The Chicago Cubs got absolutely punched out of the NL Wild Card round, swept by the San Diego Padres in two heartbreaking games. Their 2026 campaign is done, just like that. While the pitching wasn’t exactly lights out, the real, undeniable killer was a complete lack of offensive production in both Games 1 and 2. It was rough, folks.
Bats Gone Cold When It Mattered Most
Seriously, this offense went completely M.I.A. during the biggest games of their year. Nico Hoerner managed to knock in the only run for the Cubs in the entire postseason, and let’s be real, it amounted to exactly nothing. That’s a brutal stat line right there. But wait, it gets worse. Jesse Rogers from ESPN dropped a bombshell stat after their elimination that tells you everything you need to know about this Cubs team’s collapse.
Picture this: “From @ESPNInsights: FWIW, The Cubs haven’t won a game when they don’t homer since July 30th at the Cardinals (won 4-2),” Rogers shared. “They’ve lost 14 in a row when they don’t hit a home run, longest streak in MLB and longest for them since 2010.” Think about that. They haven’t won a single game without hitting a dinger in over two months. TWO MONTHS!
The Ugly Two-Month Streak That Doomed Them
This horrifying streak came to a head in the Wild Card series. The Cubs offense didn’t hit a single home run in either postseason game. Surprise, surprise, that meant two losses and an extension of this insane, two-month long streak of futility without the long ball. You can’t be this reliant on home runs, especially not when the stakes are this high. It’s not a recipe for success, it’s a recipe for disaster. This team absolutely needed to figure out how to scratch out wins without the big fly, particularly in October, but they couldn’t.
Being so over-reliant on dingers for two months caught up to them big time. Their season ended with a whimper, a poor offensive showing that exposed just how shaky this Cubs team was. It’s a brutal indictment of their offense, even with Pete Crow-Armstrong looking like an NL MVP in the not-so-distant future.
So, what’s next for Chicago? They’ve got a ton of work ahead this offseason. They need to rebuild that starting rotation and bullpen, for sure, but they also have to figure out how to keep the lineup consistent, not just hoping for a homer every game. It’s gonna be a long winter in the Windy City, picking up the pieces after this disheartening sweep.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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