The Cardinals-Cubs series opened about as quiet as a series can open on offense, then got loud fast. Shota Imanaga no-hit St. Louis, gutting through the 9th on fumes according to fans tracking the game live, and Wrigley Field lost its mind when he finished it off.
Cubs players mob the mound as Imanaga closes out the no-hitter.
That kind of pitching performance sets a tone, but a series is more than one start. The very next game flipped the script entirely, with both offenses waking up and the scoreboard turning into a track meet instead of a pitchers' duel.
The Cubs pile on runs as Wrigley Field erupts, pulling ahead of the Cardinals.
Steven Cheah pointed out the Cubs scored more runs in the 1st inning of that game against St. Louis than they had in their previous two games combined — a stat that sums up just how much the bats came alive. Betting-trends account Trust The Data was leaning into the chaos too, framing the Cubs as a team that wasn't about to get swept even with Ian Happ deep into a strikeout streak.
The Cubs backed it up. They closed out the win and ran up the iconic W flag over Wrigley, with Dansby Swanson getting the credit for helping seal it. A series that started with a no-hitter turned into exactly the opposite — a run-scoring free-for-all that swung the whole thing back in Chicago's favor.
The Cubs celebrate the win and fly the W as the pitcher walks off after the final out.