Chicago Cubs set a franchise record with 8 homers in
The Chicago Cubs commemorated the 4th of July by placing on the biggest fireworks display in franchise history.
The Cubs struck a team-record eight home runs Friday– led by 3 from Michael Busch and 2 from Pete-Crow Armstrong– as they rolled to an 11-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
“It was simply a fun game to be a part of,” Busch said. “Baseball on July 4th, and particularly to do it at Wrigley Field, to leave here with a win and have so much enjoyment in the game, that’s one game I’ll never forget.”
Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly likewise homered for the Cubs (53-35) on a day that ended up being historically sweet after starting on a sour note.
Before the game, the Cubs placed beginning pitcher Jameson Taillon on the 15-day hurt list with an ideal calf stress, and manager Craig Counsell said he anticipates Taillon to be out “more than a month.” Jordan Wicks was remembered from Triple-A Iowa.
Taillon’s injury will once again check the depth of the Cubs pitching staff, just eight days after they got lefty Shota Imanaga back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for nearly two months.
Naturally, it would help if the Cubs can continue to swing the bats with anywhere near the effectiveness they did Friday.
The eight crowning achievement, which included six off Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, featured 3 instances of the Cubs going back to back. Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong did it in the very first, Busch and Kelly in the second and Swanson and Busch in the seventh.
Crow-Armstrong and Busch both blasted balls off the right-field video board in the third also.
After Swanson tied the franchise record with the seventh homer of the day, Busch broke it 5 pitches later.
The Cubs’Michael Busch gestures after striking his 3rd crowning achievement of the day in the seventh inning versus the Cardinals on Friday, July 4
, 2025, at Wrigley Field.(AP Photo/David Banks )Busch, who depends on 17 homers on the season, became the first Cub to hit 3 in a game since Rafael Ortega versus the Washington Nationals on Aug. 1, 2021.” He’s developed into, actually, an excellent offending player, “Counsell stated of Busch.”Last year it seemed like there were ups and downs throughout the
season. This year he’s extended out the ups and reduced the downs, essentially, and you wind up with what you have actually seen.”It’s an excellent player who’s continuing to get better.”Busch and Crow Armstrong each went 4-for-4 as Crow-Armstrong raised his season total to 23 crowning achievement, one behind Suzuki’s team-high 24.
Crow-Armstrong stated the group anticipates to have offending success on a daily basis. The Cubs rank second in the majors with 475 runs, trailing only the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who had 494 going into Friday.
“Day in, day out, enjoying people’s processes and how they dig themselves out of little holes and all that, it’s great to be able to take part on other individuals’s successes,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “It’s really simple to appreciate what we’re doing right now. This is the very best offense I have actually ever belonged of– ever seen.”
The Cubs’ Dansby Swanson, right, is greeted by Pete Crow-Armstrong(4 )after hitting a two-run crowning achievement versus the Cardinals during the seventh inning Friday, July 4, 2025, at Wrigley Field.(AP Photo/David Banks) It was the competitors ‘first conference because a 3-0 Cubs win June 26 in St. Louis that ended with the benches clearing after closer Daniel Palencia and former Cub Willson Contreras exchanged words. Contreras was disturbed after getting struck by a pitch in the ninth inning.
Contreras, who said sorry after that game, received a fair variety of boos from the crowd before each at-bat Friday as he went 0-for-3.
While the Cubs were accumulating runs, the Cardinals (47– 42)– who had been shut out in 3 straight games by the Pittsburgh Pirates– handled just one hit through eight innings before scoring two times in the ninth on 2 hits with infielder Jon Berti on the mound for the Cubs.
Colin Rea (6-3) went 6 2/3 innings for the win, permitting just Brendan Donovan’s homer in the fourth.
Rea’s strong getaway was especially essential ahead of what’s anticipated to be a bullpen day Saturday in the wake of the injury to Taillon, who had been set up to start. Drew Pomeranz will be the opener.
Going forward, Counsell said the Cubs could use Chris Flexen as a starter. Flexen made 30 starts for the Chicago White Sox last season and has actually revitalized his profession in the Cubs bullpen this year, going 5-0 with an 0.62 PERIOD.
Counsell likewise noted the approaching All-Star break will provide the group short-term flexibility with its pitching staff.
As for Friday, however, there was plenty to commemorate. Busch, Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki, Swanson and Kelly positioned for a postgame photo to mark the record occasion.
“You grow up dreaming of playing in the major leagues, and then to be able to get your name in Chicago Cub record books is pretty cool,” Busch said. “I’m going to require to get that image signed by all those guys.”
Initially Released: July 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM CDT