WASHINGTON — The Cubs couldn’t stop scoring in the ninth. They entered the inning with a six-run lead, then scored seven more.
Everything seems to be clicking for the Cubs, who swept a second consecutive series and ran their winning streak to six with a 14-1 victory Sunday against the Nationals.
“It’s like a tale of two seasons,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “Everyone’s putting so much pressure to be able to score runs and produce. Then, right now, it feels like the opposite.
“It’s like everyone’s just free and confident, whether it’s themselves or the guy that’s on deck or the guy that’s in the batter’s box. It’s been a lot of fun, and we’ve definitely been enjoying it.”
Fun was not a word associated with the Cubs when they averaged 3.57 runs from April 28 to July 3.
But the offense has been vital in getting the Cubs back in the wild-card race. They averaged 8.9 runs on the trip, going 8-1. They’re 3œ games out of the last National League wild-card spot, held by the Braves, who played the Phillies on Sunday night.
“It’s [center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong], it’s [catcher Miguel Amaya], it’s the guys at the bottom of the lineup really playing great offense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “The other guys have done their part, absolutely, but what those two guys have done has really changed our offense.”
The lack of reliable hitting held the team back from May to July, particularly the bottom of the lineup. The Cubs slashed .219/.302/.351 from April 28 to July 3, going 22-38 in that stretch. But from July 4 to Aug. 31, they slashed .258/.323/.438, averaging 5.27 runs.
The Cubs have been having innings in which hitting seems contagious. That aspect was missing earlier in the season. They’ve scored 10 or more runs five times in their last 10 games. Against the Nats, they had at least one inning with at least four runs in each game. In their last 10 games, the Cubs have scored at least three runs in an inning 14 times.
“The way we’re swinging the bats and flying around the field, it’s a lot of fun to see,” said starter Jordan Wicks, who threw five innings and allowed one run on four hits.
On Monday, the Cubs begin a six-game homestand against the Pirates and Yankees. The Pirates have fallen into last place in the NL Central, and though the Yankees have superstar sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, they’re 39-39 since July 1.
With all three phases working, the Cubs look to be a formidable team in September. After falling nine games under .500 on July 3, they’re five games over.
“Good teams do it all,” Swanson said. “Whether it’s on the defensive end, whether it’s pitching — starting and bullpen — whether it’s at the plate, on the bases. Right now, we’re just playing a complete brand of baseball.”
The Cubs finished August 18-8. Entering Saturday, they had a 5.2% chance of clinching a wild-card spot — an improvement from the 3.1% chance they had Aug. 1.
“Christian [Bethancourt] just keeps coming up with big hits,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It was a big hit, got the game going, and Dansby [Swanson] had a big hit. We ran the bases well to get us some runs.”