Chicago Cubs’ offense and Christian Bethancourt explode in historic sweep over Pirates
The Chicago Cubs not only managed a miraculous comeback against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
They got a sweep, stayed in the Wild Card race and made history in the process.
Chicago trailed Pittsburgh 10-3 after six innings on Wednesday, scoring twice in the seventh and three times in the eighth. In what suddenly became a two-run game, the Cubs scored six more runs in the ninth inning to win 14-10.
The victory came with an 18-8 win on Monday and a 9-5 win on Tuesday.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, the 41 runs the Cubs scored against the Pirates are the fourth-most they have scored in a three-game series since 1901.
The franchise record remains 47 runs, which they set against the Pirates in 2019. The only other times the Cubs scored over 40 runs in a three-game series were in 1930 against the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves, respectively.
Most runs in a 3-game series, Cubs since 1901:
2019 vs PIT: 47
1930 against PHI: 44
1930 against BSN: 43
This series against PIT: 41 https://t.co/2odOHxDOPk— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) 28 August 2024
Rookie centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong did plenty of damage from his 8th spot in the lineup, making history of his own, but the Cubs’ No. 9 batters set their own records.
On Monday, catcher Miguel Amaya became the first No. 9 hitter in Cubs history to have four hits and four RBIs in a single game. On Wednesday, catcher Christian Bethancourt broke Chicago’s record for most RBIs in a game from the ninth hole with seven, according to TSN’s StatsCentre.
Bethancourt had an RBI groundout in the second, then a two-run home run in the seventh. A two-RBI double in the eighth and a two-RBI single in the ninth not only brought the Cubs back from the dead, but also helped the veteran catcher do something no No. 9 hitter in franchise history had ever accomplished before.
Amaya and six others had previously shared the record with five RBI each.
Most RBIs in a game by a @Boy No. 9 batter in the modern era of MLB (1900-):
7- Christian Bethancourt (Wednesday)
5- Claude Passeau (1941)
5 – Milt Pappas (1972)
5 – Thad Bosley (1985)
5 – Jason Marquis (2008)
5. Alfonso Rivas III (2002)
5- Alexander Canario (2023)
5. Miguel Amaya (2024) pic.twitter.com/IiBeqe3Nh9– StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) 29 August 2024
The Cubs are now 68-66, putting them 5.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the third and final NL Wild Card spot. Chicago is off Thursday but will open a series against the Washington Nationals at 6:45 p.m. ET on Friday.
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