Home Postgame Mr. Cube Goes to Wrigley Slightly Earlier Than Expected in 2026

Mr. Cube Goes to Wrigley Slightly Earlier Than Expected in 2026

By
Rice Cube
-
156

The original plan was to go to Wrigley Field in September (I got tickets with some friends and the wife for the Pirates game for Sammy Sosa bobblehead day) but then Bryan Smith (originally of Bleacher Nation and now I think he writes for Baseball America) reminded me that he had made a bet with us Discord dorks that Jameson Taillon wouldn’t have an ERA under 4.00 in 2025 (spoiler: Taillon finished with a 3.68 ERA and was critical in the postseason) and since he lost, would treat me and another online friend to a game in his seats. So, I got to go to Wrigley Field for an actual game in 2026 way before I had planned, on a nice night where it wasn’t too cold and the rain stayed away. I had walked around Wrigley a couple times previously this year, but hadn’t actually been there for a game since last season, coincidentally for the Justin Turner walkoff against the Orioles on Greg Maddux bobblehead day (it’s better value when I can stack a game on top of a cool giveaway).

The Tuesday game against the Reds featured Taillon as the starter, and I realized that the first time I ever went to a game at Wrigley Field was also against the Reds, albeit not a walkoff like the previous night, though still a come-from-behind victory of sorts. As you all know, the Cubs walked off the Reds again this night (though I didn’t know that at the time) to notch back-to-back walkoffs for the first time in exactly five years, and they have a more comfortable cushion on the rest of the division though there are still like five months left in the season. But you’d rather be up than down, right?

I found out when I got there that at least for this particular night game, they only open the gates to fans 90 minutes before first pitch rather than a full two hours as back in the day. I did also go to more games back in the day, but that was also because the Cubs sucked and tickets were way cheaper. So I was very grateful that I apparently won that bet I didn’t even remember. For whatever reason, Wrigley Field seemed a lot cleaner and spacious than before, although I had trouble finding food that didn’t suck and ended up just eating some shitty nachos and getting my customary souvenir soda. The cup at least looks really cool for the franchise’s 150th anniversary. Saw this kind of silly Jumbotron announcement too, like you’d be throwing half the fans out if the ushers actually gave a crap.

So naturally, Taillon gives up his requisite two bombs on dumb pitches yet almost finishes the sixth inning, the Cubs bullpen locks it down until the offense could tie it up, including a Michael Busch bomb that we pretty much knew was gone off the bat, and so it was until the ninth when Emilio Pagan hurt his leg. I had looked down for a moment to check other scores and when I looked up, he was on the ground. I did need to pee but that wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to get the lull in the action to go to the bathroom. It was nice to see the Cubs have a gift-wrapped walk off opportunity in the bottom of the tenth with Dansby Swanson at second base, and when Busch hit the chopper I thought at least Dansby can get to third and they’d have two shots or a wild pitch/balk to get him in. But then Elly de la Cruz glitched or something and as we saw the ball get past him, everyone in the stands waved Dansby in and it was yet another walk off win for me at Wrigley Field.

I have no idea how well the pitching will hold up, if the offense can continue chugging, or if Brewers devil magic gets ramped up again, but for now, let’s enjoy this ride as much as I did that night.

156 COMMENTS

  5. to-day’s base ball squadron

    2B Hoerner
    DH Mo Balls
    3B Bregman
    LF Happ
    RF Suzuki
    1B Busch
    C Kelly
    CF PCA
    SS Swanson

    SP Rea

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  10. I guess it doesn’t say if he tore the meniscus so maybe he got lucky. I initially read the tweet as it saying he had torn it. Hoping for some good luck for a change.

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  13. Pagan will apparently be back in 4-8 weeks (grade 2 hamstring tear). He thought his season was done when the injury happened. I also thought his season was done.

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  14. dmick89,

    I don’t think they know for sure until the surgeon goes in, but it sounds like they already did the MRI and are checking options. Could be a few weeks, could be season ending, but I presume we find out in a week or so. It sounded from the description that he got off the floor and something popped

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  16. Rice Cube,

    It’s not unusual for the MRI to show surgery is necessary and for the doctor to wait for direct visual confirmation on the extent of what is needed. With a meniscus there is a super wide range of recovery time. The delay before surgery is usually going to be based on the amount of swelling at the site of the injury, so who knows. It could happen pretty quick if there’s not a ton of trauma around the knee.

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  25. Let’s hear it for a “Matt Shaw gets replaced before stepping into the batter’s box” opportunity.

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  32. Martin’s last three appearances have been shit. Really fucking hate sending him out to close this game.

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  51. berselius: Four game brewers sweep in 2008(?) is the only one I can think of that comes close

    I was at the first game of that series and the energy was insane. Probably the best non-postseason game I’ve ever seen live.

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  52. berselius,

    That was pretty awesome, but this is 3+ weeks of that.

    The 2016 Cubs started out 26-6 I believe, but they didn’t have this kind of late game heroics that I recall.

    Best series though, I’ll take that 4 game brewers series. Incredible.

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  53. September 1-4, 2003 Cubs vs Cardinals. 5 game series. Double header on one of those days and the Cubs need 4 of 5 to pass the cardinals and move into 1st place. They win 4 of 5. They also open the month winning 8 of 9. That was a great stretch of baseball too.

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  54. dmick89: The 2016 Cubs started out 26-6 I believe, but they didn’t have this kind of late game heroics that I recall.

    They probably also didn’t have a dozen or so pitching injuries lurking like ghosts at the banquet :/

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  60. dmick89,

    The closest thing I can compare it to would be the end of May and the month of June in 1998. That started with a 10-game winning streak with 3 walkoffs and ended with a pretty bad losing stretch overshadowed by Sammy hitting 20 homers. That was an electric stretch of baseball even though the Cubs went 15-15 overall, (dying laughing). But by the end of it, Sammy had 33 homers and the race to 61 had three legit members (Griffey, McGwire, and Sosa).

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  65. Sounds like Boyd’s injury was as best-case-scenario as we could have hoped for. Already did the surgery and might be back in 4-6 weeks?

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  69. I gotta say the vibes on this team are fantastic. I wonder if they’d be doing even better with a pitching staff that didn’t resemble a MASH unit.

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  78. For wild card and top seeding purposes it’s good that the Padres lost, but would have been fine if they hadn’t been useless last night

    Cubs will retain first place through the weekend but wouldn’t mind a bigger cushion or at least one that doesn’t shrink prior to Atlanta

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  80. Who or what is a Jimmy Sheckard

    Daily Walkoff
    Cubs #616

    🟡🟡🟢🟢
    🟢🟢🟢🟢🚀

    dailywalkoff.com

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  81. To-day’s base ball squadron

    2B Hoerner
    DH Conforto
    3B Bregman
    LF Happ
    RF Suzuki
    1B Busch
    C Kelly
    CF PCA
    SS Swanson

    SP Brown

    7:05 CT gametime

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  87. Man, the Cubs averaged an exit velo of 104mph that inning and got nothing. Bloops are the way to go, obvs.

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  101. If this score holds up, the limitations of baseball’s win statistic are going to be sorely tested.

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  128. Hunter Harvey —-> another setback, shut down another month

    At least this one is slightly less surprising

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  129. To-day’s base ball squadron

    2B Hoerner
    DH Conforto
    3B Bregman
    LF Happ
    RF Suzuki
    1B Busch
    C Kelly
    CF PCA
    SS Swanson

    SP Cabrera

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  130. Perkins:
    Cubs should trade for Sandy Alcantara or Freddy Peralta.

    Saw Logan Webb thrown out there as a name on BN, I would be down with that

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  131. berselius: Saw Logan Webb thrown out there as a name on BN, I would be down with that

    ope, nevermind, even mentioning it as a Cubs possibility caused him to hit the IL with a knee issue

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  132. berselius: Saw Logan Webb thrown out there as a name on BN, I would be down with that

    I’d have to dig into some of his peripherals with predictive value, but the results have been ass this year.

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  138. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I believe the Cubs’ winning percentage on my birthday is like .012, so this is no surprise whatsoever.

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  141. I’m probably just wishcasting but I feel like every time they do a booth shot of JD and Alex Cohen, JD looks like he’s being held against his will

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  147. To-day’s base ball squadron facing former Cocker Spaniel Jacob Degrom

    2B Hoerner
    DH Ballesteros
    RF Suzuki
    LF Happ
    1B Busch
    C Kelly
    CF PCA
    SS Swanson
    3B Shaw

    SP Taillon

    The Return of Mo Balls

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