Brewers sweep – Wrigley Field fell quiet again as the Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs. Chicago’s crowd of 39,459 left booing after a night of one hit, 10 strikeouts, a costly defensive miscue, an early injury-related exit, and more missed chances with runners
Wrigley Field had the music—Ryan Langhoff playing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” an a cappella group from Northwestern called Thunk crushing the anthem one night, and Mariachi Herencia de Mexico doing it the next—but on the field, the Cubs couldn’t find a rhythm.
This week, the Brewers swept a three-game set against the Cubs, taking first place in the National League Central out of Chicago’s hands. The home crowd of 39,459 let its frustration out with boos after a performance that felt like it was missing more than just offense.
Through six innings against Brewers lefty Kyle Harrison, the Cubs managed one hit and 10 strikeouts. Harrison set down 15 consecutive Cubs batters at one point without needing a 100 mph fastball. A three-base error by center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong turned into chaos. with David Hamilton chasing two other Brewers across the plate. Then came the pitching hand: Cubs starter Edwin Cabrera left with a blister on his pitching hand after one pitch in the fourth.
Even when the Cubs did swing, the results didn’t follow. Ian Happ, once a key contributor during the Cubs’ two 10-game winning streaks, struck out three times on Wednesday. In his last 23 at-bats, Happ has struck out 13 times, including seven times in the three games against the Brewers. The strikeouts have piled up far enough that Happ has now struck out more times than Munetaka Murakami.
In relief, Phil Maton delivered another damaging moment—an run-scoring, boos-inducing wild pitch—still searching for stability after a horrific stretch.
The Cubs lost their fourth consecutive series and for the ninth time in 11 games.
Entering Wednesday’s game, the numbers had already told a grim story. The pitching staff carried a collective ERA of 5.59. The offense was batting .192, while opponents had outscored the Cubs 54 to 31 and outhomered them 20-7. Three Cubs hitters—Happ (.118), Crow-Armstrong (.118) and Dansby Swanson (.161)—were all below .200. Moises Ballesteros has been in a deeper slump. batting .061 (3-for-49) in his last 15 games with one home run and four RBI.
The hardest problem to solve in real time has been scoring with men on base. Over this stretch, the Cubs have gone 13-for-89 (.146) with runners in scoring position. For individual struggles. Seiya Suzuki (.140. 6-for-43). Happ (.148. 8-for-54) and Swanson (.178. 8-for-45) have all struggled to cash in when opportunities show up.
What stood out from the week wasn’t just one bad night—it was the way the same issues stacked: missed production against a dominant opposing pitcher, defensive damage that turned into runs, an early exit on the mound, and relievers who couldn’t stop turning pressure into noise.
Manager Craig Counsell acknowledged the ugliness, but urged the team to move faster than the moment allows.
“This is a normal season that many of these guys have experienced,” Counsell said. “And that means you kind of know what to expect.”
He added that the schedule will keep presenting losses, and the response has to be immediate.
“One of the beauties of the schedule is there are going to be losses, but you get to come to play the next day and you just have to continually turn the page very, very fast.”
Cubs Brewers Wrigley Field Kyle Harrison Pete Crow-Armstrong Edwin Cabrera Ian Happ Phil Maton Craig Counsell MLB