CHICAGO -- It wasn’t so long ago that the Cubs were scuffling, trying to regain their footing after navigating through a 10-game losing streak.
Those hard times for the North Siders are quickly becoming a distant memory, replaced now with the team many saw as an NL Central heavyweight coming into this season.
The Cubs put a bow on another sweep Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, trouncing the Padres, 23-3, amid blazing temps and a "feels like" temperature of 105 degrees. It was Chicago’s 15th win in the past 19 games and third straight series victory, and the Cubs removed any concept of drama not long after the first pitch.
Seiya Suzuki got things rolling in the opening frame, clubbing a three-run shot for the 100th homer of his career. But he had to share the spotlight an inning later thanks to one of the biggest takeaways from Chicago’s victory.
1. Dansby can’t stop slugging dingers
It’s getting harder and harder to remember the fact that Dansby Swanson’s 2026 season got off to an incredibly rocky start. Chicago’s shortstop struggled through the season’s first two and a half months, slashing .183/.292/.325 as recently as June 20.
That date represents an important benchmark, since Swanson has been a machine nearly every game since.
One night after slugging a pair of home runs in Tuesday’s 9-7 win, Swanson cracked three more on Wednesday to become the ninth Cub since 1900 with back-to-back multihomer games. He’s the first Chicago player to do so since Patrick Wisdom on Aug. 27-28, 2021.
Even more impressive was the fact he wrapped that stat up by the third inning. He iced the cake in the eighth by cracking a grand slam against position player Rodolfo Durán for his first career three-homer game.
Starting with a Mets series that he spent becoming a one-man highlight reel, Swanson now has 26 RBIs over his past 10 games -- that is the most by a Cub in a 10-game span in franchise history.
Quite an impressive feat for someone who was answering questions about a lengthy funk two weeks ago.
“We never have baseball figured out,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And I think this tells you that. He probably went through the roughest patch of his career, and on the other side of it is the best stretch of his career. You figure it out. I don't think Dansby could explain it to you either.”
Swanson wasn’t able to make sense of it, merely attributing his performance to his unwillingness to waver even when his production was nowhere near where he wanted it to be.
“That's kind of the beauty of it,” Swanson said. “It's why we keep coming back to this game, no matter how tough it may be at times. Good or bad, you just want to show up every day and give it your best effort. This game seems to reward doing the right things.”
2. Chicago’s offense is hotter than the weather
Swanson and Suzuki’s blasts were hardly Chicago’s only offensive highlights of the day. Pete Crow-Armstrong cracked a three-run jack in the fifth, Michael Conforto slugged two solo shots and Michael Busch added another in the eighth, giving the Cubs a franchise-high-tying eight homers on the day.
The sizzling heat Chicago played through this week certainly helps to keep the ball flying, but the club’s home run outburst over the past two days has rarely been seen. In fact, the Cubs blasted at least five home runs in back-to-back games for just the third time in franchise history (2023 and 2002). Chicago’s 13 homers in the past two games are the most in a two-game span in franchise history.
“Everything about the way that this lineup shows up, it all came to a head today,” Conforto said. “The guys were putting the ball in the air and hitting it hard, had a lot of traffic out there. It's a good combo for us.”
3. Rea keeps lending a helping hand
Considering the state of Chicago’s rotation, Colin Rea has become one of the most valuable members of the clubhouse simply by being available to pitch. Lately, though, he has been more than just a healthy arm.
Rea gave the Cubs five solid innings on Wednesday, allowing two runs on six hits while tallying five strikeouts. Though he twice found himself in a bases-loaded jam, he was able to escape both, wrapping up his day in the fifth by whiffing Jake Cronenworth to strand three Padres runners and ensure he was able to celebrate his 36th birthday with a victory.
Rea has allowed a combined three earned runs over his past three starts. Though his 4.74 ERA might not wow anyone, the innings he’s given to a Chicago staff missing marquee starters like Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon have been pivotal.