The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 20-9 on Tuesday night, and they followed it up with a 16-6 victory on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.
The @Cubs have won 12 of 15! pic.twitter.com/8Tlrv4IPRU
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 3, 2023
Do the math, and that comes out to 36 runs for the Cubs over two games. That’s good for the most runs the Cubs have scored over a two-game span since 1897, when they scored 43 runs. Additionally, the Cubs’ 12 home runs are the most over a two-game span since at least 1901.
The Cubs are also the first team in MLB history to have at least 10 extra-base hits and at least five home runs in consecutive games.
A huge reason for the success over the two days is the addition of Jeimer Candelario. The Cubs acquired Candelario — who came up in Chicago’s system and was part of its 2016 team that went on to win the World Series — in a trade-deadline deal with the Washington Nationals on Monday.
In Candelario’s two games since the trade, he’s 8-for-9 with a walk. That performance makes MLB history, as explained by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers:
Here are more reactions to the Cubs making history:
Oh, and these were two hugely important wins for the Cubs in the NL Central race. The Cubs (55-53) have pulled to within three games of the first-place Reds. On July 20, the Cubs were 8.5 games back of first place with a 45-51 record.