CHICAGO -- The Cubs spent the first couple weeks of the season trying to find their rhythm on multiple fronts. There were outages throughout the lineup, injuries piling up and testing the depth of the roster, and a repeated refrain that things would turn around.
Eight consecutive wins later, the Cubs look like the postseason-caliber team everyone expected.
On Wednesday night, the North Siders rolled to a 7-2 victory over the Phillies behind a widespread offensive attack and the return of veteran lefty Matthew Boyd. The end result was an eight-game winning streak that marks the Cubs’ longest run in April since an 11-game streak in 1970.
The eight-game run is the longest for the Cubs under manager Craig Counsell and the first time Chicago has rattled off that many in a row since another eight-win stretch from July 21-29, 2023. During this streak, the North Siders have outscored their opponents, 58-20, while getting contributions from up and down the roster.
Alex Bregman sparked the lineup with three hits, including a third-inning triple that ricocheted off the edge of the basket atop the brick wall in left-center field. Ian Happ brought him in with an RBI single and Michael Busch later followed with a solo homer (his first blast of the year). Seiya Suzuki also launched a two-run homer in the fifth – a day after his first homer of the season.
Boyd was activated from the 15-day injured list prior to the game, making his first start since April 1 due to a bout with a left biceps issue. The veteran starter gave Chicago 84 pitches and turned in 4 2/3 solid frames, limiting the Phillies to two runs. Righty Ben Brown – assigned to back-up Boyd in his first start off the shelf – followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.