Cubs 8, Nationals 3: Michael Busch leads the offense

Tuesday morning, I posted this article on how the Cubs were scoring many more runs on the road than at Wrigley Field.

Tuesday evening, the Cubs continued that trend by plating eight against the Nationals, more than they’d scored in any game on the recent homestand.

Michael Busch went 3-for-4, including a home run, and the Cubs began their nine-game trip on a high note with an 8-3 win over the Nats.

The Nats scored first with a run in the bottom of the first inning off Cade Horton. But the Cubs got that run back quickly. Busch led off the second with a triple, his third of the year.

Dansby Swanson followed with this sacrifice fly [VIDEO].

In the third, the Nats scored a pair off Horton to take a 3-1 lead.

Once again, the Cubs tied the game in the following inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the inning with a double. Then he stole third, his 20th of the season. Carson Kelly then hit a ground ball to third base. PCA faked going home, and that stalled Nats third baseman Jose Tena long enough for Kelly to reach first base. Here’s that entire sequence [VIDEO].

PCA became the fourth-fastest to 15 home runs and 20 steals in a season. Here’s the list:

1. Eric Davis (40 games in 1987)
2. Ken Williams (54 in 1922)
3. Bobby Bonds (59 in 1973)
4. Pete Crow-Armstrong (60 in 2025)
5. Bo Jackson (61 in 1989)
6 (tie). Reggie Sanders (62 in 1999)
6 (tie). Chris Sabo (62 in 1990)

Busch then singled in PCA [VIDEO].

Kelly took third on that hit and scored on Swanson’s second sac fly of the evening [VIDEO].

So the game went to the top of the fifth tied 3-3. Matt Shaw led off the inning with a double, and Ian Happ followed with an infield single, with Shaw taking third.

A bit of history was made with Happ’s hit. Details from BCB’s JohnW53:

Ian Happ’s fifth-inning infield single was the Cubs’ fifth of the night and their 200,000th in regular-season games since the National League began play in 1876. The Cubs are the first team with 200,000 hits, just as they were the first with 100,000 runs.

A third Cubs sac fly, this one by Seiya Suzuki, gave the Cubs the lead [VIDEO].

Happ took second on that hit. PCA followed with a walk and Kelly singled, loading the bases.

Busch drew a walk to make it 5-3 Cubs [VIDEO].

One out later Nico Hoerner singled, scoring a pair to make it 7-3 [VIDEO].

More on Nico’s hit from BCB’s JohnW53:

Nico Hoerner’s two-run single in the fifth inning was his 26th hit of the season with runners in scoring position. He began the day leading in such hits by one over two players with 24: teammates Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki. The most by anyone on any other team was 22, by five players.

Horton remained in the game until he gave up a pair of hits in the sixth, departing with one out in that inning. Despite allowing those three early runs, Horton settled down and had a good outing, striking out three. Here’s the last of those three K’s, of Nathaniel Lowe in the sixth [VIDEO].

Here’s more on Horton’s start [VIDEO].

Caleb Thielbar relieved Horton and got out of the inning with a double-play ball.

Busch completed the Cubs scoring with his ninth home run, leading off the seventh [VIDEO].

With Thielbar still pitching in the bottom of that inning, Swanson made this nifty catch to end the seventh [VIDEO].

The Cubs once again got outstanding bullpen work from Thielbar, Génesis Cabrera (1-2-3 eighth) and Ryan Pressly (scoreless ninth). Here’s the final out [VIDEO].

Busch came up in the ninth needing a double to complete a cycle, but he flied to left. Still, he had an excellent game (3-for-4, home run, triple, three RBI, two runs scored) and he talked about it after the game [VIDEO].

The offense produced well in varying ways — singles, extra-base hits, walks, stolen bases and a home run. Starting pitching was good and relief pitching was excellent. And so:

That’s a really nice way to start the road trip. And the Cardinals blew a five-run lead and lost 10-7 to the Royals at home, so the Cubs’ lead in the NL Central is now five games, and six over the Brewers, who lost to the Reds. Remember that Mike Tauchman catch in St. Louis a couple of years ago that stole a possible game-winning Alec Burleson home run? Well, TJ Friedl made a similar catch in Cincinnati last night that stole a potential game-tying homer from Jake Bauers. Worth watching! [VIDEO]

The Cubs will go for the series win in Washington Wednesday evening. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and MacKenzie Gore goes for the Nats. Game time is again 5:45 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.