The Rundown: Cubs Hoping to Sweep O’s, PCA Joins 20/20 Club Again, Chicago Baseball Fans Among Heaviest Drinkers

“Side by side we’re loose and neat when we’re stompin’ down the street.” — South Street by The Orlons

It doesn’t feel like it, but the Cubs are rolling with 17 wins in their last 23 games after edging the Orioles 9-7 last night in a game that had no business being that close. Chicago is lined up today to sweep Baltimore, and it’s doubtful I’ll be finished here before that game starts, so I’m going to truncate today’s column. David Peterson needs a good outing today against Trevor Rogers, whose peripherals scream “future Cubs starter.” Rogers, like Peterson, is more of a worm burner than a strikeout machine.

Cubs News & Notes

• Today’s game is starting five hours earlier than originally scheduled because of expected bad weather in the Baltimore area.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong is the league’s first 20/20 player this season. He also joined Sammy Sosa and Ryne Sandberg as the only Cubs players to hit that benchmark twice.
• Zack Scott, the former GM who traded Crow-Armstrong from the Mets to the Cubs for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams admitted he misjudged PCA’s potential.
• The all-everything centerfielder was surprised when New York drafted him, and thought he would be selected by the Brewers instead.
• The Cubs hit five homers in yesterday’s win, including two by PCA. All were solo shots except a three-run dinger by Seiya Suzuki.
• Justin Steele has been cleared to resume throwing, though it is unlikely he’ll join the rotation this season.
• The 30-year-old lefty is expected to start throwing from a mound in August.
• Chicago’s bullpen has really stepped up in late innings since Daniel Palencia went on the IL. Jacob Webb earned his fourth save yesterday, and he’s one of 10 pitchers with at least one save this year.
• The Cubs have taken a college bat in the first round of each of the last three drafts — Ethan Conrad in 2025, Cam Smith in ‘24 and Matt Shaw in ‘23 — and have leaned heavily on position players overall. That strategy is likely to change this weekend as Chicago’s front office is expected to focus on pitching.
• Conrad has been promoted to Single-A Myrtle Beach.
• One intriguing trade proposal would net the Cubs Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman from the Red Sox for Pedro Ramírez, Jordan Wicks, and Brooks Caple. Thoughts?
• Jeff Passan of ESPN writes that acquiring Gray would be a dream scenario, but that Cubs are probably a better fit with the Tigers for Casey Mize. Gray’s availability is complicated by no-trade protection as well as a hefty sum: $10 million in salary, plus $10 million on a buyout for a mutual option. Tack on the penalty for exceeding the luxury tax, and the Cubs would probably pass.
• Eno Harris of The Athletic makes a strong case ($) for the Cubs to acquire Tarik Skubal.
• Phil Regan, Chicago’s O.G. closer, passed away on Wednesday. He was 89 years old.
• Cubs and White Sox fans are among the heaviest stadium drinkers in the major leagues.

Ball Four

Perhaps this fan thought she was auditioning for a reboot of the movie Fever Pitch.

A fan snuck onto the field during the last at-bat of the Orioles-Cubs game.

“Everybody’s gonna leave the ballpark tonight, and you’d rather not leave it in handcuffs.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/kW0wPcgLOd

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 9, 2026

Central Intelligence

• Milwaukee (58-34): The Brewers could be seeking a starter or two at the deadline. Kyle Harrison is dealing with a sore elbow and an MRI showed that Brandon Woodruff has a new injury to his already ailing right shoulder. That’s a rather ominous development that requires further consultation with doctors before the Brewers and Woodruff set a course of action.
• Chicago (52-40): Nico Hoerner was named by MLB Pipeline as the Cubs’ best draft pick of the last 10 years.
• St. Louis (48-43): Slugger Jordan Walker was added to the field of participants in this year’s Home Run Derby.
• Pittsburgh (47-46): The Pirates pulled Jared Jones in the midst of a perfect game and then suffered an historic loss. Jones is the only pitcher in the modern era to retire every batter in six innings or more of work and not get the win.
• Cincinnati (42-49): The Reds are the first team this year to hit at least four home runs in one inning. Noelvi Marte led off the 4th inning of yesterday’s game with a solo shot off Phillies starter Alan Rangel to put Cincinnati ahead 3-2. With two outs, Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run drive to right-center off Tanner Banks and rookie Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday followed with solo homers.

How About That!

Would the Padres consider trading all-star closer Mason Miller? I’d need to see it to believe it.

Dylan Cease came within three outs of firing the first no-hitter by a Blue Jays pitcher in 36 years.

Willson Contreras also agreed to participate in this year’s Home Run Derby.

Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie injured his calf and will be placed on the IL.

The White Sox will activate slugging DH Munetaka Murakami before Friday’s game.

Apropos of Nothing

If you haven’t seen the movie The Flamingo Kid, try to before summer ends. Sweet Georgia Brown!

Extra Innings

Crow-Armstrong might be Chicago’s best leadoff hitter ever, and I don’t think it’s particularly close. The sample size is large enough to remain confident in his SLG, but that increase in OBP is the separator.

Pete Crow-Armstrong 2025 first half (95 games):
.265/.302/.544, 25 HR, 71 RBI, 67 R, 27 SB, 18 BB, 92 K

Pete Crow-Armstrong 2026 first half (92 games in):
.297/.385/.544, 21 HR, 52 RBI, 59 R, 23 SB, 41 BB, 101 K#Cubs @WGNNews @GNSportsTV pic.twitter.com/yKAnP4ZeFa

— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) July 9, 2026

They Said It

• “The improvement that we’ve seen [in Pete] is so exciting for Cubs fan. Watching him play every day, the dugout on the first home run was just kind of shaking their head in amazement at how he’s able to get to that pitch. It’s still a very young career. It’s brand new. But he’s doing things that the greats in the game have done.” – Counsell

Thursday Walk-Up Song

It’d be kinda cool to roll into the All-Star break having swept the Orioles and Reds.