Taking it on the Chin: Cubs 5 Phillies 1

Q: What were the key highlights of the Cubs vs. Phillies game on April 20, 2026?

The Cubs scored five runs, highlighted by Michael Busch's single and Ian Happ's hard-hit ball, while Aaron Nola struggled, allowing five runs in 4.1 innings.

Q: How did Aaron Nola perform against the Cubs?

Aaron Nola allowed five runs on eight hits and issued four walks in 4.1 innings, marking a disappointing outing for the Phillies' ace.

Q: What impact does the Phillies' losing streak have on their season?

The Phillies' six-game losing streak has dropped their record to 8-14, increasing pressure on the team and manager Rob Thomson amid speculation about job security.

Q: Who were the standout players in the Cubs' victory over the Phillies?

Key players for the Cubs included Ian Happ, Michael Busch, and Dansby Swanson, who contributed significantly to the team's offensive success.

Apr 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) scores against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images For one night, it wasn’t swinging bunts or soft jam shots that killed the Phillies pitching staff. Instead, it was hard contact from the Cubs lineup that plagued Nola’s night. Aaron Nola walked back to the mound for his second inning of work in Wrigley, after the offense behind him stranded the bases loaded with two outs, and the Cubs bats pounced. Ian Happ smacks a 111.5 mph rocket in front of Adolis Garcia. Moisés Ballesteros took the very next pitch right to Garcia again. After a Michael Conforto walk, Nola got one of the best case scenarios when Miguel Amaya got on top of a curveball for a routine double play. The Cubs lineup does not stop after the first seven hitters. Their eight hole hitter, Pete Crow-Armstrong, recently signed a 115 million dollar extension and played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He worked a walk. as their nine hole hitter? The highly paid two-time all-star crushed a center-cut fastball to make it 4-0. In the third, Michael Busch didn’t make hard contact but slapped an opposite field single in front of . then smacked another center-cut fastball for a double. A few batters later, Michael Conforto got a ball in the air to get an extra run. The Phillies’ offense looked lifeless again. Including tonight, they’ve scored ten runs during their six-game losing streak. They ranked 21st in slugging heading into the night and only generated one extra base hit, an RBI double from Justin Crawford, moving up to eighth in the lineup with catching. Aaron Nola lagged through four and a third, allowing five runs on eight hits with a surprising four walks. He could not command the arm-side fastball and the curveball didn’t generate enough chase. The other three and two-thirds of this game were covered by the Phillies bullpen depth, which has been pretty consistent with , , and on the injured list. worked out of the fifth against right handed hitters and . For the second straight night, got middle relief work with the Phillies trailing. He touched 96 mph again and worked a deep mix for two scoreless innings of work. struggled for allowed two quick base runners but got the next three hitters out on his four-seam fastball. Even with the their depth arms keeping Cubs hitters quiet, the Phillies offense couldn’t muster much from the few opportunities they got. In the eighth inning, and worked walks against Holby Milner that put runners on first and second. With two outs, stayed in to face the side arm left hander Gabe Kapler once said was “nasty brother”. After working a two-two count, Stott popped up a sweeper to end the inning. In the ninth, Justin Crawford worked a nine-pitch walk from . He later took second base on a botched pick-off attempt and got to third base on a wild pitch later. The Phillies had three more chances with a runner in scoring position and were 0-for-their-last-20. Marchan stayed in to bat and hit a pop-up to Alex Bregman. got a pitch he wanted but Matt Shaw made a diving play. smacked a pop-up in foul territory to end the game. The Cubs defense made several plays tonight to turn hits into outs, the Phillies saw Crawford not get to two different balls to center field. pitched six and two-thirds of one-run ball while Nola couldn’t finish five innings. If it’s June and the Phillies were sitting in first place, this game doesn’t feature mounting pressure. It isn’t coming the night after . There doesn’t have to be massive conclusions or reactions. But at 8-14 to start the year, the Phillies have to take it on the chin.