I think you can imagine how frustrated Cubs players must have been after a week-plus worth of losses to the Mariners, Diamondbacks and Reds, three of those in soul-crushing walk-off fashion.
They took those frustrations out on the Brewers Monday evening at Wrigley Field, breaking the franchise record for home runs in a game that was set just last year. Alex Bregman’s three homers — the second time he’s done that this month — led the nine-homer outburst as the Cubs demolished the Brewers 17-3. Sure,
three of those home runs were off Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn. So what? They count just the same. Regarding the Cubs hitting off position players this year:
Will this beatdown lead to more wins over the team’s division rival this week? That remains to be seen, but this one was sure a lot of fun.
The Cubs wasted no time in beginning the onslaught. Clay Holmes had an easy top of the first and then the hitting began. Seiya Suzuki drew a one-out walk, and one out later Tyrone Taylor hit the first of the nine long balls [VIDEO].
That was Taylor’s 11th homer of the season, but first as a Cub. And that ball was crushed! [VIDEO]
Nico Hoerner then went yard, back-to-back [VIDEO].
The Cubs were not done scoring in the first off Kyle Harrison, either. Michael Busch followed that homer with a double and scored on this single by Carson Kelly [VIDEO].
The Cubs put together another scoreless inning in the second, thanks in part to this strikeout/throw out double play [VIDEO].
Nice swipe tag by Nico.
Two more Cubs runs crossed the plate in the second on a single by Suzuki and this homer by Bregman [VIDEO].
Holmes kept mowing down Brewers hitters, three by strikeout in the fourth, and then the Cubs put together another big inning in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Suzuki homered, the Cubs’ fourth of the game [VIDEO].
Bregman followed with his second homer of the game [VIDEO].
The Cubs have now gone back-to-back with homers twice in this game. More on that from BCB’s JohnW53:
The homers by Taylor and Hoerner, then by Suzuki and Bregman were the seventh and eighth times the Cubs have gone back-to-back this season. They did it 10 times in 2025 and 2024, 20 in 2023.
Tonight’s were their 413th and 414th set of consecutive homers in the regular season since 1876 and the 394th and 395th since 1901. They have gone back-to-back-to-back 11 other times.
Again the Cubs were not done in the inning. Taylor singled and Hoerner walked. One out later, Harrison was done for the evening, replaced by Chad Patrick.
Patrick’s first eight pitches were out of the strike zone, resulting in a walk to Kelly that loaded the bases and this RBI walk by Miguel Amaya [VIDEO].
So it’s 9-0 going to the fifth, and again Holmes set down the Brewers in that inning and the sixth without incident. Holmes left after six, having allowed five hits and two walks. His eight strikeouts matched his season high [VIDEO].
It’s still a bit early to make this determination, but based on what I’ve seen so far, I would have no issue sending Holmes to the mound for Game 1 of a postseason series.
Ryan Rolison relieved Holmes and served up a two-run homer to Cooper Pratt, somewhat forgivable in a 9-0 game.
It went 9-2 into the bottom of the seventn, and Kelly led off the inning with a home run of DL Hall [VIDEO].
That gave the Cubs an eight-run lead and, with the game in the seventh, put it into position-player pitcher territory. The Brewers obliged by sending Vaughn to the mound, and he threw a collection of pitches labeled “eephus” and “knuckleball” on the Wrigley video boards. “Eephus”? Sure. “Knuckleball”? Not intentionally, I don’t think.
The Cubs took advantage. Vaughn hit Amaya with his first “knuckleball,” and Matt Shaw put two runs on the board with this homer [VIDEO].
That ball did not reach Waveland — it landed on the back concourse of the bleachers maybe 20 feet from me. It’s now 12-2. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Suzuki followed with singles, but Bregman hit into a double play, with PCA taking third. He scored on this single by Taylor [VIDEO].
Colin Rea entered in the eighth to mop things up. He allowed a run in that inning, but the Cubs put together their final home-run show in the bottom of the frame. Amaya led off with a single and Shaw walked.
Michael Conforto, who had entered the game in the top of the inning, smashed a three-run homer [VIDEO].
If you’re keeping track:
Michael Conforto: .235/.325/.479, 13 HR in 213 AB, 0.7 bWAR
Kyle Tucker: .228/.326/.357, 11 HR in 456 AB, -0.1 bWAR
Petty? Yes. Fun? Also yes.
One out later, Bregman hit his third home run, setting the team record [VIDEO].
More on the Cubs’ nine-homer evening from John:
The Cubs’ nine home runs break the team record they set against the Cardinals on July 4 of last year, then matched against the Padres on July 1 of this year.
The nine homers ties the National League record, by the Reds, in a 22-3 win at Philadelphia on Sept. 4, 1999.
The Blue Jays hit 10 in an 18-3 win at home over the Orioles on Sept. 14, 1987. The Yankees hit nine twice last season, in a 20-9 rout of the Brewers on March 29 and a 13-3 win over the Rays on Aug. 19.
…
Six were the most the Cubs had hit in their 463 previous regular-season games against the Brewers, both at Wrigley Field, in a 15-12 slugfest on Sept. 12, 1998, and a 9-1 win on June 24, 2003. This was their 380th game vs. the Brewers since then. They had hit five twice, at Milwaukee in 2010 and at home on Aug. 13, 2015.
Rea wrapped up the evening with a 1-2-3 ninth. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].
Here are Bregman’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].
A note about Bregman’s three-homer game:
And here are postgame comments from Craig Counsell [VIDEO].
Counsell’s remarks about Harrison are important. Harrison’s been one of the best pitchers in the league this year and the Cubs made him “uncomfortable” early and continued throughout — the worst game of Harrison’s career.
Does this carry forward to the next game? Well, of course, baseball doesn’t work that way, you start 0-0 the next day with two different pitchers. But I can’t help thinking that the Cubs were not intimidated by the Brewers, who had won nine of 13 coming into this game. And the Cubs have been pouring on runs recently, never mind that many of them have been off position players. The Cubs’ 742 runs now lead MLB by 16, and that’s 5.38 runs per game, a pace for 871 runs, which would be the first time any Cubs team had scored that many since 1930.
This is also the fourth time this year the Cubs have scored at least 17 runs in a game (and third time in their last eight games!). They haven’t done that since 1936, when they did it five times. The last (and only) time with more? 1930, which was a wacky offensive season when the entire NL hit .303.
Also: Who would have thought that Cubs hitters would pound out nine home runs in a game and have NONE of them hit by Pete Crow-Armstrong? That just shows how many good hitters this team has. The nine home runs also give them the MLB lead in that category with 196, four more than the Nationals. One more note on this game from John:
The Cubs’ 14-run margin of victory tied for their largest ever against the Brewers.
They beat them by 19-5 at home on April 30, 2008. In that game, the Cubs made 17 hits, three fewer than last night, and hit only two home runs, vs. nine last night.
The Cubs had won by 13 runs three times: 16-3 in 2001, 17-4 in 2002 and 15-2 in 2021. All of those games were at Wrigley Field.
Even more on all the home runs hit by the Cubs in August (Bluesky link):
Another (Bluesky link):
And another (Bluesky link):
Postseason race note: The Phillies also won Monday so the Cubs remain tied with them for the top wild card spot.
The Cubs will go for two in a row over the Brewers Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Robert Gasser goes for Milwaukee. Game time is again 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network. There will also be a national broadcast on TBS (outside the Cubs and Brewers market territories).
