Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (4/24/26): Cubs 6, Dodgers 4 -Swanson Homer Caps Comeback for 10 Straight
The Cubs fell behind early against the two-time defending champion Dodgers at Chavez Ravine Friday night but they did not quit. They scored six unanswered runs in the final three innings to storm back and steal their 10th consecutive win.
Los Angeles struck first against starter Jameson Taillon in the bottom of the 3rd when catcher Will Smith hit a three-run homer to put the home team in front 3-0. Hyeseong Kim added an RBI single in the 4th to put Chicago into a 4-0 hole.
The North Siders could not push a run across the plate against opposing starter Emmet Sheehan through the first six frames, but he finally came out with a runner on first in the top of the 7th. Left-handed reliever Alex Vesia took over and ran into major trouble with two outs, allowing a two-run triple off the bat of Dansby Swanson. That was followed by an RBI single from Nico Hoerner to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Reliever Ryan Rolison came on for Taillon in the 6th and tossed three scoreless frames to keep the Dodgers from adding on. Alex Bregman played hero for the Cubs in the top of the 8th with a game-tying solo home run against Blake Treinen.
Swanson gave Chicago the lead in the top of the 9th when he mashed a long two-run dinger to left off of closer Tanner Scott that made it 6-4. Corbin Martin went 1-2-3 through Los Angeles in the bottom of the frame to get his first save and seal the victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
Center fielder Andy Pages had a chance to catch Swanson’s triple in the 7th inning, but it bounced off his glove and the Cubs never looked back.
Why the Cubs Won
The bullpen kept them in the game and gave the offense enough time to get into gear and complete the comeback.
Stats That Matter
- Taillon gave up his usual homer but kept things from getting out of hand: 5 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 4 K, and 3 BB.
- Bregman is starting to get locked in at the plate with two more hits.
- Swanson has had two excellent games in a row.
- Moisés Ballesteros had a single and a double and he’s hitting .400 for the season.
Bottom Line
The Cubs continue to find different ways to win every day, which is remarkable given the fact that they are patching together a bullpen of journeymen and scraps after a biblical plague of injuries. The same cannot be said about Chicago’s stacked lineup that is full of dangerous hitters from top to bottom. This is a team that is truly never out of any game.
On Deck
Both teams clash again under the lights of Dodger Stadium Saturday night at 6:15pm CT. Colin Rea is on the hill against Roki Sasaki in a contest exclusively airing on FOX with a radio feed on The Score.
