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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 52

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images The Cubs stumble early again and come up short on a comeback in a 6-4 loss. It’s been years since I was anywhere close to a “watch 162 games closely” person. There definitely was a point in life where if at all possible I was either watching or listening. A combination of parenting and adulting along with a dose of really bad Cubs baseball pushed me to so...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 51

Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images PCA keys a come-from-behind 13-6 win. For a minute there, you thought the stories would be the bad first inning for Matthew Boyd and the continuing implosion of Julian Merryweather. These aren’t those Cubs. This team has so much fight in it and so a 6-2 early deficit became a 13-6 win. Eleven unanswered runs over the game’s final three innings. I’ll mention...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 50

Photo by Jared Lennon/Getty Images A 2-1 win takes the game and gives the Cubs a series win in Miami. It was a series of contradictions. Monday night, the Cubs lost the opener of the series. The Cubs have excelled in series openers this year. They lost in large part because early, middle and late game, the pitching staff failed. The offense had a good night, scoring seven, but lost. This ...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 49

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images The offense explodes behind a strong performance from Jameson Taillon. In almost all instances, the “must win” label is hyperbole in baseball. That’s largely the stuff of football where a game or two decides everything. The last couple of years, a few blown games were the difference between in and out of the playoffs. So it’s hard to split the hairs. Th...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 48

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images Some good, a lot of bad in the Cubs 8-7 loss in Miami. By my count, this is the first time I’ve picked a picture that included new third base coach Quintin Berry. Former third base coach Willie Harris was particularly expressive and photogenic over at third in years gone by and when a photographer captured one of those, I liked to grab those photos. Thi...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 47

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images A 6-2 win and a sweep of the White Sox made for a good Sunday. It feels fitting for Pete Crow-Armstrong to be right in the middle of the defining inning of this game. He scored two of the first three runs in the game. He had a hand in the other scoring, though he doesn’t get an RBI for his aggressive baserunning and the opportunity (however i...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 52
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 51
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 50
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 48
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 44

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images The Cubs offense was ineffective in a 3-1 loss. Worried is the wrong word. But the offensive malaise is lingering a bit longer than I expected. The Cubs have scored 27 runs over their last eight games. I don’t think there is any question that the injury to Ian Happ is part of the equation. The tailing off of Kyle Tucker is a piece of it. It’...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 43

Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images The anatomy of a comeback — the Cubs win 5-4. As is the usual case with a come-from-behind win, we’re going to talk a lot about WPA. The game was tied 2-2 in the seventh when Julian Merryweather took the mound. Julian didn’t have it. His fastball is down and he just isn’t effective at this point. This comeback story starts after Merryweather had allowed...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 35

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images Another frustrating Sunday, the Cubs lose 4-0. When does something arbitrary become something significant? If you haven’t been keeping track, the Cubs are now just 1-5 on Sundays. I don’t particularly think it is a getaway day issue. They are 3-3 in midweek series-enders. So it is at least a passing thought that there is something with Sundays. It sure w...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 34

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images The homers just keep coming in a 6-2 win over the Brewers. The Cubs had been winning more frequently against right-handed starters than left. Jose Quintana had only allowed one homer. He had won all of his starts this year. And none of those things are true any longer. The Cubs took him deep three times in rapid succession, scoring six runs in all against ...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 33

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images The Cubs explode in the the second and coast to a 10-0 victory. Friday night in Milwaukee, the Cubs scored two in the first to set the tone early, then lowered the boom with a seven-run second, featuring a Michael Busch grand slam. For those of you who aren’t longtime WPA guys, a quick summation. When the game gets lopsided early and stays that way th...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 30

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images The Cubs offense revives in a 9-0 trouncing of the Pirates. After Phillies pitching stifled the Cubs offense for the most part over the weekend, it was a refreshing sight to see the Cubs offense come out in force Tuesday night. It was what you hoped would happen and happen it did. After being mowed down the first time through the order, the Cubs offens...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 30
2025

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• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 148

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images The Cubs falter late, losing 6-5 to the Rockies. This feeling this morning, it’s different than it has been in a while. The beauty of an in-season vacation is that I was out of contact during the Cleveland series. Because of that, I’m having trouble remembering the last time that things were so frustrating that I’m looking for where the ride ends so th...2024
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• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 117

Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images The Cubs win 8-2 to take the series from the Twins. I mean no disrespect to the Twins, but when I was looking into them ahead of this series, I saw a team that has feasted on bad teams with an unusual fervor. On the one hand, all you can do is beat the team in the other dugout. This isn’t college football and you aren’t lining up cupcakes to boost your...2024
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2025
"Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5) The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall."

2024
"Rizzo Award Cumulative Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3) The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall."

2023
"195) Yesterday’s winners: Cody Bellinger (Game 1) and Hayden Wesneski (Game 2) - [Superhero is 91-44] Rizzo Award Cumulative Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5) The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall."

2022
"123) Rizzo Award Cumulative Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3) The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall."

• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 52
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 51
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 49
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 48
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 47
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 44
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 40

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images A 6-5 win for the Cubs. I imagine the words “because baseball” will be typed and read hundreds of times after this one. A rookie pitcher, a formidable opponent, a three game losing streak. Not the recipe for a win. Then Ian Happ gets a night off. Pete Crow-Armstrong in the leadoff spot? Justin Turner fifth? If we’re being honest, you weren’t confident. This was...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 33
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 32

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images The Cubs bounce back with an impressive 8-3 win and take the series. Checks notes. Yep. The Cubs are better when Kyle Tucker hits. And hey, any time he and his teammates want to get to four homers, I’m here for it. I’ve talked about it in the past, and in fact just yesterday, four runs is a sweet spot. Teams with four runs win a solid majority of the ...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 31

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Cubs come up short in Pittsburgh and lose 4-3. Some of my longtime readers may wonder if I had a life transformation or if someone else is writing this for me this year. No questions about glasses half full or empty. No extended metaphors or analogies. Not particularly even any off topic discussions that don’t talk about the game i...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 52
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 51
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 50
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 49
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 48
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 47
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 46

Photo by Griffin Quinn/MLB Photos via Getty Images The Cubs take care of business in a 7-3 win. I know there are some who are looking for this team to just obliterate some of these lesser opponents. This week has not been a work of art. I see all of the things that you all do. And yet, the Cubs have won four of five. They remain one ahead of the surprising Cardinals. As an aside, I’m neve...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 45

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images The Cubs win 13-3 behind PCA and some sloppy White Sox play. The Cubs continue to excel in the first game of each series, particularly at Wrigley Field. I still suspect most of this is random sequencing. It’s ironic, because the way the Cubs can make other pitching staffs work, I might expect them to do well at the end of a series. But that h...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 44
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 43
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 52
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 45
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 41

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images The Cubs tease a series win but come up short in a 6-2 loss. Today’s shocking fact is that the Cubs weren’t quite good enough against the Mets in New York in a series where they were without Justin Steele, Shōta Imanaga and Ian Happ. Ryan Pressly hasn’t worked out at closer and the Cubs are at the tail end of what has been and probably will remain the tou...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 34
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 25

Matt Marton-Imagn Images The Cubs win a wacky, wild one 11-10. I looked at my wife in the eighth inning. I said it’s 10-7 and the Dodgers bullpen is really good. Then I said, there have been 17 runs scored, I don’t know how anyone can assume there won’t be more scoring. That’s also about the time I started muting some people on social media. I’ve already written this year and many times ...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 19

David Frerker-Imagn Images The Cubs’ sloppy play leads to a 10-4 loss. Monday night’s game has an awful lot to unpack. If you are an impulsive reactor, I’d say today is a day to take a deep breath. Recall that this team has played terrific baseball over the first few weeks. The frustrating aspect to the start of this season has been that the losses have been like this. The Cubs were leadi...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 7

Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images The Cubs pummel the A’s as they open their new home. On Sunday, the Cubs missed an opportunity to have a signature win. They could have taken three of four from a legitimate playoff contender, in their ballpark and even the season record at three wins and three losses. We’ve seen so many bullpen collapses in recent years, particularly early season ones, that it...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 6

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images Fright Show: The Cubs bullpen immolates in Arizona. You always know there are going to be games like this. There are always going to be some games that you should have won and let get away and some games that you should have lost and flip the script. In and of itself, I don’t lose more than a moment’s thought about a game like this. So many things. Every ye...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 5

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images A thoroughly entertaining Cubs win. I’d like to thank the Cubs for playing a terrific game. A little behind the scenes, I went to bed Friday night rather than stay up with the Cubs game. I was up a little before 6 locally in Florida to write about Friday night’s Diamondbacks beatdown of the Cubs. I had a long day here that included a local renaissance fai...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 4

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images Snake bitten: Cubs lose 8-1! It will forever amaze me how good a team can look one day and how bad the next. In this case, that would refer to the offense only. Obviously, the pitching has been sluggish to start the 2025 campaign, save for those innings worked by Shōta Imanaga in Japan. Games like Friday night are the origin of the quote about momentum and t...2025
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 136

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images For the second game, the Reds rally in the ninth to beat the Cubs. Heavy sigh, part two. I’m invoking early day game after a night game formation. As in, an abridged Heroes and Goats today. I’m going to give you bullet points rather than a full narrative. The Cubs lost consecutive games for the first time since August 13 and 15 against the Blue Jays and W...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 1
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images Hope springs eternal! Welcome back for the 10th season of Heroes and Goats. I can remember back to 2014 when Al Yellon asked the Bleed Cubbie Blue faithful if any of them had ideas for new features. Me? I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly creative. But I well remember when Russ La Croix conceived Heroes and Goats. I was from the beginning a fan o...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 19
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports The nearly perfect one Nothing like a little afternoon baseball on in the background while you are finishing your work day. By the time I got off of an afternoon call, the Cubs were already battering Dodgers starter Julio Urias. I tuned in just in time for the top of the third, as Drew Smyly was recording his fifth and sixth consecutive strikeouts. Sometimes yo...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 138

