Walker homered – Christian Walker hit two home runs with three RBIs as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 Saturday, extending Chicago’s skid to seven games—its longest losing streak since 2022.
Chicago didn’t even get the satisfaction of a close game. By the time Christian Walker finished taking swings that turned into home runs, the Houston Astros were already in cruise control—3-0 on Saturday, enough to keep the Cubs stuck in a losing rhythm that now stretches to seven straight.
Walker delivered the damage early and again in the middle of the game. He launched a two-run homer in the first inning. then added his 13th home run in the fourth—both off Colin Rea (4-3). The power came with production: Walker finished with three RBIs. part of a night the Astros built with steady pitching and timely hitting.
Kai-Wei Teng (3-3) kept Chicago from stringing anything together. He allowed two hits over six innings. struck out six. and walked three as Houston won their second straight and third win in four games. After Teng, three relievers followed, with Bryan King working through a ninth-inning single to complete a three-hitter. King earned his sixth save.
The Cubs’ slide feels especially sharp because it’s not just another skid—they haven’t looked this shaken in a while. Their seven-game losing streak is their longest since a nine-game slide from July 7-16, 2022. Chicago has also lost 11 of 13, even after enjoying a season that included two separate 10-game winning streaks.
The game had one more jolt to it in the later innings. Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez left the contest in the middle of an at-bat in the sixth inning with a back spasm.
There were small bright spots in the field, even as the results kept going the wrong way for Chicago. In the fifth inning. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner fielded a César Salazar drag bunt with a bare-handed pickup and made a between-the-legs flip to first baseman Michael Busch for an out—Salazar retired at first.
But the day carried other signs of a team searching for answers. Chicago benched Ian Happ, who was in a 1-for-24 slide, and started Michael Conforto, who went 0 for 2.
Sunday brings a new matchup: Houston RHP Peter Lambert (2-4, 3.57 ERA) faces Chicago LHP Shota Imanaga (4-4, 3.38). For the Cubs, it’s another chance to snap the streak before it becomes something harder to shake.
Astros Cubs Christian Walker Yordan Alvarez Kai-Wei Teng Bryan King Colin Rea Shota Imanaga Peter Lambert