Chicago Cubs Pull Off Stunning 9th-Inning Comeback—Watch the Game-Changing Moment

The Chicago Cubs returned to Wrigley Field this week hoping to tighten a jam-packed National League Central race, but a frustrating 5-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday underlined how little margin for error remains in early August. Spencer Steer’s three-run blast off right-hander Ben Brown broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh, quieting a raucous crowd moments after Dansby Swanson appeared to knot the game with an opposite-field single that was overturned on replay. Soroka setback adds to rotation worries The defeat arrived only hours after Chicago placed trade-deadline acquisition Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list with right-shoulder inflammation, just one start into his Cubs tenure. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer conceded the gamble “isn’t looking like a good bet right now,” and manager Craig Counsell must again juggle a patchwork rotation that already leans on rookies Brown and Cade Horton. Shaw’s surge a silver lining If there is a spark, it is rookie infielder Matt Shaw. The 2023 first-rounder tied Tuesday’s game with his seventh big-league homer, a 410-foot shot to left-center that continued a torrid 10-for-26 stretch since the All-Star break. Shaw’s emergence has allowed Counsell to lengthen the lineup around Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki, but Chicago still ranks 11th in the NL in runs since July 1. Standings snapshot and playoff math The Cubs have slipped to third place, three games behind Milwaukee and 1.5 back of Cincinnati entering Wednesday. FanGraphs now pegs their postseason odds at 42 percent, down from 61 percent on July 15. Chicago plays 19 of its next 25 against division opponents, making this homestand against the Reds and Pirates critical for any late-season surge. 2027 All-Star Game coming to the North Side One piece of good news: MLB confirmed last week that Wrigley Field will host the 2027 All-Star Game, pending resolution of the league’s collective-bargaining talks. It will be the ballpark’s first Midsummer Classic since 1990 and is expected to generate more than $100 million in local economic impact, according to the Chicago Sports Commission. What’s next Chicago turns to left-hander Jordan Wicks (6-4, 3.62 ERA) tonight opposite Reds righty Hunter Greene. Counsell hinted pre-game that Christopher Morel could see time at second base to keep Shaw’s bat in the lineup while giving Nico Hoerner a breather. Key search-friendly takeaways • Chicago Cubs playoff chances fading after loss to Reds • Michael Soroka injury deepens Cubs’ starting-pitching crisis • Rookie Matt Shaw providing much-needed power surge • Wrigley Field awarded 2027 MLB All-Star Game With six weeks left, the Cubs still control their destiny—but only if the rotation holds together and the offense finds timely hits in front of the ivy.