Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/26/26): D-Backs 2, Cubs 0 – Missed Balk Call Proves Costly in Shutout

The Cubs squandered another excellent starting pitching against the Diamondbacks Wednesday afternoon in the deciding game of the series. The road team did not dent the scoreboard and were shutout to finish off a very frustrating 2-4 trip.

Matthew Boyd and Eduardo Rodriguez came out of the gate very strong, with neither team scoring a run through the first five innings. Chicago had their best and really only scoring opportunity in the top of the 6th when Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled and moved to third with one out. Rodriguez shuffled his feet in the middle of his delivery with PCA dancing off the base, but the umpires did not call a balk that would have scored the run, and the threat ended quickly after.

Boyd made his only mistake in the bottom of the frame when Jordan Lawlar hit an opposite-field solo home run. Arizona added a second run against Ryan Zeferjahn on a sacrifice fly double play in the 8th and they would win by the same 2-0 margin. (Box score)

Key Moment

A balk is not a reviewable call, and somehow not one of the four umpires noticed it despite it being pretty clear. While it might not have determined the outcome, it certainly made a major difference in the game.

Why the Cubs Lost

They were completely helpless offensively, collecting just a pair of hits Wednesday.

Stats That Matter

• Boyd was hung out to dry despite a great performance: 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 5 K, and 2 BB.
• Seiya Suzuki was the only hitter to reach base twice with a pair of walks.

Bottom Line

This was an incredibly frustrating series for the Cubs, who lost two out of three despite their starting pitchers giving up a grand total of one run in 20 innings of work. They have never had good luck in Arizona, so at least they don’t have to go to Chase Field again this season. Hopefully, a return to Wrigley Field will give the entire team a much-needed boost.

On Deck

After a day off Thursday, the Cubs head back to Chicago for a matchup against the Reds starting Friday at 1:20pm CT. David Peterson gets the start against Rhett Lowder in a game televised on Marquee with a radio feed available on The Score.