Ben Brown Throws 4 No-Hit Innings and the Cubs Just Won Their 10th Straight

The Chicago Cubs are on an absolute tear right now, and it's not by accident. After Matthew Boyd went down with left knee surgery (a freak injury that happened while playing with his kids at home), the Cubs needed someone to step up in the rotation. Enter Ben Brown, a reliever who got the call to start Friday against the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The result? Four scoreless, no-hit innings that set the tone for a 7-1 blowout win and the Cubs' 10th consecutive victory.

This isn't just a hot streak. This is history. The Cubs have now racked up 20 wins in their last 23 games, and here's the wild part: they've had two separate 10-game winning streaks in that span. According to team historian Ed Hartig, this is the first time since 1935 that the Cubs have had at least two 10-game runs in the same season. Hartig notes the feat has only happened seven times in club history dating back to 1880.

Brown Steps Up When It Matters Most

Brown has been excellent as a multi-inning reliever all season, appearing in 12 games and logging at least two innings in 10 of those outings. When Boyd's injury left a hole in the rotation, the Cubs made the call to move him into a starting role. He delivered. In four innings of work, Brown struck out three and gave up just one walk (a two-out free pass to Joc Pederson in the second). He generated six outs on the ground and cruised through 46 pitches, lowering his ERA to 1.82 on the year. The Cubs are being smart about his workload, easing him back into a starter's routine rather than rushing him.

The Lineup Takes Over

With Brown keeping things locked down early, Chicago's offense took care of the rest. Ian Happ extended his career-best on-base streak to 29 games with an RBI single in the first inning off Rangers righty Kumar Rocker. Seiya Suzuki then launched a two-run homer off Rocker in the fourth for his seventh shot of the season. The Cubs blew things wide open in the sixth and seventh, scoring four runs off Cal Quantrill, with Michael Busch capping it off with a three-run double.

Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy summed it up best during the pregame meeting, holding up a card showing their reliever usage over recent days and saying to his staff, "I've never been more proud of a group." That's what happens when everybody steps up.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.