AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The Rundown: Cubs Struggling on West Coast, Ballesteros Hitting Everything, 2 Managers Axed in 3 Days

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterApril 28, 2026

“I see you got your list out. Say your piece and get out. Yes, I get the gist of it, but it’s alright. I’m sorry that you feel that way. The only thing there is to say [is] every silver lining’s got a touch of grey.” — Touch of Grey by The Grateful Dead

The Cubs have hit a dry spell, their surplus of new pitching injuries is out of control, and a frustrating swing on the left coast has become a bit of a nuisance. In consideration of all of that, I’d like to swim outside my lane just a little. Before doing that, how about a moment of appreciation for Moisés Ballesteros? That dude knows how to hit.

At any rate, I was thinking last night about epic elimination games. We all know the Cubs stood alone against the firing squad for three consecutive games in the 2016 World Series, with each win better than the previous. None of us will forget where we were when Chicago won it’s first World Series in 108 years, but that wouldn’t have been possible without huge Game 5 and 6 wins. Those tilts aren’t embedded in our memory banks the way that Game 7 is, but they should be. What a thrilling time it was to be a Cubs fan, and there’s no better way to exorcise a century-plus of heartache than by taking three win-or-walk games to get that inscription on the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Nothing tops those games, but there is one that comes close. I went to New York in January, and our flight left O’Hare just when the Bears and Rams started the divisional round game that Los Angeles eventually won in overtime. Now, I usually fly Southwest Airlines, but we found a better deal on American. The best part of the flight was that the headrests had TV sets, and every soul on that flight was watching the game.

The Rams and Bears went back and forth, with Chicago needing a touchdown on its final drive to force overtime. That’s when quarterback Caleb Williams did the impossible. On 4th-and-4, Williams retreated in serpentine fashion to the Los Angeles’ 43-yard line while trying to avoid an all-out blitz, and connected with Cole Kmet to tie the game at 17–17 with 27 seconds left. The play was a pseudo Hail Mary as the ball traveled 51 yards in the air before Kmet came down with the pass in the corner of the endzone.

Soldier Field erupted, but it was nothing compared to what happened on my flight, when 160 passengers simultaneously jumped out of their seats on runway approach to JFK airport. I’m still not sure how the plane didn’t crash. The Bears eventually lost, though I didn’t see what happened because the televisions were turned off as we deplaned. Still, I’ll never forget that game or that flight. A more memorable loss does not exist, unless you count the fictional exhibition game between the New York Rangers and Mystery, Alaska. Rest in peace, Burt Reynolds, an actor who made me believe he actually knew a thing or two about hockey.

It’s rare that fans can feel almost as good about a loss as they would have with a win. Cubs fans know all too well, and names like Moisés Alou, Alex Gonzalez, Leon Durham, Steve Garvey, and Will Clark are forever attached to some disastrous losses we wish we could erase. Imagine what life would be like today if the Cubs had not swept those final games of the ’16 series. Would it be 118 years and counting? I get sick just thinking about it.

That end-around brings me full circle to this year’s team. A three-game losing streak following 10 consecutive wins is hard to take, but it’s so much smaller in scale compared to those games where a win or loss determines advancement or five months of “Wait until next year.” The Cubs will shake this off, find some suitable pitchers, and more than likely embark on their longest playoff run since losing the NLCS in 2017. Three losses in April are more of a barely measurable hiccup than a speedbump.

Jed Hoyer is now on the clock and must rebuild his bullpen on the fly. It’s too bad the sales rack of pitching misfits where he normally shops is more threadbare in April than December. That said, the Cubs can salvage this series with two wins and come home, possibly in first place, to face the Diamondbacks and Reds. Piece of cake, right?

Cubs News & Notes

Ball Four

The Red Sox are a mess and it looks like Craig Breslow is in over his head, so he fired manager Alex Cora and most of his coaching staff.

Central Intelligence

How About That!

The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson and named Don Mattingly as the team’s interim skipper.

Trevor Bauer says he has offered to play for free and still no team will touch him.

I’m proud that Munetaka Murakami became the MLB smokeshow I predicted he would. The White Sox slugger now leads the majors with 12 home runs. Look out, the South Siders are just three games out of first place in the AL Central.

Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound tonight, but he will not hit. Craig Counsell has been heard.

Safety Squeeze

Apologies for missing yesterday. A good friend has entered a rehab facility, and I’m providing a temporary home to her two pre-teen children for at least 30 days. Needless to say, my plate has been full since Saturday, and spare time is a precious commodity. I live outside their school district, so I also have to do a daily drop-off and pickup. I’m 62 and not ready for this, but I’ll make the best of it. Fun times, indeed.

Apropos of Nothing

The kids like Fruit Roll-Ups. Dang, those things are disgusting.

Three from the Bill Chuck Files

  1. Tony Gwynn struck out twice against Tom Glavine in 99 plate appearances, once against John Smoltz in 68, and never against Greg Maddux in 103 trips to the plate.
  2. Lou Gehrig was the first major leaguer to hit four home runs in a game. He did it on July 3, 1932, against the Philadelphia A’s. Those ’32 Yankees swept the Cubs in that season’s World Series.
  3. The Astros have shut out their opponents twice this year, and followed each win with a blowout loss where their opponents scored exactly 12 runs. How about that!

Extra innings

Mo Baller is Miguel Cabrera 2.0, and I’ll die on that hill. Jesus, what a swing.

They Said It

  • “That inning was the difference-maker. A few misses. A few walks. And that led to three runs. Hits are going to happen, but I was missing with the fastball earlier on in that 1st inning. It’s a big difference in the game.” – Boyd
  • “We’re playing very well. But at the same time, we’re also dealing with a real challenge from a bullpen standpoint. I’ll give guys credit. We’ve had a lot of unexpected performances out of guys that have really helped, but we do need to stabilize and get healthy.” – Hoyer

Tuesday Walk-Up Song

A rut-busting win would be a nice way to celebrate a Tuesday.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterApril 28, 2026
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