Kyle Tucker broke out of his slump emphatically, hitting two home runs and driving in five runs as the Chicago Cubs routed the Los Angeles Angels 12-1 on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.
Reese McGuire added to the offensive explosion with a grand slam and matched his career high with five RBIs, helping Chicago secure its seventh win in nine games. The Cubs hold the top National League wild card position and remain six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
Cade Horton (8-4) delivered a strong outing on the mound, limiting Los Angeles to three hits over six scoreless innings. The rookie right-hander struck out five and walked two before handing the ball to Ben Brown, who finished the final three innings to record his first career save.
Tucker, who had gone 25 games without a home run before Friday, has three in the last two nights. The power surge came after Cubs manager Craig Counsell opted to rest him for three consecutive games earlier in the week. His performance on Saturday included a two-run homer in the third inning and a three-run shot in the sixth, marking his eighth career multi-homer game and his first since May 2024, which also came against the Angels while he was with Houston.
McGuire’s grand slam in the fourth inning off Angels starter Victor Mederos blew the game open, putting Chicago ahead 6-0. By the sixth inning, Tucker’s second homer extended the margin to 10-0, giving the Cubs a commanding lead they never relinquished. McGuire also added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The Angels managed eight hits but struggled to generate runs. Jo Adell provided the lone highlight when he hit his 29th home run of the season in the seventh inning, preventing the Cubs from completing a shutout. Adell has now homered in back-to-back series against Chicago this year.
Mederos (0-2) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on six hits and three walks. Reliever Carson Fulmer was also struck, allowing six more runs over two innings. The Angels fell to 2-6 since sweeping the Dodgers earlier this month, continuing their inconsistent play.
Star outfielder Mike Trout endured a tough night, going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts to snap his 22-game on-base streak. Angels manager Ron Washington said afterward that Trout remains fully healthy but struggled to adjust to Horton’s mix of fastballs and off-speed pitches.
For Chicago, Michael Busch set up Tucker’s first home run in the third inning with a two-out double that slipped past first baseman Nolan Schanuel. Busch finished with two hits, while Pete Crow-Armstrong and Carson Kelly each drove in runs to extend the Cubs’ lead in the late innings.
Sportsbooks listed the Cubs as -140 favorites entering Saturday’s game, and they covered comfortably with the 11-run margin. The over/under was set at 8.5 runs, which the Cubs nearly hit on their own by the sixth inning.
The series concludes Sunday, when Angels right-hander Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.93 ERA) faces his former club for the first time. He will be matched against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (8-6, 4.26 ERA) as Chicago looks to complete the three-game sweep.
