Cubs on wrong side of history after blowout loss to Cardinals

Chicago Cubs pitcher David Peterson. David Banks-Imagn Images

Cubs on wrong side of history after blowout loss to Cardinals

By Kevin Henry | Last updated Jul 3, 2026 8:50 PM ET

Within the span of 48 hours, the Chicago Cubs hit both ends of the scoring spectrum in a historic way.

On Wednesday, the Cubs offense was on full display in a 23-3 shellacking of the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field, tying a franchise record with eight home runs. Three of those came off the bay of Dansby Swanson, who found himself in some elite company with his big day.

An off day on Thursday, however, certainly seemed to cool off the red-hot Cubs.

With the rival St. Louis Cardinals coming into the Friendly Confines to start a weekend series on Friday, Chicago's offense came to a screeching halt at the same time the Cardinals' bats came to life. The result was a 17-1 rout of the Cubs, putting the North Siders on the wrong side of MLB history.

The Cubs are the first team in MLB history to win by 20+ and then lose by 10+ in consecutive games

One team has done the opposite, losing by 10+ then winning by 20+:

The Yankees lost by 13 on 06/18/2000 and then won by 21 on 06/19/2000

h/t @EliasSports
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 3, 2026

After the loss, the Cubs sit at 49-39 and are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the NL Wild Card standings. However, the highs and lows of just the past week are enough to have Cubs fans wondering if they can find any kind of consistency after the All-Star break.

The Cubs have already posted two separate 10-game winning streaks, but have also endured a 10-game losing streak as well. Those hot and cold moments certainly lasted longer than 48 hours, but this week's hijinks at Wrigley Field are a microcosm of what the Cubs have been all season.

If the Cubs are going to be any kind of threat in the postseason, evening out their play and discovering their consistency is going to be key. Otherwise, 2026 may simply be remembered as a roller coaster ride that went nowhere in the Windy City.

Kevin Henry

A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Kevin Henry has been covering MLB and MiLB for nearly two decades. Those assignments have included All-Star Games and the MLB postseason, including the World Series. Based in the Denver area, Kevin calls Coors Field his home base, but travels throughout North America during the season to discover the best stories possible

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