2026 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 39

Hat tip to just about everyone, but particularly Pete Crow-Armstrong, who had two more hits including a double the other way and stole a base. OPS .721 and climbing (wRC+ 103)

Game 39, May 8: Cubs 7, Rangers 1 (27-12)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Ben Brown (.212). 4 IP, 13 BF, 0 H, BB, 0 ER, 3 K
• Hero: Javier Assad (.194). 3.2 IP, 12 BF, H, BB, 0 ER, K (W 3-1)
• Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.133). 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat:Ryan Rolison (-.155). 0.1 IP, 4 BF, H, 2 BB, ER
• Goat: Carson Kelly (-.056). 0-4
• Kid: Nico Hoerner (-.052). 0-5

WPA Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer with no outs in the fourth extended the Cub lead to three. (.159)

*Rangers Play of the Game: Justin Foscue singled with runners on first and second and one out in the fifth, scoring the Rangers only run and briefly cutting the Cub lead to two. (.106)

Player of the Game:

Game 38 Winner: Shōta Imanaga received 204 of 289 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings:(Top 3/Bottom 3)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Conforto +12
• Shōta Imanaga +10
• Michael Bsuch +9
• Dansby Swanson/Jacob Webb/Caleb Thielbar/Phil Maton -6
• Matt Shaw -9
• Seiya Suzuki -13

**Current Win Pace:**112.15 wins

Up Next: Game two of the three-game set on Saturday night in Texas. Edward Cabrera (3-0, 3.27, 41.1 IP) makes his eighth start as a Cub. He’s thrown at least five innings in every start and has allowed exactly three earned runs in five consecutive starts (winning three of those). So you kind of know what to expect out of him. In two road starts, he’s allowed three runs in 11.1 innings.

26-year-old Jack Leiter (1-3, 5.45, 38) makes his eighth start of the year. The second overall pick by the Rangers is one of five different family members to pitch professionally. Most of us know his cousin Mark Jr. best, former Cub. Al Leiter is Jack’s dad and Mark Leiter Sr. his uncle. One can only imagine what a family softball game might look like. Jack has made 45 appearances at the big league level, 42 of them starts, with a 4.91 ERA. So he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype of the 2nd overall pick yet. But he does have 43 strikeouts in his 38 innings, so the stuff is real. Last time out, he allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in 6.2 innings, striking out 10. He was the loser in that one and hasn’t won since his season debut back on March 30.

Keep finding ways to win.

Go Cubs.