Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/19/26): Cubs 16, Blue Jays 2 – Kelly Grand Slam Highlights Victory
The Cubs started their series against the Blue Jays on a very strong note at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. They scored seven runs in the opening inning and never looked back, eventually hitting double digits and winning easily.
Toronto starter Kevin Gausman had major control problems in that 1st inning, walking four batters and giving up a two-run double to Seiya Suzuki. Later in the frame, Carson Kelly came up with the bases loaded and crushed the first pitch he saw for a grand slam deep into the left-field bleachers to make it 6-0. Chicago added one more on a single from Alex Bregman before the final out.
That would be more than enough for Ben Brown, who allowed two runs in six innings of work. The North Siders added four more in the bottom of the 6th on bases-loaded walks by Kelly and Dansby Swanson, an RBI single by Pete Crow-Armstrong, and a groundout by Bregman.
The Cubs kept the train rolling in the 7th with five more, including a three-run triple by new addition Justin Dean. They would finish it off from there, eventually winning 16-2. (Box score)
Key Moment
The big opening inning basically put the game on ice and there wasn’t much drama after that.
Why the Cubs Won
It’s almost impossible to lose a game when you score 16 runs.
Stats That Matter
- Brown definitely could’ve gone deeper in the game if needed but it wasn’t necessary: 6 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 4 K, and 0 BB.
- Kelly ended up with six RBI in a very big afternoon.
- PCA had three hits.
Bottom Line
The Cubs showed what they are capable of offensively when everything is going well. They did a great job drawing walks, picking up a total of 11 on Friday, which definitely powered the attack. They can go on a chair if they do anything close to this going forward.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Saturday afternoon at 1:20pm CT. Colin Rea takes on Patrick Corbin in a matchup available on Marquee with a radio broadcast on The Score.
