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Today’s Reflections
Chicago Cubs 10, L.A. Dodgers 5
Chicago Cubs 5, L.A. Dodgers 1
Chicago Cubs 7, L.A. Dodgers 6
What was all the talk about needing big trade moves to beat the Dodgers???!?
Yes, the three big wins were almost entirely without contribution from trades prior to the deadline (the perfect eighth inning Tuesday by Ryan Jeferjahn the exception). The moves prior to the deadline had to provide some spark to the Cubs’ team, but adding a trio of wins against the Dodgers almost without the benefits of the deadline acquisitions has to be a huge morale booster. It says that they definitely belong in the World Series picture now. Maybe just peaking in from just out-of-frame, but they are there.
The big bat for Chicago in the first two games was Dansby Swanson. He hit for a combined 5-for-7 with a walk, three runs, and an RBI on a home run, plus a double.
Pete Crow-Armstrong was, for him, quiet for the first two games until his big game Wednesday. He went 3-for-8 with a walk, three runs, an RBI and a pair of stolen bases Monday and Tuesday.
Seiya Suzuki was part of the four home-run club Monday night. In the two games, he went 2-for-6 with three walks, two runs scored and three RBI in addition to his homer. Carson Kelly had a big Monday, going 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run and three RBI. Michael Busch added another home run, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. And Kevin Alcantara hit his first major-league home run with a runner on.
Tuesday night, Nico Hoerner was right there with Swanson, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer.
In the two games, Alex Bregman did add a double and a run scored in each game.
Monday, Matthew Boyd didn’t pitch the game we are used to seeing from him, having allowed a three-run home run in the first inning, But he battled to get the Cubs into the seventh inning, pitching 6.2 innings, before handing it over to the bullpen who went scoreless the rest of the way.
Javier Assad is a beast. The Cubs have called on him for five years to both start and relieve, both to success. Tuesday, he made his 19th appearance and 10th start of 2026. Assad gave up the usual complimentary Cubs Starter solo home run, but that was it, holding the Dodgers to six baserunners over 5.2 IP. Four Cub relievers went the rest of the way in scoreless fashion. When Assad’s turn comes around next time, will he start, or will he be in the bullpen?
It won’t matter to Assad — it’s his job.
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Tuesday’s Game Stories:
- Jay Cohen (Chicago Tribune {$}): Nico Hoerner shines as the Chicago Cubs spoil Tarik Skubal’s Los Angeles Dodgers debut in 5-1 win. “Cubs led by RBI singles by Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong.”
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- Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs get first crack at Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal, but will there be another one in October? “The grand prize of baseball’s trade deadline was on the mound Tuesday at Wrigley Field for the two-time defending world champions. The Cubs hope to see him again when the stage is even bigger.”
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Monday’s Game Stories:
- Jay Cohen (Chicago Tribune {$}): Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly star as the Chicago Cubs beat the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers 10-5. “the Chicago Cubs handed the Los Angeles Dodgers their fourth consecutive loss.”
- Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/3/26): Cubs 10, Dodgers 5 – Four Home Runs in Comeback Victory. “After falling behind immediately, the home team responded with a barrage of homers to thrill the Wrigley faithful and take the opener.”
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Further Trade Analysis:
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): 4 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ trade deadline moves, including Ryan Zeferjahn’s velocity — and whiffs. “President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the front office clearly felt the Cubs have a chance to make a run in the postseason and smartly bolstered the roster.”
- Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Why Cubs are a trade deadline winner despite costly acquisitions. “The Cubs are a major winner of the trade deadline for a simple reason.”
- Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): He didn’t get Tarik Skubal, but Cubs president Jed Hoyer still aced trade deadline. “The Cubs whiffed on a dynasty and now are trying to find postseason magic again.”
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): At the deadline, Cubs’ Jed Hoyer finally showed how aggressive he can be. “After a flurry of moves that saw him part with multiple talented young players, it’s probably time to look at Hoyer in a new light.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): In Gausman, Holmes trades, Cubs reward rotation for grinding through ’26. “In a way, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer wanted to repay the pitching staff for the work put in to date on the mound.”
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): In Kevin Gausman, Cubs finally get their ‘white whale’ at trade deadline. “Respect is earned not just through All-Star Games or Cy Young Award votes or the big contract. It’s how a player carries himself through the highs and the lows.”
- Andy McCullough, Stephen J. Nesbitt and Grant Brisbee (The Athletic {$}): MLB trade deadline rankings: the winners, losers and snoozers. “A trading frenzy that began with a Curtis Mead-for-Connelly Early swap last week and went into warp speed over the weekend when back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal joined the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers mercifully ended Monday evening.”
- Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Analyzing The Price Of The Trade Deadline: Did the Cubs Lose Too Much? “The Cubs traded a few notable prospects at the trade deadline. But ultimately, what was the cost for the Cubs?”
