You could be forgiven if you were thinking, as you were watching Thursday’s 4-2, 10-inning Cubs win over the Cardinals, “Didn’t we see this game yesterday?”
Tightly fought game? Check.
Advertisement
Extra innings? Check.
Two-run Cubs lead heading to the bottom of the 10th? Check.
This time, Jacob Webb and Aaron Civale held the line on the Cardinals, retiring three in order to preserve the win. By posting the save — the second of his career, the other one coming with the Cubs last year — Civale became the 13th different Cub to record a save in 2026. That’s a franchise record, breaking the mark set in 2021 and matched last year.
Caught your breath yet?
Let’s rewind to the beginning of this tense game.
Javier Assad, starting on his 29th birthday, gave up a run to the Cardinals in the second inning on a pair of walks and an RBI single by Bryan Torres.
Advertisement
But the Cubs matched that tally in the fourth on some alert baserunning by Alex Bregman. Bregman doubled with one out, and then Ian Happ came to the plate [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.
As you can see on the clip, Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar just casually runs after he makes the catch, as if it’s the third out of the inning, which it wasn’t. Bregman had taken off for third and when Nootbaar finally realized that and threw in, his throw got away and Bregman scored. Really good job of baserunning there.
That’s where the score stayed until the seventh. Assad was lifted with one out in the fifth, having struck out six [VIDEO].
Advertisement
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Ryan Rolison threw the rest of the fifth without incident and also threw a scoreless sixth, helped out by this really nice play by Michael Conforto in right [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Conforto did not hesitate after the single by Blaze Jordan and made an accurate throw to Dansby Swanson to end the inning. Nice tag by Dansby, too.
The Cubs took the lead in the seventh. With one out, Swanson walked and stole second — his 15th without being caught this year. Then he advanced to third on a wild pitch one out later, as Seiya Suzuki walked.
Advertisement
Michael Busch then singled in Swanson [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.
That lead did not last long, though, as with one out in the bottom of the seventh JJ Wetherholt homered off Caleb Thielbar to tie the game 2-2.
The Cubs got the leadoff hitter on in the eighth when Nico Hoerner singled, but one out later Carson Kelly hit into an inning-ending double play. About that hit, Nico’s third of the game, from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was Nico Hoerner’s third game since the break for the All=Star Game with at least three hits, and his seventh with at least two, in 13 games played.
With his 3 for 5 game, Hoerner is batting .426 since the break: 23 for 54. His batting average at the break was .223. Now it is .257.
The Cardinals also got their leadoff man on in the bottom of the eighth when Ivan Herrera singled. But Gavin Hollowell retired the next three Cardinals in order.
In the ninth, the Cubs had a chance when Pete Crow-Armstrong hit this sinking liner to left, but he was robbed of a hit by Torres [VIDEO].
Advertisement
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Webb, who’s been so reliable lately, allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth but retired the next two Cardinals to send the game to the 10th.
Suzuki was the placed runner for the Cubs. A ground out moved him to third, and Suzuki scored easily on this double by Bregman [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Happ followed with this RBI double to give the Cubs a 4-2 lead [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.
So, here we are. Same situation as Wednesday night, a two-run Cubs lead going to the bottom of the 10th. This time, Craig Counsell left Webb in to start the inning and he gave up a sharp line drive to Alec Burleson, but PCA made this nice grab [VIDEO].
Advertisement
Your browser does not support the video tag.
That brought in Civale, who got another fly ball to PCA for the second out.
Then Civale struck out Nootbaar on this nasty curveball to end the game [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Here are the other 12 Cubs who have recorded saves this year:
Webb: 5
Trent Thornton, Daniel Palencia: 3
Thielbar, Jordan Wicks: 2
Rolison, Hollowell, Assad, Colin Rea, Hoby Milner, Ben Brown, Corbin Martin: 1
Yes, the Cubs miss Palencia and yes, it would be nice to have a lockdown closer but as long as the job gets done, what does it matter who does it?
The Cubs thus wrap a very successful 5-2 road trip. They creep to within 5.5 games of the idle Brewers for the NL Central lead and now lead the Phillies and Diamondbacks, tied at 57-52, by five games in the wild card race.
Advertisement
The team will certainly have a happy short flight back to Chicago this evening and then begin a three-game series against the Yankees Friday afternoon in Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Will Warren will go for the Yankees. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Yankees market territories).
Read the full article here