Are the Cubs Back? 3 Takeaways After 16-Run Explosion vs the Blue Jays

It was a perfect sunny afternoon in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood today. People all around, decked out in their baby blues for a Friday 1:20 game at Wrigley Field. And, boy, did the Cubs give those fans something to cheer about.

Sixteen somethings to be exact.

The Cubs piled on the runs early today, as in the first inning the squad scored 7 and eventually knocked out Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman in the 2nd inning at 68 pitches.

Remember when the Cubs had runner in scoring position issues? Well, they went 10-24 today in RISP situations, collecting more RISP hits today than they have had in the last month's worth of games. Crazy!

The Cubs had more hits with runners in scoring position in that inning than they've had in the last 45 games combined.
— Brett Taylor (@Brett_A_Taylor) June 19, 2026

What many thought would be a pitching duel between Gausman and Ben Brown turned into a one-sided slugfest and one of the most fun days at the ballpark this season.

Let's break it all down!

Cubs got the big hits today and then some!

Jun 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki (27) hits a two-run double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Everyone in the Cubs lineup besides Matt Shaw had a hit today, coming away with 18 total, 7 of which were surrendered by Kevin Gausman. The Cubs actually raised Gausman's ERA from 3.41 to 4.04 after scoring 7 off him in the 1st inning alone.

Gausman would walk four of the first 6six batters he faced today, and after a Suzuki 2-run double, would load the bases up for Carson Kelly, who would unload them quickly.

HOW GRAND IT IS.

⭐️: https://t.co/hFFdpa6mDR pic.twitter.com/9VFRf5q0sM
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 19, 2026

Kelly would drive in 6 total runs today on 3 hits and see his average climb to .282 on the year. Alex Bregman would single in another run in his second at-bat of the 1st inning (!!) to make it 7-0. The Cubs would maintain from there.

The Cubs would score 4 more runs in the 6th without an extra-base hit, turning three singles and two walks into four insurance runs. That's a huge win for the Cubs offense in my mind, given how terrible the team has been at creating extra-base hits. To still find a way to push four runs across on just singles and walks is hopefully another sign of the Cubs' offense turning things around.

The Cubs weren't done there, however, adding 5 more runs in the 7th inning, capped off by Justin Dean's pinch-hit bases-clearing triple, which was also his first MLB hit!

CLEAR THE BASES, JUSTIN. pic.twitter.com/sqFobtpk1G
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 19, 2026

Dean came in to hit for PCA and decided to do PCA things – smart move by the 29-year-old outfielder. Dean would later score the Cubs' final run off a single from Pedro Ramirez, pinch-hitting for Alex Bregman in the 7th.

This was a huge win for the Cubs and hopefully a real sign of the offense finally coming out of their deep slump. Over the last 7 games, the Cubs are slashing .261/.343/.483 with 8 home runs and 26 extra-base hits during that span. And that was before today's 16-run outburst!

Ben Brown continues to be nails for the Cubs

Jun 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown (32) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Brown had another solid outing today, going 6 innings and allowing only 2 runs – both driven in by George Springer. He only had four K's but did not issue any walks, and while he did allow a solo home run to Springer, that was just his second homer given up this year.

That's a huge win for Brown and the Cubs' rotation, who lead the league in home runs allowed. Brown also allowed 18 home runs last year, so for him to be at just two on June 19th is one of the biggest reasons he has had this breakout season.

Brown's become much less predictable this year, as he's featured his sinker more (21.2%). And while he still leans on his fastball (36.9%) and knuckle curve (35.6%) that sinker is making his other two bread-and-butter pitches more effective.

He's also started to use his changeup exclusively against left-handed batters, and it's working with a .143 batting average and a .286 slugging. He's essentially neutralizing lefties with his changeup. A big win for Brown, who saw lefties kill him last year for a .288 batting average and .540 slugging percentage – currently he's at .214 and .265 vs LHH this year.

While he's not the clear ace of the future for the Cubs, Brown has been every bit of an ace for them in 2026.

Ballesteros back to Iowa

May 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros (25) bats against the Texas Rangers during the game at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Justin Dean played a part in the Cubs' win today, gathering his first hit of his career on a 3-run triple. Dean arrived to the Cubs today after they quietly sent Moises Ballesteros back to Triple-A Iowa. The move wasn't a total shock, as Ballesteros was really struggling on the season (.231 batting average, .687 OPS) and went through the entire month of May without an extra-base hit and just 6 hits in total.

In June, Ballesteros' struggles weren't as prevalent, but still just 6 hits and a .555 OPS was enough for the Cubs to send down the slugger to work through his swing issues. Craig Counsell spoke to the media prior to today's game and addressed Ballesteros heading back to Iowa:

"He’s a talented hitter. He’s 22 years old. He’s done some very good things in the league quickly already, so there’s a good player there. And sometimes you’ve got to go through some struggles to get there.”

Clearly, the Cubs still believe in Ballesteros, but he was trending towards a demotion all last month. And things weren't turning around in June, especially with limited playing time. Now, Ballesteros gets to play every day and is guaranteed about four at-bats each game to try and work out of his funk.

Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Coomer was on 104.3 The Score this morning discussing Ballesteros' demotion (Coom's the best, he's must listen radio). He mentioned that Ballesteros has been struggling to avoid chasing the high fastball. He's also one of the five Cubs currently in the top 10 of most breaking balls seen this season, so when he's not seeing high heat, he's trying to hit nasty breaking stuff.

Cubs need a bat like Ballesteros badly, as the 22-year-old is one of the few true power bats the Cubs have at their disposal. Getting him right will be key to the Cubs' chances later this season and hopefully during the postseason.

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