Game Recap: PCA leads the way as Cubs sweep Dodgers

Matt Marton - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 5 hours ago

CHICAGO - It's only April, but the Chicago Cubs (16-10) just witnessed what playoff baseball could be like in Wrigley Field this season. Facing off against the defending Champion Los Angeles Dodgers (16-9) for the seventh and final time this season, the Cubs had a chance to take the season series and close it out by winning the final four games.

With the wind blowing out for the second straight day and the third time in five home games during this homestand, it was going to be up to the Cubs offense to lead the way yet again as Dave Roberts elected to go with a bullpen game. Backed by another monster three-hit night from Pete Crow-Armstrong, who added four RBIs, it was the Cubs getting the job done as they took care of Los Angeles 7-6 to claim the season series.

Taking the ball for the Cubs was Matthew Boyd, and although this wasn't his best start, he still pitched well enough to earn his second win. Boyd gave the Cubs six innings on the mound, striking out four and allowing six runs. Only three of those runs were earned, as his ERA is still in the 2.5 range. Considering he has faced the Padres twice, the Dodgers twice and the Diamondbacks, it's pretty impressive what he has been able to do thus far.

Boyd made quick work of the Dodgers through two innings, but in the third, he found himself in a tough spot. After walking Michael Conforto to lead things off, the Dodgers rallied with a pair of singles from Austin Barnes and Shohei Otani to load the bases with one down. Boyd was on the verge of stranding all three runners only to have Teoscar Hernandez cash in with an RBI single to put LA in front 2-0. Those were the first of his four RBI nights as he had a massive series against the Cubs.

As was the case on Tuesday when the Cubs took the Dodgers best shot before punching back, the Cubs had their chances to push runs across only to strand three runners over the first three innings. With one down in the fourth, the Dodgers went with another pitching change and brought Noah Davis in for the second time in two games. Davis was saddled with the loss on Tuesday, throwing just one pitch, and with Dansby Swanson picking up a one-out single ahead of the Nico Hoerner walk, it was the Cubs once again in business.

That brought the man himself Pete Crow-Armstrong, to the plate as he unloaded for his second homer in as many nights to put the Cubs in front 3-2. It was a lead that didn't last long as the Dodgers got back to work in the fifth and kept the pressure on Boyd yet again. It all started with a Miguel Rojas single as a fielding error shortly after had the Dodgers threatening.

Hoping to escape the inning with limited damage, Mookie Betts came through with a clutch double to tie things up before scoring later in the inning on the Hernandez homer that put the Dodgers back in front 5-3. It was evident after that homer that Boyd didn't have his best stuff, but when half of the runs he allowed were unearned, not all of it was his fault.

Looking to punch back again, the Cubs went back to what has been working for them all season as their patience gave Jack Dreyer fits. Not only did Kyle Tucker work a one-out walk, but Justin Turner and Michael Busch followed that up with a pair of walks to load the bases with one down. Hoping to cash in again, it was Dansby Swanson delivering the massive knock as his single brought home a pair to make this a 5-5 game.

That was only the beginning for the Cubs as Nico Hoerner put the Cubs in front for good with a sacrifice fly while the Crow-Armstrong single closed out what was a four-run inning with the Cubs back in front 7-5. Those were the final runs of the game for Chicago, and after Andy Pages took Boyd deep in the sixth to pull Los Angeles within 7-6, you had to wonder if seven runs would be enough, especially when the Dodgers put two more runners in scoring position later in the inning only to be turned away.

On this day, seven runs were enough as the Cubs had to rework their bullpen in the late innings as Ryan Pressly was unavailable after having his right knee drained. That didn't seem to matter in this one as Daniel Palencia, Julian Merryweather, and Porter Hodge were as locked in as ever, combining to allow just one hit across three innings with five punchouts as the Cubs capped off the sweep 7-6.

Hodge is the one that stood out the most as he followed up his dominating 10th inning showing on Tuesday by going 1,2,3 in the ninth with a strikeout of Otani to secure his first save of 2025. Crow-Armstrong paced the Cubs with three hits and four RBIs, as he is responsible for much of the offense. Swanson added two hits and two RBIs and is finally turning the corner.