Cubs have rare luck in extra innings on Tuesday

WASHINGTON DC – When the team has struggled as much as they have for the majority of the season in the midst of a rebuild of the roster, it’s not a surprise that the Cubs wouldn’t be over .500 in very many categories.

That includes extra innings, which have been a struggle for the team for most of the season.

Coming into Wednesday night’s game, the Cubs had won just four of their 15 games that had gone past nine innings all season long. It didn’t look like they’d have to be there when they grabbed an early 4-0 lead over the Nationals in Washington DC.

But they couldn’t hold it, and the game was forced into not one but two extra innings. But unlike most of the season, the finish was much better for the club this time around.

Patrick Wisdom’s RBI double and a run-scoring single by Seiya Suzuki was enough for the Cubs to pick up a 7-5 win at Nationals Park. It improves their record in extra-inning games to 5-11 on the season and their overall mark to 48-67.

Both teams will meet at 12:05 PM central time on Wednesday in the series finale as the Cubs look for their fourth-straight series victory.

Justin Steele had another solid start for the Cubs as he surrendered only one unearned run in six innings, allowing five hits with three strikeouts compared to two walks. Franmil Reyes hit his second homer as a member of the Cubs in the sixth inning that gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead, but the pitching couldn’t hold it.

After Steele’s unearned run in the sixth, the Nationals got another run in the seventh and then two in the eighth on solo homers by Luke Voit and Lane Thomas off reliever Rowan Wick. Both teams would get a run in the 10th inning before the Cubs got a pair in the 11th for the rare extra-inning win in 2022.