Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/31/26): Cardinals 5, Cubs 1 – Bats Go Quiet as Cardinals Take Series
The Cubs finished up their road trip on a losing note, dropping the finale against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Sunday night. They were forced to go with a bullpen game, and the results were predictably disappointing.
Jordan Wicks was the opener for Chicago and had immediate issues, giving up two runs in the 1st inning. Jordan Walker singled in one and Alec Burleson had an RBI groundout to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead.
The North Siders could do very little against starter Matthew Liberatore, who pitched into the 6th inning without giving up any runs. The Redbirds expanded their advantage against Ethan Roberts in the bottom of the 3rd with another RBI single by Burleson, followed by a two-run hit from Masyn Winn to make it 5-0.
The Cubs put their only dent in the scoreboard on a solo home run from Alex Bregman against reliever Hunter Dobbins in the top of the 6th. That would be it, as the Cardinals won 5-1. (Box score)
Key Moment
Chicago had back-to-back singles to open up the game Sunday, but two strikeouts and a pop-up stranded the runners.
Why the Cubs Lost
They were completely flat on offense, which was never going to work with the bullpen covering the entire night.
Stats That Matter
- Michael Busch was the only hitter to reach base twice.
- It was nice to see Bregman hit a home run, something he has had trouble doing so far in 2026.
Bottom Line
The Cubs really need to get Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera back from injuries as soon as possible. The current rotation depth is completely gone and it’s starting to have a real negative impact. The lineup is showing some life, but continued struggles with runners in scoring position have to stop at some point for any kind of consistency to develop.
On Deck
Chicago has the day off Monday before welcoming the Athletics to Wrigley Field starting Tuesday at 7:05pm CT. Jameson Taillon gets the start against Gage Jump in a contest broadcast on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
