Cubs Won Three Straight Walk-Offs Against Cincinnati and Are About to Finish the Sweep

The Chicago Cubs have turned Wrigley Field into a house of clutch theater this week, and the Cincinnati Reds are running out of ways to lose. After opening their four-game series with three consecutive walk-off victories, the Cubs are going for the sweep on Thursday with momentum that feels almost inevitable at this point.

Wednesday's 7-6 win in 10 innings was pure Cubs drama. Cincinnati built a four-run lead in the top of the ninth, but Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed a two-run homer in the bottom half to force extra innings. Then Michael Busch delivered the dagger with a bases-loaded walk off Brock Burke in the 10th. This is what an eight-game winning streak looks like when it's built on walk-off magic.

Crow-Armstrong and the Wrigley Believers

"I couldn't ask for anything more from this group of guys," Crow-Armstrong said after the win. "I appreciate being at the field every day and I'm so grateful to play for this crowd, as is everybody else in here. This is about as fun as it gets."

The Cubs have now won 14 straight games at home, matching their longest home winning streak since 2008. That kind of dominance at Wrigley is something you can feel even through a screen.

Cincinnati Is Falling Apart

The Reds have dropped six in a row and eight of their last 10. They were swept in three games at Pittsburgh last weekend, and this Chicago trip is turning into a nightmare. To make matters worse, closer Emilio Pagan is headed to the injured list with a left hamstring injury and is expected to miss four to eight weeks. That's a massive blow to a bullpen that Burke admits "hasn't been doing exactly what we want to finish games."

Manager Terry Francona isn't panicking, but the damage is real. "It's not fun. I know a month from now we'll look back and go, 'That was a bad week and we're OK,' but when you're going through it, it's hard," Francona said.

Imanaga vs. Lowder for the Sweep

The Cubs will counter with left-hander Shota Imanaga, who's throwing like an ace this season. He posted a 2.40 ERA with 43 strikeouts against just 10 walks through 41 1/3 innings. Most recently, he tossed seven shutout innings with five strikeouts against Arizona on Saturday. Imanaga is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three career starts against Cincinnati.

Cincinnati sends right-hander Rhett Lowder to the mound. The 24-year-old is trying to bounce back after a brutal outing against Pittsburgh, where he allowed eight runs over 1 1/3 innings. He did toss five scoreless innings against Chicago back on Sept. 28, 2024, in a no-decision.

The Cubs will be without Matthew Boyd for an extended stretch after he suffered a left meniscus injury while playing with his children on Wednesday. Manager Craig Counsell isn't ready to announce who fills that rotation spot just yet.

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