The Chicago Cubs’ offensive onslaught shows no signs of slowing down. During Monday’s matchup, they secured a dominant victory even without Pete Crow-Armstrong joining in on the home run frenzy.
Hosting their NL Central rivals and MLB leaders, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs unleashed a nine-homer barrage, highlighted by a trio of long balls from Alex Bregman, to secure a resounding 17-3 triumph. This power display established a new single-game record for the franchise, falling just one home run short of matching the all-time MLB record of 10, set by the Toronto Blue Jays back in 1987.
This performance put the finishing touches on a remarkably productive August for Chicago, with the team launching 62 home runs since the start of the month. This total represents a new milestone for the most home runs hit in a single calendar month by any National League franchise. According to statistics from MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, it ranks as the second-highest monthly home run total in major league history, eclipsed only by the 2019 New York Yankees, who amassed 74 homers during August of that year.
Cubs inflict heavy damage on Kyle Harrison’s ERA
Milwaukee’s starting pitcher Kyle Harrison bore the brunt of Monday’s offensive storm, surrendering five home runs and nine earned runs over just 3 2/3 innings, causing his season ERA to jump from 2.79 to 3.45.
The Chicago lineup targeted Harrison immediately. In the bottom of the opening frame, Tyrone Taylor and Nico Hoerner connected for consecutive home runs, helping the Cubs build an early 4-0 advantage.
Bregman added to the lead with a solo shot in the second inning and went deep off Harrison once more in the fourth, pushing Chicago’s lead to 8-0.
After facing three additional hitters, Harrison was pulled by Brewers manager Paul Murphy in favor of the bullpen. However, the starting pitcher was far from the only Milwaukee player to endure a difficult night.
Chicago unloads on a position player pitching
Once Chicago’s lead reached 10 runs in the seventh, Milwaukee essentially conceded the contest, opting not to use any more traditional pitchers. First baseman Andrew Vaughn stepped onto the mound to close things out, getting the final six outs of the game.
Vaughn’s slow, high-arching deliveries resulted in three additional home runs during the eighth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Bregman connected for his third homer of the game to put the final exclamation point on the performance.
By the end of his outing, Vaughn had given up seven earned runs on nine hits and three walks, which included the three home runs, leaving him with a 30.00 ERA.
Meanwhile, Crow-Armstrong—who had previously strengthened his MVP credentials by hitting five home runs across Chicago’s last two contests—finished the night 1-for-5 without a home run. Instead, Bregman provided the bulk of the power with his three homers, standing out as the sole Cub to hit multiple home runs in the game.
A half-dozen other Cubs players also contributed one home run apiece. The crowd at Wrigley Field stayed put until the final out, waving ‘W’ flags and singing a spirited version of ‘Go Cubs Go’ to celebrate a resounding victory over their division rivals.
With Monday’s victory, Chicago improves its record to 78-60, maintaining a strong position in the National League wild-card race.
As for the Brewers, this lopsided defeat is only a minor setback in the standings. They retain the major leagues’ top record at 85-53, holding a comfortable seven-game lead over Chicago in the NL Central division.
Milwaukee has three remaining opportunities in this four-game series to bounce back and prevent Chicago from gaining any real momentum in the division race.
