Your recap for the Cubs’ 11-4 loss to the Cardinals Sunday is basically in the headline. Edward Cabrera returned from injury, got hit hard and didn’t have command, and then Dansby Swanson took a swing in the third inning and immediately came out of the game.
I guess I could wrap things here, but… you come here for a complete recap and you are going to get one.
First, I was amused by this sequence of social media posts. When Craig Counsell met with media before the game, here’s what he said about the Cubs upcoming rotation:
Per #Cubs Craig Counsell, David Peterson will be moved to the bullpen for the time being as Edward Cabrera gets reinserted into the rotation.
— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) August 16, 2026
Five-plus hours later, after Cabrera’s disastrous outing, here’s what the media heard from Counsell:
Craig Counsell said Edward Cabrera making another start when his spot comes up again will have to be discussed.
— Jared Wyllys (@jwyllys) August 16, 2026
Gee, Craig. Ya think?!?!?!
I don’t know what was up with Cabrera. His velocity was fine. But when he wasn’t getting hit hard — four-extra-base hits including a home run in the first three innings — he was issuing walks, three of them in what wound up being a six-run fourth that put the game essentially out of reach.
Personally, I’d put Cabrera in the pen and let David Peterson, who’s been really good as a starter, keep that starting spot.
Before that, though, the Cubs did make an attempt to come back from a 3-0 second-inning deficit. And that’s when Swanson’s injury happened [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.Swanson immediately left the game and was replaced by James Triantos. Triantos worked a walk, and one out later Pete Crow-Armstrong put a ball in the bleachers [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.Well. Now it’s 3-2 and there’s at least a chance, right?
Nope. In the top of the fourth, Cabrera retired the first Cardinals hitter, then loaded the bases with two walks and a single and walked in a run. After a sacrifice fly made it 5-2 and the other runners moved up to second and third, Ryan Rolison was summoned. Alec Burleson singled in a pair to make it 7-2 and then Rolison gave up a long home run to Jordan Walker and in just a few minutes’ time the Cardinals led by seven.
Aaron Civale threw a pair of scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, despite loading the bases with two out in the sixth, so perhaps Civale can be counted on for multi-inning relief. His numbers with the Cubs have been quite good in that role.
In the top of the eighth, Caleb Thielbar entered and allowed a hit and walk after one out, then struck out Burleson. But he wasn’t going to be allowed to face the righthanded-hitting Walker, so Trent Thornton was summoned. Welp, that didn’t work either, as Walker hit a two-run double to make it 11-2.
The Cubs scored a couple of consolation runs. In the eighth, Seiya Suzuki led off with a double and went to third on an infield out. Tyrone Taylor, batting for Ian Happ, scored Suzuki with this sac fly [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.For amusement value, Carson Kelly pitched the ninth and was throwing “fastballs” as fast as 74 miles per hour! He allowed a two-out single but did not allow a run. It’s the second time Kelly has mopped up this year and that reduced his ERA from 18.00 to 9.00, for whatever that’s worth.
Miguel Amaya completed the Cubs scoring with his fifth home run with one out in the ninth [VIDEO].
Your browser does not support the video tag.Here’s the postgame update on Swanson:
Per Craig Counsell, #Cubs Dansby Swanson will go on the IL with a left oblique injury. Severity not yet determined, he will get an MRI tomorrow.
— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) August 16, 2026
This is not good. Whatever you think of Swanson’s hitting, his defense will be missed, and oblique injuries are notoriously difficult to come back from. He might miss a month, depending on the severity. It means Nico Hoerner plays shortstop and Pedro Ramirez second base, and while those two are good defenders, it’s still a notch down from Swanson at short and Nico at second. Who will be recalled to take Swanson’s place on the active roster is uncertain, but it probably has to be either Justin Dean or Kevin Alcántara — those are the only two position players on the 40-man roster currently on option at Triple-A Iowa.
A couple of final notes on this loss from BCB’s JohnW53:
Going into today, the Cubs had surrendered 79 homers with any runners on base, second most to the Nationals’ 80. The White Sox and Yankees were tied for third, with 72. The combined average of the 29 teams besides the Cubs was just 59 — 20 fewer, 25.3 percent, than the Cubs’ 79.
…..
The Cubs have given up at least six runs in five of their last six games, including today.They also had allowed at least six runs in two of their previous five games, for a total of seven of their last 11.
For the season, they have surrendered half a dozen or more in 37 games. They were 11-25 in the ones before today.
So none of this is good. Here’s more not good news: The Brewers defeated the Dodgers Sunday so the Cubs are now five games out in the NL Central. And all of this is prelude to hosting a hot White Sox team that just swept the Tigers, beginning Monday evening at Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start the series opener and old NL Central opponent Luis Castillo will go for the White Sox. Game time Monday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and also CHSN and WCIU-Ch. 26 with the Sox announcers).