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Justin Steele dominates in a holiday 5-0 win. It was a long holiday weekend for me here in the Tampa area. I had an old friend in town and Sunday night was a very late night. There were a few drinks and only a few hours of sleep. I appreciate you all bearing with me while I gave you somewhat abridged versions of Heroes and Goats the last couple of days. The C...2023
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• 2022 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 162
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images The Cubs win going away to close out the season All’s well that ends well, right? That probably doesn’t work here. But, I’m certainly glad this season ended with a win, and an emphatic one at that. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t mean anything. Not losing 90, winning more than last year, none of it actually means anything. Nothing you can hang you...2022
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 64
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images Class dismissed! Kyle is vintage Professor in a 4-0 win Some of you might not remember, but when your team wins back-to-back games, that’s called a winning streak. Yeah, it’s not really that long. Somehow, they won two straight against the Rays. I mean, not really just “somehow.” This team basically has one way it wins games: A domina...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 116

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports Back in the win column in Toronto with 6-2 win. I have just one hope. Let’s hope the Cubs don’t become one of “those” teams. You know, the kind of team that beats the good teams but then does less than exceptional against the lesser teams. Instead, I like to think that the core of the Mets team that was put together with an eye on getting back to the World ...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 53
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports A win! An impressive one at that! Well, here in the Heroes and Goats department of Bleed Cubbie Blue, this was hands down the performance of the year. Long time followers of this series know that at the end of the year, I bring you a list of top 10 and a bottom 10 games by WPA. I track scores +/- .400. To date, there had been no scores over .400. I certainly w...2023
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1. White Sox

2. World Series

3. Red Sox

. . .

712. Rizzo Award

• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 25

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images The Cubs sweep the Astros to close a successful homestand. Every season is an entity onto its own. You watch enough seasons and they start to feel like one long homogenous mass. But when you sort them out, or more specifically when one is going on, you can really feel that individuality. And so, as we sit in front of this currently unfolding season, th...2024
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• 2022 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 109
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Cubs rally late only to falter and lose 6-5 I quit playing fantasy baseball somewhere between 15 and 20 years ago. Somewhere around that time, I also quit playing Strat-O-Matic baseball. When I ceased those activities, I basically stopped paying attention with any detail as to the comings and goings of any particular roster or players. I’m overtly aware o...2022
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 52
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 51
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 50
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 49
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 48
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 47
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 46
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 45
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 43
2025

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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 42

Photo by Nick Loggarakis/MLB Photos via Getty Images A return home and a brief offensive revival lead to a 5-2 win. I’m not in the mood for counting any chickens today. But, for one day, this team took care of business and kept all of the demons at bay. I don’t know any more than any of the rest of you if this team will emerge from the 41 games from hell and get hot. I suspect they will. C...2025
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 41
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 35
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• 2025 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 16

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The offense was stifled in Los Angeles, as the Cubs lose 3-0. This is a frustrating one to write. That cover photo should be Matthew Boyd. Coming off of two strong starts against quality opponents, in his third start he drew the defending World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. And that’s not any ordinary defending champion, that team is a poor man’s All-Star team...2025
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• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 141

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images The Cubs come up empty in a 3-0 loss to Anthony Rizzo and the Yankees. The Cubs were so happy to see their old pal Anthony Rizzo that they rolled over and played dead to give his team a win. Not really, but it might as well have been true. It was a generally well played game and neither team was able to generate a whole lot of offense. Unfort...2024
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• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 138

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images The Cubs return home from a terrific trip with a disappointing 5-3 loss. Last night’s game was simultaneously totally predictable and a little shocking to me. After an 8-1 road trip, a letdown game was so completely foreseeable. I essentially wrote about it yesterday. It isn’t surprising and it isn’t per se the gambler’s paradox. A team isn’...2024
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• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 117
2024

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• 2024 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 113

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images The Cubs fail to protect their lead and lose 5-4. Heavy sigh. Once again, the Cubs had things in position to win a game and let it get away. That will be the enduring memory of this season. The crushing number of blown leads late has derailed this team over and over again. The Cubs had the opportunity to get back to three under .500. The last time they r...2024
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 156

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports A three-game sweep sets up a fight to the finish. As easy as one, two, three! Okay, well, it wasn’t easy. But, the Cubs took care of a woeful (on the road) Rockies team in business-like fashion. This season has been so many things that we don’t always see from the Cubs. I’ve talked about it several times regarding their ability to come off the mat and rebound...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 145

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports The Cubs fumble the lead late, but bounce back to win 5-4. In the moment, I suspect Jordan Wicks would tell you that winning a game and the march towards the playoffs is what matters. That’s the right thing to say and is admirable. At the end of the day, it is a team sport. You win as a team and you win at a lose. It isn’t about individual accomplishments...2023
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• 2023 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 86
Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports The Cubs come up short in Milwaukee. Sometimes I give you a narrative after the game Sometimes, I’m more a series of thoughts. Today is one of those. As I did yesterday, I’m going to steer a little away from the bigger picture implications of this game and the season to date. None of that is shocking, new territory or any great insight I’m going to give you. Th...2023
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