👋 Good morning!
The Miami Dolphins come to town for a joint practice tomorrow and Ben Johnson’s first preseason game on Sunday…
So, was Tuesday’s extremely physical practice the Bears’ way of leveling up their intensity in anticipation of Friday? Or was it about getting their frustrations out ahead of time?
Friday should be fascinating.
And don’t forget, you can watch our CHGO Bears show LIVE at the Circa Sportsbook in Waukegan after tomorrow’s practice at 5 p.m.
⚾️ DIEHARDS ONLY ⚾️
We’re knocking the Friday 1:20 Club out of the park and onto a Wrigley Rooftop.
WHEN?
• Friday, Aug. 15 - 1:20 p.m. vs. Pirates
• Monday, Aug.18 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Brewers
One ticket gets you both games, plus all you can eat and drink, and a CHGO Cubs t-shirt!
🎟️ TICKETS 🎟️
Slump Busted?
It’s been a rough stretch for the Cubs and the offense. After Tuesday night’s loss, the Cubs had fallen four games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
But the bats finally showed signs of life on Wednesday. Does that mean the slump is over?
SEIYA & SWANSON SLAM: Arguably the most encouraging sign for the offense from Wednesday’s win was Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson hitting frozen ropes around the field.
Suzuki hit a ball 105.3 mph off the bat for a sac fly and another 109.4 mph for a single before clubbing a home run with a 110.4 mph exit velocity. Meanwhile, Swanson lined out on a rocket hit 106.2 mph and tallied a homer at 104.8 mph.
HORTON’S HEROES: Cubs rookie starter Cade Horton continued his impressive stretch of pure dominance, tacking on 5.2 scoreless innings to bring his active scoreless streak to 23.1 IP.
Horton attacked the zone early and often on Wednesday, throwing 56 of his 67 pitches for strikes. That 83.1 percent strike rate is the highest in an outing in baseball this season (minimum 50 pitches).
Craig Counsell on Horton’s outing: “That’s top-end stuff. It’s quality stuff, and that’s a good formula for success.”
IMMACULATE: Andrew Kittredge, acquired at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, tossed the sixth immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches) in Cubs history.
Kittredge joins Milt Pappas (1971), Bruce Sutter (1977), Lynn McGlothen (1977), LaTroy Hawkins (2004), and Hayden Wesneski (2022) as the only Cubs to achieve the feat. With 117 immaculate innings in MLB history (per Baseball Almanac), it’s nearly three times rarer than the no-hitter (326).
Pitching successes aside, was Wednesday a sign of things to come for the Cubs? It could be.
I noted Suzuki and Swanson’s exit velocity because it’s typically a decent indicator of seeing the ball extremely well. For Suzuki, who’d looked somewhat off balance in the batter’s box over the past week or so, yesterday was an especially important breakout game.
Suzuki led the Cubs (and the National League) in RBI up until the All-Star break. But it’s been a tough go as of late, bringing home just seven runs since the Midsummer Classic.
Now the pressure falls on Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong to come out of their funks next. But Suzuki and Swanson’s strong day is an encouraging sign.
Cubs 6, Reds 1
The Kickoff Classic ⛳️
FORE!
What: CHGO’s 3rd Annual Kickoff Classic
Where: Cog Hill #2 — The Ravines!
When: Friday, Aug. 22 - 9 a.m.
Open to: individuals, twosomes and foursomes
Perks: Limited-edition CHGO tee gifts, contests, giveaways, and lunch during a post-round ceremony.
SHOT OUT OF A CANNON: The White Sox’s offense nearly clawed back from an early 7-1 deficit on Wednesday night against the Mariners, but Jonathan Cannon’s third consecutive very rough outing proved too much to overcome.
Over Cannon’s last three starts, he’s allowed 18 earned runs in 12 innings pitched, surrendering two home runs in each start. Before the stretch, Cannon’s ERA sat at 4.18 but has since ballooned to 5.34.
On the bright side, Curtis Mead, acquired in the deadline deal that sent Adrian Houser to the Tampa Bay Rays, notched his first RBI in his first start in a White Sox uniform.
Mariners 8, White Sox 6
Next Up: Williamsport
Illinois’ Clarendon Hills LL is World Series bound! #LLWS
— #Little League (#@LittleLeague)
1:04 AM • Aug 7, 2025
Clarendon Hills is headed to the Little League World Series! They’ll rep the Great Lakes region at the 2025 Little League World Series after a big win against Hamilton, Ohio, last night, 9-4.
Their first game of the Little League World Series is scheduled for next Wednesday.
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
2:00 on YouTube
⚾️ White Sox @ Mariners
3:10 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Bulls
4:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bears
4:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO White Sox
POSTGAME on YouTube
🐻 Hoge & Jahns
TBD on YouTube
🏀 Sky vs. Dream
7:00 on WCIU
📺 CHGO Cubs Related
8:00 on CHGO Cubs YT
