{
"$type": "site.standard.document",
"bskyPostRef": {
"cid": "bafyreifsihu6hitsz5ba3elqecjopnqjvjgxbpsrbjl56gixrn2wcmkoue",
"uri": "at://did:plc:ha7wpngv4f2qwrk5hta4ktbb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk5earoioam2"
},
"coverImage": {
"$type": "blob",
"ref": {
"$link": "bafkreigwacxxj4v32udvimdscxgj5thh662ds73uloiy2x2wornfl375eu"
},
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"size": 235847
},
"path": "/cubs/2026/04/22/cubs-win-eighth-straight-behind-matthew-boyds-return-ben-browns-relief-work",
"publishedAt": "2026-04-23T04:36:10.442Z",
"site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
"textContent": "<p><b>Matthew Boyd </b>finally joined the party. <b>Michael Busch</b> left the premises for the first time this season. <b>Ben Brown</b>, the most reliable two-inning pitcher in a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> uniform, tacked a “W” next to his name for the first time in almost a year. And if you’re looking for somebody worth investing in on the prediction market, locker mates <b>Alex Bregman</b> and <b>Pete Crow-Armstrong</b> might be just the guys.</p><p>The Cubs (15-9) won their eighth straight game Wednesday night, beating the Phillies 7-2 before a crowd of 29,951. “Go, Cubs, Go” is an earworm.</p><p>The Cubs had not won eight straight in April since the 1970 Cubs won 11 straight, 56 years ago. That team finished second place in an era where being runner-up didn’t buy you a wild-card invite. The lesson there? Enjoy how well your team is playing, but no need to set aside money for the playoffs just yet.</p><p>The Phillies (8-16), who have been October participants in each of the last five seasons, have lost eight straight, including their last four meetings to the Cubs by a combined score of 40-13.</p><p>They might one day view <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/22/wrigley-rat-spooks-phillies-amuses-cubs-fans\" >the rat who trod on their toes Tuesday</a> with the same superstitious terror that fans of the ’69 Cubs had of the black cat that stalked <b>Ron Santo</b> near the Shea Stadium dugout.</p><p>Don’t believe in omens? Try telling that to the Phillies on a night that a ball originally ruled a home run, by <b>Aroldis Garcia</b>, was declared foul, center fielder <b>Justin Crawford</b> dropped a fly ball that acted possessed in the wind and the game ended when ABS changed <b>Hoby Milner’s</b> final pitch of the night to strike three on <b>Rafael Marchan</b>.</p><p>Boyd, who came off the 15-day injured list Wednesday, allowed two runs in 4‰ innings, ending his night by inducing <b>Kyle Schwarber</b> to hit into a double play when the Phillies were still in striking distance.</p><p>Busch hit his first home run in his 83rd at-bat of the season, a third-inning solo shot that was followed two innings later by <b>Seiya Suzuki’s</b> two-run homer.</p><p>Brown relieved Boyd and was credited with the win. And Bregman and Crow-Armstrong each collected three hits apiece.</p><p>“Grateful to be back, grateful to be competing,’’ Boyd said on a night four Cubs pitchers did not walk a batter while striking out 12. “[The streak] is awesome. It just speaks to the professional approach we have in this clubhouse — the experience of the guys we have in this clubhouse.’’</p><h3>Traffic jam</h3><p>If you thought the Cubs had an unusual amount of traffic on the bases Tuesday night, you were not wrong. While beating the Phillies 7-4, they left 17 men on base. That matched the team record for a nine-inning game set July 3, 2010, and came within one of the National League record shared by multiple teams.</p><p>The Yankees hold the big-league record of 20 set in a 13-7 loss to the Red Sox on Sept. 21, 1956.</p><p>The White Sox are one of three teams to leave 19 men on base, back on April 7, 1977, when they lost 9-5 to Toronto in the first game in Blue Jays history — in unsuitable playing conditions.</p><bsp-listcarousel class=\"PageListE\" data-module data-column-count=3 data-hide-authors=\"true\" data-hide-categories=\"true\" data-hide-dates=\"true\" data-hide-descriptions=\"true\" data-show-loadmore=\"true\" ><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"list-c90005\" name=\"list-c90005\"></a><div class=\"PageList-header\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title-wrap\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" target=\"{borderColor=#dfdfdf, pageNumber=1, titleUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, inverseColors=false, footerBgColor=#000000, title=Latest on the Cubs, bodyFont=font-3, showListNumbers=false, imagePositionHorizontal=null, rteBodyFont=font-3, headerBottomBorderColor=#111010, subTitle=null, stickyHeader=true, listTitleColor=#000000, tableCellBorderColor=#ccd1d5, relatedListFont=font-1, hideAuthors=true, tertiaryTextColor=#6c6c6c, buttonHoverTextColor=#ffffff, tableFont=font-1, carouselAutoPlay=false, promoTitleFont=font-2, ctaButtonText=[], primaryTextColor=#2a2a2a, buttonTextColor=#ffffff, pullQuoteIcon=[{image=null, narrowImage=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, alt=null}], linkTextColor=#1a1a1a, hideTitles=false, footerLinkColor=#ffffff, count=13854, carouselSpeed=null, buttonHoverBgColor=#a91d23, rteHeadingFont=font-1, secondaryColor=#656565, hideCategories=true, _template=/page/list/includes/PageList-header.hbs, font3=Arial, font4=Source-serif-4, ctaUrl=null, hideImage=false, footerLinkHoverColor=#d3242c, _styledTemplate=/page/list/PageListE.hbs, hideAudioPlayback=false, description=[], listColumns234=null, showSecondItemMedia=false, footerTextColor=#ffffff, hideDescriptions=true, headerSecondaryBgColor=#000000, items=[{type=Image, categoryUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, _styledTemplate=null, publishDate=April 