The Cubs entered the bottom of the 10th inning leading over the Cardinals on Wednesday night thanks to the effort of Pete Crow-Armstrong to hit a two run shot into the bullpen in right field. The game had been defensive up to the very end, with neither team scoring prior to the end of regulation. The game was being played at Busch Stadium, so the Cubs were able to take the lead in the top of the 10th. But Trent Thornton wasn't able to put away the Cardinals like he needed to, and PCA's triumph quickly turned sour.
Matthew Boyd put up seven quality innings that saw not a single runner cross the plate. He threw 89 pitches, 62 of which were strikes. Boyd struck out five batters and only gave up four hits. The Cubs couldn't have possibly asked for a better outing than that. Boyd once again proves why he's still on the mound, and why he's trusted to get the job done.
Matthew Boyd, what a guy. pic.twitter.com/Wr1ZVv2KEI
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 30, 2026
This is exactly the kind of thing that could be representative of the Cubs this season. One moment, they're on top of the world. They're celebrating a second ten-game win streak before July, and then the next moment, they're performing like the worst team in ball, a pitcher is getting injured per game, and the division looks more and more unattainable by the day.
If the Cubs want to win the division, they simply need to do better, and Craig Counsell needs to do better. The game was three simple outs away from being a Cubs victory away, and Trent Thornton wasn't able to put it down. In sixteen pitches, he single-handedly lost the game after PCA heroically put the Cubs up. I will defend Craig Counsell on most things, but I refuse to defend that. Thornton had no business on the mound after a second runner was on base.
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