{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreihd3tltnp22isv3oq7g2ummyvhs5rtcyfnn6yftgsfjyhun2rzr3e",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:ha7wpngv4f2qwrk5hta4ktbb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlaisuogsgi2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreidxklmwiie44vjgmio7lgozdnlqkfr24ionrhdpmv33l72qpkrhci"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 253223
  },
  "path": "/cubs/2026/05/06/cubs-walk-off-reds-again-at-wrigley-field",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-07T04:34:23.044Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "tags": [
    "@Cubs"
  ],
  "textContent": "<p>The can’t-lose <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" target=\"_blank\" >Cubs</a> needed 10 innings to beat the Reds 7-6 on a wild, weird, not entirely wonderful Wednesday at Wrigley Field.</p><p>The day began on a sour note, with the completely unexpected news of yet another injury to a key pitcher, <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/05/06/cubs-matthew-boyd-surgery-knee-meniscus-craig-counsell-wrigley-field\" target=\"_blank\" >this time starter Matthew Boyd</a>.</p><p>It ended with yet another walk-off win — the Cubs’ third in as many days — after a couldn’t-script-it ninth inning that sent the game into extras and fans who haven’t left the ballpark with frowns on their mugs in nearly a month into delirium.</p><p>It also ended with a winning pitcher, Trent Thornton — sorry, who? — absolutely no one could have seen coming. Good to meet you, Thorn-o, and we’ll get back to you in a bit.</p><p>The Cubs’ 25-12 record is their second-best through 37 games in over a century.</p><p>They’ve won eight consecutive games overall and now have a hard-to-believe 14-game winning streak at Wrigley, their longest since 2008. If they complete a four-game sweep of the Reds on Thursday, they’ll have their longest home streak in 91 years.</p><p>Their 17-5 start at Wrigley is their best after 22 games since 1985, and their 18-3 all-out tear over the last three-plus weeks makes them — in case it weren’t obvious — the hottest team in baseball.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/05/06/cubs-matthew-boyd-surgery-knee-meniscus-craig-counsell-wrigley-field\" >Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd likely to have surgery after injuring left knee Wednesday at his home</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/05/06/nico-hoerner-mvp-cubs-so-far-has-more-and-more-people-talking\" >Nico Hoerner, MVP of smoking-hot Cubs so far, has more and more people talking</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/05/06/rolison-represents-again-as-cubs-winning-streak-reaches-seven\" target=\"_blank\" >Ryan Rolison represents again as Cubs’ winning streak reaches seven</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>What else? The Cubs’ six walk-off wins through 37 games is a 30-year franchise first, they have back-to-back-to-back walk-off wins for the first time since 2009 and, according to historian Ed Hartig, their three straight walk-offs against the Reds represent the first time they’ve visited such cruelty on the same team since 1943.</p><p>And do they ever have the Reds (20-17) — a first-place team just last week, but now five games back with six losses in a row — bloodied and on the ropes.</p><p>With closer Daniel Palencia unavailable after pitching Tuesday, manager Craig Counsell sent Corbin Martin to the mound for the ninth with a 4-2 lead. But Spencer Steer led off with a homer, Will Benson and Tyler Stephenson followed with base hits and Counsell called for lefty Hoby Milner.</p><p>Milner misplayed a bunt to load the bases, gave up the tying run on a JJ Bleday single and then watched in horror as two runners scored on a long sacrifice fly that sent right fielder Seiya Suzuki crashing into the wall and falling on the warning track.</p><p>Down 6-4 in the ninth against Graham Ashcroft, Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong had back-to-back opposite-field hits on 3-2 counts — Armstrong’s clearing the wall in left to tie it.</p><p>Thornton — who was called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day to take Boyd’s spot on the roster — inherited two runners in the 10th and got three massive outs in his first appearance as a Cub.</p><p>“Nails,” Armstrong said. “For Thornton to come in only being here for 12 hours is sick.”</p><p>The Cubs won it with two outs in the 10th on Michael Busch’s bases-loaded walk off Brock Burke. Fittingly, it was the second consecutive night with a walk-off at-bat for Busch.</p><p>“You feel like you’ve seen a lot of baseball games in your life and then you see stuff you just don’t expect to see,” Counsell said. “That’s why we love it, right?”</p><p>Not around to celebrate was Boyd, who has a “meniscus issue” in his left knee, as Counsell put it, and likely will need surgery.</p><p>As Counsell described it, the 35-year-old lefty got hurt in one of the more innocent, extremely unlucky ways imaginable: as he was “going down to the ground and getting back up” while playing with his kids Wednesday morning at home. An All-Star last season and the Cubs’ Game 1 starter in the wild-card series against the Padres, Boyd is bound for a lengthy stay on the injured list that could be a matter of months.</p><p>The Cubs have sent a cavalcade of pitchers to the injured list since the start of spring training. The loss of Boyd is a considerable blow to a team that already has pushed back the timeline of starter <b>Justin Steele</b>, who last pitched in April 2025 and might not again until the second half of this season, and likely won’t have starter <b>Cade Horton</b> back from Tommy John surgery until midway through next season at best.</p><p><b>NOTE: </b>A day after being carted off the field, Reds closer <b>Emilio Pagan </b>went on the injured list with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that’s expected to shelve him for four to eight weeks.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center><div class=\"Enhancement-item\"> <div class=\"ExternalContent-wrapper\" > <div class=\"TweetUrl\"> <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Stop us if you've heard this before...<br><br>THE CHICAGO CUBS WALK IT OFF! <a href=\"https://t.co/ZNzxUkOFcX\">pic.twitter.com/ZNzxUkOFcX</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/2052217230956298399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script> </div> </div> </div></div><p></p>",
  "title": "Cubs walk off Reds — of course — for third straight night and 14th straight win at home",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-07T04:46:51.846Z"
}