Cubs score 23 runs in series finale vs. Padres

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) high-fives catcher Miguel Amaya and shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) after they score on his three-run home run during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Cubs slug eight homers, score 23 runs in series finale vs. Padres

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Jul 1, 2026 5:27 PM ET

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The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby wasn't scheduled until Monday, July 13, in Philadelphia. The Chicago Cubs decided they'd use Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres as an early preview of what fans may see 12 days from Wednesday.

Cubs explode for 23 runs, eight homers

Chicago entered Wednesday going for a series sweep of San Diego, and it got just that and much more. The Cubs secured the sweep with a 23-3 win that included eight total home runs, tied for a franchise record set on July 4, 2025, against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dansby Swanson slugged three homers, giving him five in the past two games. Michael Conforto had two homers, and the trio of Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch each had one.

Michael Busch makes it TWENTY-THREE runs for the @Cubs pic.twitter.com/rpnhzZzaw4
— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2026

Franchise history all over the place

The 23 runs for the Cubs were the team's most in a game since a 26-run outburst in August of 1995. It was the most runs by any MLB team since the Atlanta Braves scored 29 in the 2020 COVID-season.

Chicago slugged 13 home runs over the final two games of the series against the Padres, marking its most ever in a two-game span. Additionally, the Cubs are just the fourth team to ever score 32+ runs and hit 13+ home runs in a two-game span, joining the New York Yankees in 1939, 2020 and 2025.

Cubs:

13 home runs in last two games, most in a two-game span in franchise history

8 home runs today, tying 7/4/25 for most in a game in franchise history https://t.co/jIMo6klesR
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 1, 2026

Chicago is among the hottest teams in baseball

After a slow start to June, Chicago has picked things up. Since June 11, the Cubs have had one of the best offenses in all of baseball. Chicago has compiled a 15-4 record in that span, the best in baseball in that time frame.

In the year that marks 10 years since the 2016 World Series team, the Cubs appear to have all the makings of a team that can replicate what the unforgettable 2016 team did.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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