Most fans expect a single home run to change a game. The Chicago Cubs did not just change the game on Monday; they broke the entire playbook by launching nine home runs in a 17-3 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. This performance set a new franchise single-game record that fans will talk about for years.
The sheer volume of power displayed was historic. Chicago’s nine homers, tied for the second-most in a single game, appear in Major League Baseball history dating back to at least 1900. Only the Toronto Blue Jays have ever hit more, when they launched ten balls over the fence on September 14, 1987. The Cubs capped off a massive month by hitting over 60 home runs in August, a feat that sets a new one-month record for the team.
Alex Bregman’s Historic Night
While the whole lineup contributed, the night belonged to third baseman Alex Bregman. He led the charge by clearing the fence three times against the Brewers. His first two-run shot came in the second inning, adding to a four-run outburst in the opening frame that included a blast by Nico Hoerner. In the first inning, Tyrone Taylor got the party started with a two-run homer before Hoerner went yard one batter later.
The Brewers starting pitcher, Kyle Harrison, had no answer for the Chicago lineup. He allowed nine earned runs in just 3.2 innings of work, leaving the mound early as the damage piled up. Seven of the nine Cubs starters managed to hit home runs during the game, showing that this was a total team effort rather than just a few stars shining.
August Power Surpasses Yankees
The nine-home run game was the cherry on top of a historic August for the Cubs. Chicago hit 62 home runs last month, which is the second-most for any calendar month in baseball history. Only the 2019 New York Yankees hit more, with 74 home runs in August of that year. This power surge has kept the team in the hunt for the playoffs despite trailing in their division.
Even with this offensive explosion, the standings tell a mixed story. According to Fox Sports All Headlines, the Cubs trail the Brewers by seven games within the NL Central race. Fox Sports All Headlines states that for the top Wild Card spot, the team maintains a five-game lead over both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. Chicago is currently occupying the top slot in the National League Wild Card race.
What Comes Next
Manager Craig Counsell sees the big picture even after this massive win. “We’re in a good place, absolutely,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, according to MLB.com. He knows the road ahead is not easy, but he believes the team has set itself up well. “We’ve got a lot of fun ahead of us. We’ve got a lot of good things ahead of us. We’ve got a lot of challenges ahead of us. But, we’ve put ourselves in a really good position,” Counsell added.
The rivalry with Milwaukee is far from over. With six meetings left within the next nine days, the rivals face a Brewers team that still holds a commanding seven-game lead in the division. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs earlier this week, showing that the power threat extends deep into the lineup. If the Cubs can keep this pace up, they might just close the gap before the season ends.
