CHICAGO —
Some games, you forget by morning.
Others, you carry with you — for a long, long time.
Tuesday night at Wrigley Field wasn’t just a win for the Cubs.
It was a message.
A memory.
A moment.
Final score: Cubs 11, Dodgers 10.
Ten innings. Countless swings. One unforgettable walk-off.
And when the storm finally settled, Cubs manager Craig Counsell stepped in front of a mic and said something that just felt… true.
“We don’t quit here.”
He meant every word.
🎢 Early Trouble, Late Magic
The night didn’t exactly start with fireworks — at least not for the home team.
Freddie Freeman took advantage of a hanging pitch and sent it out for a three-run homer in the third. By the time the fifth rolled around, the Dodgers led 7–2, and honestly? It felt like one of those nights.
But here’s the thing about these 2025 Cubs:
They don’t play by the script.
They don’t care what’s supposed to happen.
Cody Bellinger — facing his old squad — cracked a two-run double in the sixth. Wrigley stirred. Just a little.
Then came the seventh.
Christopher Morel stepped up and launched a three-run homer into the night. 💣
Tied game. 7–7.
Suddenly, every seat was full, and every fan was on their feet.
💥 Trading Punches with a Heavyweight
The Dodgers didn’t go quietly.
Max Muncy doubled in two more runs in the eighth. 9–7, LA.
It was like trying to hold off a wave with your bare hands.
But somehow, the Cubs kept their footing.
Nico Hoerner came through.
Seiya Suzuki came through.
9–9. Again.
No panic. No fear. Just baseball.
“I think we kind of live in the chaos,” Morel said afterward, grinning.
“And honestly… we kind of love it.”
🧨 The 10th: A Chapter All Its Own
Top of the 10th, Dodgers grab one more — a sac fly makes it 10–9.
Most teams are done there. Most nights, that’s the last punch.
But not this night.
Not this team.
Ian Happ drilled a single up the middle. Tie game, again. 10–10.
Two outs. Runner on third. The kind of moment that either breaks your heart — or builds your legend.
Garrett Cooper stepped in.
He didn’t blink.
Full count.
One pitch.
Crack.
Line drive. Left-center field. Walk-off single. Cubs win. 🎉⚾
And just like that, Wrigley exploded.
Teammates flew out of the dugout. Water bottles everywhere. Fans screaming into the cold night air. A total, beautiful mess.
“I don’t even remember rounding first,” Cooper said later.
“I just remember everyone running at me.”
“It felt like… joy.”
💪 No Shine, Just Grit
Was it clean? Not really.
There were errors. Missed pitches. Missed calls.
But what mattered — what lasted — was the fight.
This team doesn’t play perfect baseball.
But they play with heart. With belief. With a stubbornness that refuses to die.
“Every team says they’re tough,” Counsell said.
“But this group… they show it. Over and over again.”
🔭 This Means Something
Now sitting at 12–8, the Cubs aren’t just “off to a nice start.”
They’re building something. Quietly. Grittily. Proudly.
No stars in the headlines.
No one expecting much.
And maybe that’s exactly why it’s working.
