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Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (15) celebrates with designated hitter Christopher Morel (5) Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Cubs remain hottest team in baseball, win eighth straight

By Gerrit Ritt | Last updated 7/30/23

Jameson Taillon won his third consecutive game and Ian Happ hit his 10th home run of the year as the red-hot Chicago Cubs beat their arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals for the sixth time in nine days, by a score of 5-1.

It was the eighth straight win for the Cubs, who are the hottest team in the majors, with no other team having won more than three in a row going into Sunday's action.

Taillon, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract prior to this season, has struggled most of the year. However, he's been key to Chicago's turnaround in recent weeks, having improved to 5-6, with the Cubs winning each of his last four starts.

He's dropped his ERA 1.47 points during that time, while the Cubs have gone 11-4 since the All-Star break to move to within three games of the final wild card spot and three and a half out of the lead in the NL Central.

"Right now, it does feel like everyone's contributing. Starters keeping us in the game, bullpen locking it down, defense playing great. (The) lineup seems really long right now. I wouldn't want to face us," Taillon said.

“I wouldn’t want to face us.”

Jameson Taillon on the Cubs’ hot streak. pic.twitter.com/fbWehboiNm
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 30, 2023

The eight wins are the longest streak for the Cubs since 2016, and the recent hot spell could very well keep them from being sellers at the Tuesday trade deadline.

Cody Bellinger, Marcus Stroman and others have been rumored to be on the move for weeks while the Cubs continued to play mediocre baseball during the first half of the season.

However, this recent streak could see the team either hold steady or even become buyers in the next couple of days.

It remains to be seen what direction they choose to go, but Bellinger has been one of the best players in baseball during the month of July, while Stroman, despite not pitching well this month, remains the ace of a pitching staff that ranks third in the majors in shutouts and seventh in quality starts.

The franchise could still trade either of them for a bevy of high-level minor-league prospects, but an equal case could be made for both being key franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future.

The Cardinals were playing great baseball going into the All-Star break, but have since been humbled by their division rivals, losing six of seven games to the Cubs in the last week and a half, resulting in them falling back into last place in the NL Central.

The two teams will play for the eighth time in 11 days on Sunday, with Kyle Hendricks (4-4) taking the mound for the Cubs against Steven Matz (1-7).

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