Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (4/20/26): Cubs 5, Phillies 1 – Swanson Homers in Sixth Consecutive W
The good times kept rolling for the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday night against the Phillies as they captured their sixth consecutive win. One big inning was more than enough support for Colin Rea, who had another outstanding performance on the mound.
Chicago loaded the bases against Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola in the bottom of the 2nd with nobody out. A Miguel Amaya double play brought home one, but the big moment came later in the frame when Dansby Swanson blasted a three-run homer to center field that gave the home side a 4-0 advantage.
Michael Conforto increased the margin for the North Siders with a sacrifice fly that made it 5-0 in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Rea gave up his only run Monday on an RBI double by Justin Crawford in the top of the 4th to make it 5-1.
The Cubs starter pitched into the 7th inning, then relievers Hoby Milner and Corbin Martin covered the final seven outs to secure the victory in the series opener. (Box score)
Key Moment
Chicago was poised to get a single run out of their golden opportunity in the bottom of the 2nd before Swanson saved the day with his two-out homer.
Why the Cubs Won
The starting pitching continues to roll in the early season, making the five runs right out of the gate feel like 50.
Stats That Matter
- Rea has been rock solid since entering the rotation: 6.2 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 5 K, and 2 BB.
- Alex Bregman had two hits, including a double.
- Ian Happ got on base two more times and fell into the crowd to make a dramatic catch.
Bottom Line
The Cubs are too talented to keep spinning their wheels like they were the first couple weeks of the season. They have been a very dangerous team since everything clicked about a week ago, and this is happening with several key members of the roster producing almost nothing so far. Chicago might be even scarier when they start heating up.
On Deck
The second game of the series is Tuesday night at 6:40pm CT. Shōta Imanaga duels Jesus Lúzardo in a contest available on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
