¡Bomb in Wrigley! Cubs set record with 8 HRs vs. Cardinals, Busch 3.

The Chicago Cubs Unleash a Home Run Feast, Setting a New Record

Chicago witnessed a fireworks display, but on the diamond, the Cubs celebrated Independence Day with an unprecedented offensive display. The team set a new franchise record by hitting eight home runs in a single game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

First baseman Michael Busch led the offense with a stellar performance, hitting three home runs. “Especially doing it at Wrigley Field,” Busch commented after the 11-3 victory. “It’s really cool. I think it was my first three-home run game, ever. It’s a game I’ll never forget.”

Busch, 27, sent the ball over the fence against Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas in the second and third innings. Then, in the seventh inning, he set a personal record with his third home run, this time against reliever John King. This feat hadn’t been seen on the team since Rafael Ortega achieved it on August 1, 2021. Pete Crow-Armstrong also shined with two home runs, and both players finished the day with a perfect 4-4 performance, driving in seven of the team’s 11 runs. Busch drove in five runs. The Cubs have consistently been at the top of the offensive rankings since the start of the season, extending their lead over the Cardinals to 6.5 games.

“It’s easy to appreciate what we’re doing right now,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s also easy to keep going and not let that be something we dwell on. It’s the best offense I’ve been a part of.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Other Cubs players who hit home runs on this historic day were designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, catcher Carson Kelly, and shortstop Dansby Swanson. Manager Craig Counsell reflected on the magnitude of the day, considering the long history of the franchise, especially after a 1-0 victory against the Cleveland Guardians the previous day.

“That’s how sports are,” Counsell said with a smile. “Yesterday it took us 10 innings to score a run. That’s the crazy thing. That’s why you turn the page every day. Today we had a very good day.”

Craig Counsell

Mikolas set a record for the Cardinals, allowing six of the eight home runs, all in the first three innings. The Cardinals broke a scoreless streak since the previous Sunday, when second baseman Brendan Donovan hit a home run in the fourth inning. St. Louis scored two more runs in the ninth inning against Cubs infielder Jon Berti, but the game was already decided. Busch joins a select group of Cubs players who have managed to hit three home runs against the Cardinals. Interestingly, all three have done it on Independence Day: Moisés Alou on July 4, 2003, and Hank Leiber on July 4, 1939.