Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/22/26): Tigers 5, Cubs 1 – Hitters Go Quiet in Series Loss
The Cubs’ attempt to win a fourth consecutive series came up short at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night against the Tigers. The home team could get nothing going with the bats, and one big swing provided the winning margin for the visitors.
Chicago went ahead in the opening inning for a second consecutive game when Seiya Suzuki hit a solo home run off of Keider Montero. Detroit answered right back when Spencer Torkelson went deep against Colin Rea to even the score in the top of the 2nd.
Rea escaped a major jam in the 3rd, but he couldn’t repeat the trick in the 4th when the first two runners reached base. Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee hit a three-run go-ahead homer that gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead.
The North Siders had no answer for Montero and Detroit’s bullpen, collecting just four hits the entire game. The road squad added one more on an RBI double from Zach McKinstry in the bottom of the 9th and took home a 5-1 victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
Rea fell behind 3-0 in the count before grooving a fastball to Lee that got crushed for the game-winning home run.
Why the Cubs Lost
They just couldn’t get it into gear offensively Wednesday and they didn’t put up much of a fight after falling behind.
Stats That Matter
- Rea really had to battle in this one: 5 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 5 K, and 1 BB.
- Ian Happ had two hits and the Cubs’ only walk of the night.
Bottom Line
The series came down to the rubber match, and one team was able to take advantage of the opportunities it was granted. It just shows how tight the margin can be in baseball. The Cubs’ schedule gets a little bit harder coming up, but they can certainly hang with anyone as long as the offense is producing.
On Deck
After an off day on Thursday, the Cubs travel to Pittsburgh for three games against the Pirates starting Friday night at 5:40pm CT. Matthew Boyd goes up against Jared Jones in a matchup televised on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