- Mike Petriello (The Athletic {$}): The new Cubs reliever who shares leaderboards with Miz and Miller. “But allow us to present the most interesting name – and not just because any name that starts with a “Z” is, by default, cool.“
- Anthony Kerr (DaWindyCity): Cubs’ Braxton Garrett trade a puzzling move in an otherwise successful deadline. “Jed Hoyer and co. showed during the deadline that they want to contend, but one move doesn’t quite add up.”
N.L. Central Trade Analysis:
- Dominic Campbell (Pittsburgh Pirates On SI): Pirates Don’t Make Offensive Upgrades at Trade Deadline. “The Pittsburgh Pirates focused their trade deadline efforts elsewhere.”
- Johnny Flores, Jr. (The Athletic {$}): Brewers’ Pat Murphy fires back after Dodgers land Skubal: ‘To say we didn’t try is simply incorrect’. “Pat Murphy affirmed that any notion his club didn’t try is “simply incorrect.”“
- Curt Bishop (St. Louis Cardinals On SI): What the Cardinals Got Right and Wrong at the Trade Deadline. “Here is what St. Louis did well and what they could have done better at the trade deadline.”
- C. Trent Rosecrans (The Athletic {$}): Why didn’t the Reds make more moves at the MLB trade deadline? “Some teams were buyers, like the Boston Red Sox, and some were sellers, like the Baltimore Orioles. And then there was Cincinnati.”
Assorted Stories:
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Dodgers’ three-peat? Cubs showcasing they can mount championship challenge: ‘That’s how this team is wired’. “The Dodgers might seem inevitable, especially after adding Tarik Skubal to the most talent-rich team in baseball. But in back-to-back victories, the Cubs showed they’re capable of mounting a true championship challenge to the dynasty-seekers.”
- Benedetto Vitale: (ClutchPoints): Insider says Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is ‘MVP frontrunner’ over Shohei Ohtani. “Jon Morosi argues why he believes Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong deserves the NL MVP over Dodgers’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani.”
- Jedd Pagaduan (ClutchPoints): Cubs’ Nico Hoerner makes Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP case after beating Dodgers. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is the deserving MVP of 2026, and his Cubs teammate Nico Hoerner detailed why that is the case.”
- Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Debuts Finally Planned for Both Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. “The Chicago Cubs will have two new faces on the mound for this weekend’s trip to Kansas City.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Jed Hoyer teases Clay Holmes’ role change that could define Cubs’ postseason pitching staff. “Clay Holmes is now an invaluable piece to the Cubs’ pitching staff.”
- Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): On playoff-like night at Wrigley, Tarik Skubal was just mortal enough for a Cubs W. “It was a matchup of two playoff-bound teams, but let’s not bury the lede anymore. It was also Skubal’s Dodgers debut after the deadline deal boo-hooed around the world.”
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Jed Hoyer added needed pitching at trade deadline; now Craig Counsell must put puzzle pieces together. “With reinforcements added to a pitching staff that knows well how important depth is, there’s a good problem to have on the North Side: How are the Cubs going to put together all their pitching pieces?”
- Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): The Deadline Pushed Cubs Payroll to an All-Time High — Here’s What It Costs Them This Winter. “Yes, the Cubs have spent more money on the field this year than they ever have before.”
- Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Group of fast-rising Cubs prospects made Jefferson Rojas expendable at the trade deadline. “One of the organization’s top prospects netted Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor from the Mets.”
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes to make Chicago Cubs debuts this weekend — and Ian Happ less likely to face lefties. “The Cubs could soon face some tough rotation decisions, even beyond right-hander Colin Rea’s rotation spot getting skipped for this turn.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Craig Counsell’s post trade deadline comments cast doubt on Edward Cabrera’s role. “We might already have an answer for the starting rotation outlook.”
- Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Beating and Booing Skubal, Assad is the MAN, Tucker’s Raincloud, Nico, Taylor, Happ, and Other Cubs Bullets. “What a week for our Cubbies, eh? That is just some good old-fashioned fun right there.”
Food For Thought:
Tommy McClennan (c. 1905-1961) was one of America’s most successful down-home blues recording artists during the period when he recorded 20 singles for the Bluebird label (1939-1942). Among McClennan’s most notable numbers were “Bottle It Up and Go,” “Cross Cut Saw,” “Travelin’ Highway Man,” and “New Highway No. 51 Blues.” McClennan, famed for his raucous, uninhibited singing and guitar playing, frequented this section of Yazoo City when he lived on the nearby J. F. Sligh plantation.
McClennan was best known around Greenwood, where Booker Miller, a protege of Charley Patton, knew him as “Sugar,” and Yazoo City, where local resident Herman Bennett, Jr., and others called him “Bottle Up,” after his most popular song, “Bottle It Up and Go.”
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