Cubs' run parade continues with third straight double-digit output

CHICAGO -- The Cubs spent the first couple weeks of this season searching for consistency within their offense. From manager Craig Counsell to the players, there was a repeated mantra that things were bound to turn around soon, given the list of notable names throughout Chicago’s lineup.

Over the past several days, things have turned.

On Friday afternoon, the North Siders had production up and down the order en route to a 12-4 victory over the Mets at Wrigley Field. Nico Hoerner kept his hot start going, Moisés Ballesteros launched a three-run home run and the Cubs eclipsed 10 runs for the third consecutive game.

“That number of runs, it means there’s a lot of people doing good things,” Counsell said. “One of the strengths of our team should be just the length of our lineup, and just being able to get production everywhere in the lineup.

“It hopefully keeps you pretty consistent, and then lets you have these big days.”

Prior to Friday’s outpouring, the Cubs enjoyed a 10-4 win on Tuesday and an 11-2 romp on Wednesday against the Phillies. The North Siders scored 10 or more runs in three games in a row for the first time since September 2019, and have only hit double digits in four or more consecutive games twice. There was a four-game run between June-July 2018 and a five-game stretch in June 1930.

The output also gave Chicago its fifth consecutive game with at least seven runs scored, marking the 13th time since 1900 that the ballclub has managed at least that many runs in five or more straight games. It is the first time the Cubs have done so since a five-game streak from July 22-27, 2023. Chicago has not had a six-game run of this kind since 1930.

“It was just a matter of time,” said Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, who launched a two-run homer in the eighth inning. “This offense is really good top to bottom. It’s deep. A lot of good hitters. Good plans. We weren’t going to score no runs for the entire year.”

Last Saturday, the Cubs dropped a 4-3 loss in 11 innings to the Pirates at Wrigley Field, going 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position that day. Through that point in the season, Chicago had scored 59 runs total in 14 games (4.2 per game on average) with a .209/.293/.284 slash line with runners on base. The Cubs’ 66 wRC+ with runners on ranked 27th in MLB at that point.

After that loss to Pittsburgh, Counsell and third baseman Alex Bregman used the same two-word phrase: “It’ll turn.” And in the five games that have followed, the Cubs have scored 47 runs (9.4 per game), while hitting .353 (24-for-68) with runners in scoring position as a team. That includes the 6-for-12 showing on Friday.

Happ echoed Counsell’s assessment, noting that “the length” of the lineup is what has stood out in this stretch.

“For me, personally,” Happ said, “we scored a bunch of runs the last game in Philly. I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t a part of that. That takes pressure off. You can have a tough day and you don’t feel like the weight of the world’s on your shoulders, because other guys are picking you up. That’s part of being on a good team. That’s part of getting through a long season.”

The wealth of support was more than sufficient for Cubs starter Edward Cabrera, who was charged with three runs over six innings.

Facing Mets righty Kodai Senga, the Cubs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, when Seiya Suzuki got things rolling with an RBI single and Ballesteros followed with his third homer of the year. Hoerner -- coming off a 5-for-11 showing with eight RBIs in the previous two games -- then belted a two-run homer in the second.

The Cubs tacked on a run in the fourth and then created three more in the seventh to spread the game open. In the latter flurry, Matt Shaw delivered a run-scoring double and came across the plate on a wild pitch from lefty Sean Manaea. Dansby Swanson added a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Happ capped things off with his homer in the next frame.

“You’re getting the production from the one spot,” Counsell said. “You’re getting production from the sixth spot, from the nine spot. And that’s kind of what happened today, and that’s what’s happened the last three days.”