at Colorado: six, then five, in 15-1 and 12-9 wins
Aug. 1-2, 2023, at home vs. Reds: seven, then five, in 20-9 and 16-6 wins
…
This is just the sixth game since 1901 in which the Cubs scored at least 23 runs.
The last was a 26-7 win at Colorado on Aug. 18, 1995.
The last at home was 23-6 over the Padres on May 17, 1977.
They beat the Cardinals at home, 23-13, on April 17, 1954; the Braves at Boston, 24-2, on July 3, 1945; and the Phillies at home, 26-23, in the highest-scoring MLB game ever, on Aug. 25, 1922.
…
This is the Cubs sixth series sweep of the season: three games vs. the Diamondbacks, Mets and Padres; four games vs. the Mets, Phillies and Reds.
In all other series they are 6-13-2, including three straight losses vs. the Astros and Brewers.
A note on that 23-6 game from 1977 – this game matches that one as the most runs allowed in a game in Padres franchise history.
Saving the best for last from John:
This is just the third game ever that the Cubs won by at least 20 runs!
24-2 at Boston on July 3, 1945
21-0 at home vs. Pirates on April 23, 2022
Lastly, I thought you might like to have a look at my scorecard:
Whew! What an afternoon at Wrigley Field. Oh, and almost lost in all this: The Cubs have won five straight and 15 of their last 19.
The Cubs have a well-earned day off tomorrow and will open a three-game series against the Cardinals Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cubs don’t have a starter listed yet but it should be David Peterson’s turn to make his Cubs Wrigley debut. The Cardinals are going with Andre Pallante. Game time Friday is 3:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