22, 2026 09:47 PM, imageAlignment=null, description=[{items=[Rodent that skittered through the ballpark Tuesday night is the talk of the town — even amid Cubs’ hot streak]}], isFeatured=false, title=Wrigley rat spooks Phillies, annoys Cubs brass, url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/22/wrigley-rat-spooks-phillies-amuses-cubs-fans, media=[{alt=Screenshot 2026-04-22 at 6.01.58 PM.png, ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/d6/69/2a8ea91244b393f0bdfba5ae47ce/screenshot-2026-04-22-at-6-01-58-pm.png, width=2226, height=1130}, image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/d6/69/2a8ea91244b393f0bdfba5ae47ce/screenshot-2026-04-22-at-6-01-58-pm.png, width=2226, height=1130}}], target=null, category=[{items=[Cubs]}], primaryMediaType=null, wordCount=599, ampLink=null, timestamp=1776912420000, audio=[], audioDuration=null, anchorId=promo-900000, _template=/page/promo/PagePromo.hbs, authors=[{jobTitle=[{items=[Gordon Edes is a sports contributor at the Chicago Sun-Times.]}], name=[{items=[Gordon Edes]}], ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/author/byline/AuthorByline.hbs, authorPageUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes, media=[{ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, alt=Gordon Edes}], bio=[{items=[Chicago Sun-Times sports contributor]}]}]}, {type=Image, categoryUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, _styledTemplate=null, imageAlignment=null, timestamp=1776832666000, isFeatured=false, target=null, media=[{alt=Philadelphia Phillies v Chicago Cubs, ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/5d/c8/3fb90e8c4c4e91fbd23a6d6859f0/2272478538.jpg, width=5585, height=3724}, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/5d/c8/3fb90e8c4c4e91fbd23a6d6859f0/2272478538.jpg, width=5585, height=3724}}], primaryMediaType=null, category=[{items=[Cubs]}], ampLink=null, description=[{items=[Imanaga didn’t have the biting splitter he used to strike out a season-high 11 Phillies last week in Philadelphia. But with the guidance of catcher Carson Kelly, he found the right mix to yield only one run in seven innings.]}], title=Shota Imanaga keeps strong starting pitching going, sparks Cubs to seventh victory in row, wordCount=604, audio=[], url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/21/shota-imanaga-keeps-strong-starting-pitching-going-sparks-cubs-to-seventh-victory-in-row, audioDuration=null, authors=[{jobTitle=[{items=[Gordon Edes is a sports contributor at the Chicago Sun-Times.]}], name=[{items=[Gordon Edes]}], ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/author/byline/AuthorByline.hbs, authorPageUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes, bio=[{items=[Chicago Sun-Times sports contributor]}], media=[{ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, alt=Gordon Edes}]}], _template=/page/promo/PagePromo.hbs, publishDate=April 21, 2026 11:37 PM, anchorId=promo-900001}, {type=Image, categoryUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, description=[{items=[The Dodgers superstar is designated as a two-way player, which means he isn’t counted against the team’s allotment of pitchers. So, in reality, the Dodgers are carrying 14 pitchers.]}], _styledTemplate=null, url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/21/chicago-cubs-manager-craig-counsell-shohei-ohtani-rule-bizarre-billy-donovan-mason-mcgwire-daniel-palencia, wordCount=547, imageAlignment=null, isFeatured=false, authors=[{media=[{ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, alt=Gordon Edes}], ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/author/byline/AuthorByline.hbs, name=[{items=[Gordon Edes]}], bio=[{items=[Chicago Sun-Times sports contributor]}], jobTitle=[{items=[Gordon Edes is a sports contributor at the Chicago Sun-Times.]}], authorPageUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes}], category=[{items=[Cubs]}], target=null, primaryMediaType=null, title=Cubs manager Craig Counsell calls Shohei Ohtani rule ‘bizarre’, publishDate=April 21, 2026 07:38 PM, timestamp=1776818305000, ampLink=null, audio=[], media=[{ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, alt=Nationals Cubs Baseball, image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/cb/99/a9e278524c9cb4a82c9ddb590967/nationals-cubs-baseball-1.jpg, width=7547, height=5031}, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/cb/99/a9e278524c9cb4a82c9ddb590967/nationals-cubs-baseball-1.jpg, width=7547, height=5031}}], audioDuration=null, _template=/page/promo/PagePromo.hbs, anchorId=promo-900002}], primaryTextColorInverse=#ffffff, titleColor=null, ampLink=null, listHeaderPosition=null, showActionBar=true, linkHoverColor=#d3242c, buttonBgColor=#d3242c, ctaTarget=null, suppressPagination=false, promoButtonText=null, backgroundColor=null, headerSecondaryTextColor=#ffffff, pagination=[{body=[Next Page], href=?p=2, _template=/link/Link.hbs, contentId=null, pianoSectionSlug=null, target=null}], anchorId=list-c90005, listTitleFont=font-2, headlineFont=font-1, promoDescriptionFont=font-3, pageCount=4618, primaryColor=#d3242c, slimFooter=false, hideHeadline=false, hideDates=true, headerBorderColor=#e9e9e9, ratingCardFont=font-1, titleTarget=null, tableCaptionColor=#626262, mobileCarousel=false, tableEvenRowsBgColor=#f9f8f3, containerTitleFont=font-2, listBorderColor=#dfdfdf, defaultArticleLeadStyle=standard, _parentFiles=[/page/list/includes/PageList-header.hbs]}\">Latest