Much like the first two-plus months of the Chicago Cubs’ 2026 campaign, the past three days have been a roller coaster for a team that, at this point, is used to experiencing the highest highs and lowest lows.
The Cubs, who strung together two 10-game win streaks in the same season for the first time since 1935 before losing 10 straight not long after that, continued to seesaw on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
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After walking off the Athletics on Thursday and then giving up seven home runs and a season-high 18 runs against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, the Cubs (34-31) swung back to even their series versus the Giants (26-39), with another walk-off victory.
Pete Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-5, most notably launching a pair of game-tying homers. The second one came with two outs in the ninth inning. That dinger forced extras and set the stage for Michael Busch’s walk-off single in the 10th. Cue the pandemonium at the Friendly Confines, where celebration broke out in the wake of a bounce-back 3-2 victory.
So, in summation, the last three days have gone like this for the Cubs: walk-off win, 18-3 loss, walk-off win.
After losing a fly ball in the lights on Thursday versus the A’s, a defensive miscue that allowed an inside-the-park homer, Crow-Armstrong redeemed himself, first with a solo shot and then with a walk-off single.
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With his power-surged performance on Saturday, the standout center fielder has now launched four long balls in the past four games. He’s also currently on an 11-game hit streak.
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Fittingly, like the Cubs squad he stars for, “PCA” has shown resilience this season, in which he’s previously dealt with uncharacteristic defensive struggles and continued to work on regulating his emotions.
On Saturday, his first big fly arrived in the sixth inning. It answered a Rafael Devers solo shot in the top of the frame. Crow-Armstrong lifted a sinker from Landen Roupp to right field for his first four-bagger of the day.
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Roupp conceded just that one run in 5 2/3 innings of work. The righty gave up only three hits. Chicago’s starter, right-hander Ben Brown, impressed, too. He spun 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball. As soon as he was pulled in the sixth, Devers teed off on lefty reliever Caleb Thielbar.
Coming off his career-high eight-RBI outing on Friday, Matt Chapman lofted a sac fly that pushed San Francisco ahead 2-1 in the top of the ninth. The latest chapter of Crow-Armstrong’s late-game heroics unfolded in the bottom of the inning.
The first pitch he faced, a 90-mph splitter, he mashed 403 feet to right field. Cubs fans, many of them already on their feet, were elated. That excitement reached a new level when Busch blasted a single to right in the 10th.
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Giants right fielder Victor Bericoto couldn’t field it properly, and that error opened the runway for Dansby Swanson to advance home. Struggling at the plate, Swanson was held out of the Cubs’ starting lineup on Saturday by design, so the shortstop could reset offensively. But he wound up scoring the game-winning run after beginning the 10th as Chicago’s automatic runner.
Swanson scored, Busch and Crow-Armstrong shared an embrace that was part chest-bump and part hug and the Cubs’ faithful rejoiced as their team rebounded once again.
