The Chicago Cubs got themselves back on track. Now, they’re surging.
After the Cubs dropped Game 2 of the three-game series to the St. Louis Cardinals, they rallied on Sunday in front of a packed Wrigley Field.
The Cubs didn’t just win. They won in a rout.
Here are our takeaways from the Cubs’ 11-0 win over the Cardinals on Sunday night, where the Cubs also won the series.
Matthew Boyd showed why he was an All-Star
With all eyes on Matthew Boyd on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, coming out of the MLB All-Star Selection Show, there was some pressure mounting.
Boyd delivered.
He went five innings and struck out nine batters. He had multiple strikeouts in every inning except for the fifth inning. About 69 percent of his pitches were strikes, and he allowed just three hits while pitching shutout baseball.
There’s been talk about the Cubs and their need for additional starting pitching at the trade deadline. A team can’t compliment a pitching rotation if it doesn’t have a rotation in place.
Thanks to Boyd, the Cubs have that. Meanwhile, Cubs President Jed Hoyer continues to look brilliant for the deals he’s made.
First, it was acquiring Pete Crow-Armstrong in the Javier Baez trade. After that, they acquired Kyle Tucker from the Astros in a trade that, with the benefit of hindsight, benefited both sides.
The move to sign Boyd to a two-year deal keeps getting better and better with each quality start he has.
The Cubs shook off their slump
Counsell couldn’t have been more blunt before Sunday’s game.
He was asked about the shift in mentality where fans and observers are now shocked when the Cubs lose games.
“We’re gonna lose more games,” Counsell said.
He has a point, considering playing 162 games is a long season. The Cubs will lose more eventually. That was the case in mid-June when the team lost five of six games, including three games against NL Central teams.
The good news is June is over. Right now, the Cubs are having a good time as the All-Star break draws near.
The Cubs have won eight of their last 11 games. Sunday’s rout of the Cardinals included plenty of offense and momentum they never dropped. This seems to be a theme for the 2025 Cubs.
This is a team that knows it’s good and plays like it too.
“You earn this,” Counsell said. “The big crowd, the energy, and it’s what you try to do. It’s what you want to earn. But you earn it, and you earn it by playing well. You earn it by putting a good team on the field. And so I think we’re pleased that we’ve earned it.”
Suzuki was snubbed, and proved it
The Cubs will most likely have more additions to the All-Star Game. Injuries and dropouts will cause some vacancies. There should be a Cub, or two, who will earn a nod.
Seiya Suzuki should be the first call the MLB makes if that happens.
The Cubs have two All-Star starters, and neither of them leads the team in RBI. That’s because Suzuki leads the entire MLB with 75 RBI coming into Sunday night’s game.
Suzuki added two more RBI on Sunday, giving him 77 for the season. He’s by far and away one of the engines that makes the Cubs’ offense so potent. He’s also sixth in the major leagues with 25 home runs. He hit that homer on Sunday.
With the Cubs up 10-0, Suzuki mashed a 400-foot solo home run for good measure to make it 11-0 Cubs. That was on top of the RBI double he had earlier.
Suzuki deserves to be an All-Star.