on the Cubs</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items\"> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Wrigley rat spooks Phillies, annoys Cubs brass\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/22/wrigley-rat-spooks-phillies-amuses-cubs-fans\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/84e386f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1130+358+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd6%2F69%2F2a8ea91244b393f0bdfba5ae47ce%2Fscreenshot-2026-04-22-at-6-01-58-pm.png\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3f4639/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1130+358+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd6%2F69%2F2a8ea91244b393f0bdfba5ae47ce%2Fscreenshot-2026-04-22-at-6-01-58-pm.png\"/> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Screenshot 2026-04-22 at 6.01.58 PM.png\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3f4639/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1130+358+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd6%2F69%2F2a8ea91244b393f0bdfba5ae47ce%2Fscreenshot-2026-04-22-at-6-01-58-pm.png\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/22/wrigley-rat-spooks-phillies-amuses-cubs-fans\" >Wrigley rat spooks Phillies, annoys Cubs brass</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Rodent that skittered through the ballpark Tuesday night is the talk of the town — even amid Cubs’ hot streak</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1776912420000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes\" >Gordon Edes </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"599\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Shota Imanaga keeps strong starting pitching going, sparks Cubs to seventh victory in row\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/21/shota-imanaga-keeps-strong-starting-pitching-going-sparks-cubs-to-seventh-victory-in-row\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a363398/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5563x3724+0+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5d%2Fc8%2F3fb90e8c4c4e91fbd23a6d6859f0%2F2272478538.jpg\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/89f35bd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5563x3724+0+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5d%2Fc8%2F3fb90e8c4c4e91fbd23a6d6859f0%2F2272478538.jpg\"/> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Philadelphia Phillies v Chicago Cubs\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/89f35bd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5563x3724+0+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5d%2Fc8%2F3fb90e8c4c4e91fbd23a6d6859f0%2F2272478538.jpg\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/21/shota-imanaga-keeps-strong-starting-pitching-going-sparks-cubs-to-seventh-victory-in-row\" >Shota Imanaga keeps strong starting pitching going, sparks Cubs to seventh victory in row</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Imanaga didn’t have the biting splitter he used to strike out a season-high 11 Phillies last week in Philadelphia. But with the guidance of catcher Carson Kelly, he found the right mix to yield only one run in seven innings.</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1776832666000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes\" >Gordon Edes </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"604\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Cubs manager Craig Counsell calls Shohei Ohtani rule ‘bizarre’\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/21/chicago-cubs-manager-craig-counsell-shohei-ohtani-rule-bizarre-billy-donovan-mason-mcgwire-daniel-palencia\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d041aed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7516x5031+31+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcb%2F99%2Fa9e278524c9cb4a82c9ddb590967%2Fnationals-cubs-baseball-1.jpg\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0583696/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7516x5031+31+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcb%2F99%2Fa9e278524c9cb4a82c9ddb590967%2Fnationals-cubs-baseball-1.jpg\"/> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Nationals Cubs Baseball\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0583696/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7516x5031+31+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcb%2F99%2Fa9e278524c9cb4a82c9ddb590967%2Fnationals-cubs-baseball-1.jpg\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/21/chicago-cubs-manager-craig-counsell-shohei-ohtani-rule-bizarre-billy-donovan-mason-mcgwire-daniel-palencia\" >Cubs manager Craig Counsell calls Shohei Ohtani rule ‘bizarre’</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">The Dodgers superstar is designated as a two-way player, which means he isn’t counted against the team’s allotment of pitchers. So, in reality, the Dodgers are carrying 14 pitchers.</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1776818305000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes\" >Gordon Edes </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"547\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </bsp-listcarousel><p></p>",
"title": "Cubs win eighth straight behind Matthew Boyd's return, Ben Brown's relief work",
"updatedAt": "2026-04-23T04:49:56.295Z"
}