The Crosstown Classic was one for the ages. In sweet counterpunch fashion, the Cubs responded to Edgar Quero’s walk-off for the series win in May with two walk-offs of their own. A battle between the two sides of town fittingly concluded in a 3-3 tie for the season as Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong donned their hero capes. As the Cubs offense sails over choppy waves, those two will hold them steady into the playoffs.
Revenge for the victor against the White Sox! The Cubs battled for two gutsy walk-off wins at Wrigley in front of a rowdy fanbase as Bregman and PCA delivered on back-to-back nights. There were no heroics in Game 3 as Jose Urquidy looked like a Cy Young candidate in a 3-0 snooze fest. The electricity didn’t carry over to Seattle as the Cubs hand delivered a series win to the Mariners. Fundamental lapses, missed opportunities, and a blown save stole wins away from them. The offense thankfully woke up in a big way with a 19-2 explosion featuring 2 grand slams.
Bregman (.360 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and PCA (.375 AVG, 5 HR, 8 RBI) continued their hot streaks and carried the offense. PCA became the first Cub in history to have back-to-back 30 HR/30 SB seasons, and he hit 3 leadoff homers in 4 games this week!
Dansby Swanson’s oblique injury will keep him out for 4-6 weeks. He should be back for the playoffs! This week was a clear reminder of how much the Cubs need him; Nico Hoerner and Pedro Ramirez up the middle would not cut it in do-or-die October situations.
Watching anything that doesn’t align with “The Cubs Way” is a huge red flag. For a team built on defense, baseball IQ, and stringing hits together, this is currently a sloppy ballclub. Whether it was an errant throw by Nico or Pedro, multiple baserunning gaffes, or uncompetitive bullpen outings, none of it held up to the standard. In another strange week that featured a late-game rain delay and Kevin Gausman leaving his start early due to cramps, the Cubs wavered between responding admirably to adversity and compounding the issues.
When you have hitters performing at a superstar level like Bregman and PCA, the lows become much less extreme. The 7-22 valley of the season between May 9th and June 10th mirrored the poor play from this week, but nobody kept them afloat. The formula was the same: uncharacteristic defense, absent lineup, and a patchwork pitching staff. Luckily, the Cubs are a different team than they were three months ago, and they can overcome a minor blip in their performance.
May 9th - June 10th (7-22)
80 wRC+, .210 AVG, .632 OPS
9.9 BB%, 23.4 K%
5.12 ERA, , 5.15 FIP, 7.78 K/9
August 13th - August 23rd (4-6)
94 wRC+, .217 AVG, .709 OPS
9.1 BB%, 24.5 K%
5.09 ERA, 5.07 FIP, 7.75 K/9
The numbers are eerily similar. These last 10 days could have turned into a late season collapse; instead, the Cubs clawed their way to a decent record. It seems impossible to catch the Brewers (6 GB), but their Wild Card claim is still in hand. If they can weather slumps this way, then the last month and a half of the season will be a simple waiting game until the playoffs begin.
Speaking of the Wild Card, the Cubs head to Arizona for 3 games against the Diamondbacks who sit 2 games out of the final Wild Card spot. Then they head home to face the Reds in a final tune-up before a massive 4-game set against the Brewers.
The Cubs are slumping - is there any chance they collapse and miss the playoffs?
In an exciting turn of events, Caleb Williams and the starters played one drive in their preseason game on Saturday after participating in joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals. Those practices are where most of the intensity and action takes place, and that proved to be true even though the starters got a few snaps in the game. The Bears were lackluster in a 27-9 loss that mostly featured Case Keenum and Miller Moss at quarterback. They played inefficient (2/14 on 3rd down) and undisciplined (11 penalties) football and couldn’t cash in when in the red zone (0/2). It was the epitome of the preseason.
They also signed veteran DE Marcus Davenport for additional depth on the line. He previously spent 5 seasons with the New Orleans Saints under Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
First preseason game is September 19th!
Director of Player Development Austin Dufault left the organization to join the Denver Nuggets, and assistant coach John Bryant left to join Coby White and the Charlotte Hornets. The purge from the Arturas Karnisovas era rightfully continues.
Jaylon Johnson will be a Pro Bowl player again this season.
Johnson is fully healthy again and ready to prove he is still one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
After 1-on-1 battles during joint practices, Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase said this about Jaylon Johnson: “Real good corner…pretty aggressive on a couple plays.”
By all accounts, Johnson has looked more like himself in training camp after a difficult 2025 where he had surgery, only played in 7 regular season games, and gave it his all in a playoff return despite being a small percentage recovered from his injuries. His lack of playmaking and the entire unit’s inability to cover anybody put a sour taste in Bears’ fans mouths.
What do we definitively know about Johnson? He wants everyone to believe he’s the best, and he was once considered the best cover corner in football. In the defense’s second year under Dennis Allen, he should have plenty of opportunities to lock up his side of the field and show everyone that he’s back. The Bears desperately need a healthy Jaylon Johnson back and better than ever.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
When reflecting on his first career walk-off home run, PCA gave credit to all of his teammates before himself. He noted Nico Hoerner’s clutch game tying single and Ian Happ’s hustle down the line as moments that led to a tie game and his at-bat with a chance to win the game.
