AP Photo/Erin Hooley

The Rundown: Cubs Running Gamut of Walk-Off Possibilities, PCA & Thornton Latest Heroes, Baseball Ratings Way Up

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterMay 7, 2026

“I’ll give you hell if you want some, you won’t take nothing of mine. ‘Cause I’m the muscle to beat here and I’m the gambling kind.” – Hot Streak by Winery Dogs

I’ve always wanted to use that Winery Dogs song, but the Cubs have never given me the opportunity… until now. It’s a stone groove, just like our North Side heroes, though it could use a heavier bass line to take it over the top. Nevertheless, it’s appropriate, especially given the way the Cubs keep pulling wins out of their asses in walk-off fashion. A walk-off walk by Michael Busch? I’ll take it! It’s just like we drew it up, right boys?

So break out the brooms, and let’s sweep the Reds back to Cincinnati, or wherever they’re headed next. The Cubs are FINALLY the team that gives everybody else fits, and these days, there ain’t no party like a Wrigley Field party. That’s eight straight wins, 18 of 21, and 14 straight at the Friendly Confines. They’ve also pushed the Reds into last place. I can’t wait to see Monday morning’s power rankings.

Let’s face it, this team has no business dominating its opponents the way it has, especially when you consider its decimated pitching staff. Trent Thornton got the win last night, and I had to Google the guy when he trotted in from the bullpen. Jed Hoyer must have spent an offseason afternoon dining at the Busy Bee Cafe, because this “us versus them” streak is as unfathomable as it is exciting.

“The lucky hand belongs to Mr. Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations of an historically snake-bitten baseball team, en route across the Ohio countryside to Chicago. In one moment, he will be subjected to a gift most humans never receive in a lifetime. For one penny, he will be able to look into the future. The time is now, the place is a little diner in Ridgeview, Ohio. What this executive doesn’t realize is that this town also happens to lie on the outskirts of… the Twilight Zone.”

And that’s the rub. Hoyer manufactures his own good fortune, though unparalleled defense deserves a big assist. That sign in the hallway of Chicago’s front office may constantly say “Zero days since our last significant injury,” but Hoyer can spot a guy who can get three outs from a hundred miles away. Nobody is more adept at turning a trunk full of misfits into a hall of very good, especially when it comes to relief pitchers. Thornton may as well be this year’s Brad Keller, and Ryan Rolison is just a facsimile of 2025 Drew Pomeranz. Craig Counsell and Tommy Hottovy deserve credit, too, but where in the heck does the front office find these guys?

Now Hoyer is going to have to turn that keen eye toward building a rotation on the fly. Matthew Boyd is the latest to be infirmed, which leaves the Cubs chanting “Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and pray for rain.” In the meantime, Javier Assad and Colin Rea will have to give Chicago a shot to win before turning it over to the team’s esteemed relief corps.

But do we doubt this team? Nothing seems impossible, yet it never seems like the ’26 Cubs are overachieving, either. Perhaps Hoyer can pry Freddy Peralta from the Mets or Taj Bradley from the Twins. This is the year he should go for it, right? Even injuries aren’t stopping this team. In the meantime, it’s up to Imanaga to extend Chicago’s unbridled opulence. Nothing is finer than day baseball and a four-game sweep of a division opponent.

Cubs News & Notes

Ball Four

I never tire of watching Bartolo Colón go yard. Big Sexy, indeed.

Central Intelligence

How About That!

Mason Miller is on pace to break a handful of single-season records for relievers.

MLB television ratings are way up this year, probably much more than anyone anticipated.

Framber Valdez has been suspended for five games, and he took manager A.J. Hinch down with him, too.

Reports of the death of the bunt have been apparently exaggerated.

Apropos of Nothing

I missed most of yesterday’s game because I’m trying to buy a roomier car to accommodate two children. I suppose there is no getting around a five-hour excursion to an automobile dealership. Upon arriving at my man cave/office, I turned on the television and Crow-Armstrong launched his game-tying home run on the first pitch I saw.

Now, I’m as superstitious as the next guy, but I cannot afford to buy a new vehicle every day to keep this streak going. Somebody else is going to have to step up today. I’ve got to figure out how to pay the uptick in my insurance premium with the few pennies I have left in my front pocket. Shaking some ass on the corner of Clark & Addison probably won’t help.

Extra Innings

There is nothing comparable to this in baseball.

They Said It

  • “Just another night at Wrigley.” – Ian Happ
  • “Nails. For Thornton to come in only being here for 12 hours is sick.” – Crow-Armstrong
  • “My mind was spinning.” – Thornton
  • “There’s a real feeling of belief right now.” – Jameson Taillon
  • “You feel like you’ve seen a lot of baseball games in your life. And then you see stuff that you just don’t expect to see. But that’s why we love it, right?” – Counsell

Thursday Walk-Up Song

How do we win today? Walk-off ABS challenge? It almost happened last night.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterMay 7, 2026
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