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The Chicago Cubs had to rally late in Sunday’s game in order to catch the Cincinnati Reds. They were down by five runs, which has meant a loss in every other game—yet it turned out to be a historic comeback win.
Despite the fact that he’s usually in control of his placement, starting pitcher Ben Brown‘s been struggling of late. He coughed up seven runs on the day. For the season he now has a 6.39 ERA through 11 games. As manager Craig Counsell described it after the game, “He basically gave them ten pitches to start the game… free pitches, and that led to two runs. Then he struggled the third time through the lineup. So those are two things we’ve got to get better at.”
Even with Brown’s forgettable outing, the team found a way to win. If you watch the Cubs play enough baseball in 2025, you’ll eventually realize they’re never really out of any given game. The proof was in the pudding in this one, which determined the winner of the series.
Catcher Reese McGuire was called up to replace Carson Kelly on short notice. In his first at bat in a Cubs uniform, he hit a home run. The last player to do that was Christopher Morel. McGuire doesn’t typically hit for power, so this came as a bit of a surprise. But it didn’t end there. McGuire hit another one out in the eighth inning to tie it, sparking another rally from the big bats.
Hoerner’s Heroics
Nico Hoerner is one of the game’s top second basemen. On three separate occasions he made magical, Gold Glove caliber plays. He also had another stellar offensive performance and scored numerous times, as well as sparking the comeback rally with a two RBI double in the seventh. He’s right near the top of the list of all batters in the league with runners in scoring position.
The roster is too talented to mention in full. So here are a few CliffsNotes:
- The Cubs have outscored opponents 53-3 from the sixth inning on in the last nine games.
- Ian Happ can’t seem to shake his hitting rut since his stint on the IL.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong got two hits and two RBIs to continue his onslaught of the 2025 season.
- Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run blast to put them ahead and complete the rally. He’s playing clutch baseball.
- Suzuki and PCA are leading the league in RBIs.
- Dansby Swanson kept his on-base streak alive.
- The Cubs have 36 home runs so far in the month of May, leading all of MLB.
And then there is the mad hurler. Daniel Palencia seems to have found his groove. He’s been thrown right into the drama. In his first two seasons he accrued one save. They’ve recently sprinkled him in as a dedicated door slammer. Now he’s just collected his third save of the season. He’s firing rockets effectively at 101 mph. Forget the curveball, Danny, give him the heater.
After a brutal stretch to start the season, The Cubs have been on Easy Street lately. They next have an upcoming series at home against the Rockies, who are in danger of becoming the worst team in MLB history.
