CHICAGO (104.3 The Score) — Well after the sun had set behind the third-base dugout at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon stepped to the railing alongside teammates Colin Rea and Matthew Boyd.
The Cubs found themselves in familiar territory, trailing the Reds 2-0 in the sixth inning. Taillon looked at Rea and Boyd and made a prediction that just doesn’t seem so bold lately.
“We’re going to win this game, aren’t we?” Taillon said to his teammates, who nodded back in agreement.
Indeed, his assessment proved to be true as the Cubs rallied to earn the second of three straight walk-off wins amid a stellar streak that's still unfolding.
The Cubs have won 19 of their last 22 games, a mark bookended by winning streaks of 10 and their current nine-game run. They've turned Wrigley Field into quite the home-field advantage, securing 15 straight victories at the Friendly Confines. The Cubs capped off another 7-0 homestand with an 8-3 win over the division rival Reds on Thursday afternoon.
The Cubs are 26-12 on the young season, which is tied for the best mark in MLB and which is bolstered by an 18-5 record at Wrigley Field.
What's unfolding on the North Side of Chicago is a season with great promise. These Cubs billed themselves as a team capable of winning the World Series, and they've played like it thus far.
Despite a long list of injuries to key players – right-hander Cade Horton, left-hander Justin Steele and Boyd to name just a few – the Cubs keep playing a strong brand of baseball, no matter who's called upon.
Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto, a former All-Star who has embraced a reserve role, delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off homer in the win over the Reds on Monday. Then on Thursday, he was 3-for-3 with another home run and a dazzling defensive play up against the bricks and ivy in right field.
Conforto played for the Dodgers during their World Series championship season in 2025, but he was left off the postseason roster. He arrived in Chicago knowing what it takes to win and motivated to fill a role that could help thee Cubs fulfill their championship aspirations.
“I mean, we have everything we need,” Conforto said. “Obviously, a very long way away from that.
“But this group is special.”
The Cubs have managed a rash of injuries in impressive fashion, in particular with their pitching staff. On Thursday, right-hander Gavin Hollowell became the 24th pitcher the Cubs have used in 38 games this season.
During the Cubs’ 7-6 victory over the Reds on Wednesday, veteran right-hander Trent Thornton worked a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win. Thorton was called up from Triple-A Iowa on short notice after Boyd suffered a meniscus injury while playing with his children at home.
The Cubs received a positive prognosis on Boyd’s surgery Thursday. The procedure was a clean-up, meaning he could return in six weeks. The worst-case fear was another season-ending blow like the one for Horton, who made just two starts this season.
The Cubs have also gotten strong work from Taillon (4.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), newcomer Edward Cabrera (3-0 with a 3.27 ERA) and a rejuvenated Shota Imanaga, who improved to 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA with a 10-strikeout performance Thursday.
“Looking at our pitching staff, stuff like this happens,” Imanaga said of the Cubs’ injuries. “(But) really, everybody steps up.
“Just keep on pitching well.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell understands that injuries are part of the game, just as inconsistencies are. The 162-game grind of the regular season presents challenges.
Boyd’s injury won’t be the last that the Cubs face this season. It’s why Counsell manages his players – and pitchers in particular – so cautiously. Flamethrowing closer Daniel Palencia was held out Wednesday in a save situation because he had just returned from a left oblique strain.
Counsell drew criticism as right-hander Corbin Martin blew the save opportunity, but the Cubs came through again. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning before first baseman Michael Busch drew a walk-off walk in the 10th inning.
It seems to be a new hero each night for the Cubs. While other contenders in baseball lean heavily on superstar players, the Cubs have a deep team that can win in a variety of ways.
At the end of their win Thursday, the Cubs were third in MLB in runs scored (208) and had a 3.83 ERA that ranked eighth in baseball. They've won games with 12 runs and with just one this season. Part of why the Cubs have enjoyed so much success at Wrigley Field is because they can win games whether the wind is gusting in or out, whether the Chicago spring brings a temperature that’s in the 80s or 40s.
Ten years ago, the Cubs started 25-6 to open their World Series championship campaign. Then-manager Joe Maddon reminded his team throughout that season how its hot start provided a margin for error.
Counsell sees this early success similarly.
“Everything matters,” Counsell said when pointing to a season in full. “Routinely, seasons get down to the last week, and you say, ‘Oh, what if in May, this would’ve happened?’ That will happen still.
“You got to stack up wins, because you do run into headwinds during a long season. So, stack them up while things are going well.”
With their winning stretch, the Cubs have created slight separation with a four-game lead in an otherwise tight NL Central race. Entering Thursday, there were just two teams in the American League (Yankees and Rays) with winning records. Meanwhile, the NL Central features all five teams above the .500 mark. The Cubs' success is no anomaly.
Elsewhere in the National League, the two-time reigning champion Dodgers will have their say. Baseball’s gold standard remains in Los Angeles as hopes rise in Chicago. For now, all the Cubs can do is stack wins and see how they add up by early October.
Through the 162-game pursuit of the postseason, the Cubs believe in their World Series potential.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
