Alex Bregman put the Chicago Cubs’ roller-coaster 2026 start in stark terms after two 10-game winning streaks were followed by a 10-game skid—pointing directly to execution against elite players. The Cubs then bounced back with a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Car
Alex Bregman didn’t dress it up.
With the Chicago Cubs preparing for Game 2 of their series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the All-Star third baseman spoke plainly about what has defined the club’s oddly uneven 2026 season: the swings between looking like a playoff contender and falling far off the pace.
The Cubs have already shown the ceiling. They’ve posted two separate 10-game winning streaks. a kind of run that pushed them into the conversation as a legitimate National League contender. Then the mood flipped. Chicago also endured a 10-game losing streak that sent it down in the conference standings.
Bregman framed the difference the way players usually do—by focusing on what happens when the ball is in play.
“Well. I think obviously the 10-game winning streaks show the potential of this team. and I think the 10-game losing streak shows that when you don’t execute against the best players in the world. you’re going to lose games. So I feel like when this team is executing and playing good baseball. it’s special. and that was illustrated by those 2 10-game winning streaks. and I think the guys in here are determined to execute at a high level on a daily basis. and know that if we don’t. it’s tough to win in this league. ” Bregman said.
The words came with a simple message: the gap between success and collapse isn’t mysterious. It’s about whether they can carry out the details—especially when opponents are at their best.
That urgency didn’t take long to show up on the field. The Cubs and Cardinals moved into a stretch where Chicago could prove it wasn’t just talk, and the result was decisive. Chicago beat St. Louis 6-1.
The game was scoreless through the first three innings until St. Louis broke through with its lone run in the fourth frame. After that, Chicago controlled the momentum and reached home plate six times in the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth innings.
The win mattered for the standings as much as the scoreboard. Chicago improved to a 32-27 record on the season and sits second in the NL Central Division. It’s above the Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, while trailing the Milwaukee Brewers.
Now the Cubs are chasing something that matches Bregman’s warning: consistency. They’re aiming to win the series against St. Louis, with the finale next in line.
Game 3 begins on May 31 at 7:20 p.m. ET.
Alex Bregman Chicago Cubs St. Louis Cardinals 2026 MLB season NL Central Game 2 Game 3 May 31 execute 10-game winning streak 10-game losing streak Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates