Cubs Dominate with Power
Dansby Swanson's Two Homers Lead Cubs to Five-Homer Outburst, Extending Win Streak
Key Points
Six of Dansby Swanson's 13 homers this season have come in his past 12 games, and he's hitting .340 with an .830 slugging percentage in that stretch.
Swanson described breaking out of a homer drought with a 'blue whale' moment around June 17, signaling a mental reset that accompanied his hot stretch.
Crow-Armstrong's sixth-inning homer was his 18th of the season and 11th of the month, highlighting a strong finish to June for the Cubs outfielder.
Busch added a solo homer, his 10th of the season, as part of Chicago's five-homer night.
Padres starter J.P. Sears took the loss, yielding seven runs (six earned) over 4 2/3 innings in the loss.
Dansby Swanson crushed two home runs and the Chicago Cubs launched a season-high five long balls to beat the San Diego Padres 9-7 at Wrigley Field on June 30. The Cubs are now 44-34 — 10 games over .500 — and have won four straight, according to Bleacher Nation.
The game featured nine total home runs between the two clubs. Hot conditions played a role: temperatures hit 92 degrees with a 19 mph wind blowing out toward the bleachers, per Daily Herald.
Swanson's 'Blue Whale' Reset Fuels Hot Streak
Swanson's two-homer night is part of a remarkable 12-game surge. He is hitting .340 with an .830 slugging percentage in that stretch. Six of his 13 seasonal home runs have come in those 12 games, according to MLB.com.
The turnaround began June 17. Swanson called his home run that night a "blue whale moment," saying, "It was like getting a blue whale off my back... I felt good about work being done behind the scenes with my swing," per MLB.com. Before that date, he was slashing .175/.281/.306.
Five-Homer Barrage Buries Padres Early
The Cubs took control fast. Swanson's first blast — estimated at 432 feet — came in the second inning, per KNBR. Two batters later, Alex Bregman added a three-run shot to left-center, pushing the lead to 5-1. Swanson's second homer greeted reliever Ron Marinaccio in the fifth and pushed the score to 8-3, per MLB.com.
Michael Busch also went deep for his 10th homer of the season. Pete Crow-Armstrong capped the Cubs' scoring with his 18th homer of the year — and 11th of June alone — in the sixth inning, per Bleacher Nation. That makes him the highest single-month homer total by a Cub since 2019.
Padres Rally Falls Short as Boyd Earns Win
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered twice and Gavin Sheets hit a three-run shot in the eighth to make it 9-7. But it was too little, too late. Cubs starter Matthew Boyd earned the win, improving to 3-1, after allowing three runs over five innings, per CBS Sports.
Padres starter J.P. Sears took the loss after giving up seven runs — six earned — in just 4.2 innings. Ryan Rolison closed it out in the ninth, recording his first career save, per NBC Sports. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, "No game is ever won and no game is ever lost... that makes you a better team when you value every single moment," per Daily Herald.
Bregman's $175M Payday Finally Paying Off
Alex Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million deal with Chicago this past offseason, per Daily Herald. He struggled for much of the early season, drawing scrutiny from the front office. His three-run blast on June 30 marked a key turning point for the pricey acquisition.
Manager Craig Counsell said, "Alex finding his groove is what the doctor ordered when the wind is blowing out," per Marquee Sports Network. Despite the offensive surge, Chicago's bullpen remains shaky — a concern heading into the trade deadline, where the Cubs are expected to target late-inning relief, per Bleacher Nation.
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