Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/3/26): Athletics 5, Cubs 4 F/10 – Frustration Mounts After Extras Loss

The Cubs’ incredibly frustrating play continued against the Athletics at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night. This time, the bullpen squandered a late lead before losing in extra innings.

The A’s scored two early runs against Colin Rea, beginning with an RBI groundout by Tyler Soderstrom in the top of the 1st. Alika Williams added a single that brought home another in the 2nd to make it 2-0.

Chicago responded in the bottom of the frame when Seiya Suzuki connected on a long solo home run to left field against Jeffrey Springs. Pete Crow-Armstrong then put his team ahead with a two-run blast in the bottom of the 3rd to make it 3-2.

Michael Busch provided insurance for the North Siders with an RBI triple in the bottom of the 4th that increased the margin to 4-2. That is where the game stayed until the top of the 8th, when reliever Caleb Thielbar ran into big trouble. Pinch-hitter Colby Thomas opened the inning with a home run and Soderstrom followed with an RBI double as the Athletics evened the score.

The game went to extra innings and the A’s went ahead on a single by Nick Kurtz off of Ethan Roberts in the top of the 10th. The Cubs would come up empty in the bottom half and suffered a 5-4 defeat (Box score)

Key Moment

Thielbar just did not have it at the worst possible time and that was the difference.

Why the Cubs Lost

The lineup completely shut down after the 4th inning, putting too much pressure on the bullpen to protect a narrow lead.

Stats That Matter

• Rea had a very nice effort that went for naught: 6.1 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 3 K, and 2 BB.
• Ian Happ had two doubles, including career hit number 1000.

Bottom Line

Frustration levels are very high for everyone involved with the Cubs right now, as this team should be much better than it has looked over the past month. Why they have gotten so far down in the mud is completely baffling after an incredible stretch at the end of April. There has to be some kind of equilibrium between these wild extremes at some point, but I am personally done with the downward portion of the ride.

On Deck

Chicago tries to avoid three consecutive sweeps at Wrigley Field on Thursday night starting at 7:05pm CT. Shōta Imanaga takes the mound against J.T. Ginn in a game televised on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.