Dansby Swanson turned Wrigley Field into his own personal launching pad on Wednesday, ripping three home runs - including a grand slam - and driving in eight as the Chicago Cubs obliterated the San Diego Padres, 23-3. The blowout finished off a three-game sweep and lifted the Cubs to 49-38 on the season. Chicago’s lineup piled up eight home runs and 23 runs, the club’s biggest single-game scoring binge at home in nearly 50 years.
Swanson's historic stretch
Swanson went deep in the second, third and eighth innings, with the last blast serving as a grand slam, and wrapped up his first career three-homer game with eight RBIs. According to MLB.com, he now has 26 RBIs in his last 10 games, the most by any Cub in a 10-game span, turning what started as a slow season into a scorching midsummer tear.
Wrigley turned into a launchpad
Swanson was the headliner, but he had plenty of company. Michael Conforto cranked two homers of his own, while Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch joined the long-ball parade, helping the Cubs tie their single-game record with eight home runs. As reported by NBC Chicago, the 23 runs are the second-most the Cubs have ever scored at Wrigley Field and their most at home since 1977, when they also lit up the Padres.
By the numbers
The 23-3 final came on 17 hits, with Chicago scoring in six different innings while holding San Diego to three runs. As detailed by CBS Sports, starter Colin Rea gave the Cubs five innings on the mound, while Walker Buehler was tagged for nine runs for the Padres. The rout extended a blistering stretch for Chicago, which has now taken nine of its last 10 games.
What it means next
Beyond the cartoonish box score, the timing could not be much better for a team trying to gain ground in the division race. The Cubs will host the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday at Wrigley Field, giving this suddenly overpowering offense a quick chance to show that Wednesday’s fireworks were the new normal rather than a one-day eruption, per NBC Chicago.
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