If you can’t beat ‘em, add ‘em?
Even after luring Craig Counsell away, the Cubs have yet to wrest control of the division from the Brewers.
But with another ex-Brewer in the fold, maybe things could be different?
Tyrone Taylor, a Brewer from 2019 to 2023, made the case with his first-inning home run Monday, the start of a record-setting Cubs home-run barrage in a 17-3 blowout win.
The Cubs set a new franchise mark with nine home runs in a game and wrapped August with 62 homers, the most in a calendar month in National League history and second most in major league history.
“You could feel their energy,” starter Clay Holmes said of the hitters. “After a couple series that we lost, you could tell the position-player group really wanted to come out strong.”
Taylor was added in one of Jed Hoyer’s aggressive moves at the trade deadline, that deal with the Mets landing Holmes with hopes of the righty propelling the Cubs to big things from the top of the rotation.
Hoyer & Co. likely weren’t thinking of Taylor, a reserve outfielder hitting .409 with a .460 on-base percentage as a Cub, as a middle-of-the-order presence, but that homer – his first in a Cubs uniform – came from the cleanup spot.
It was the start of a nine-run, five-homer night against Brewers starter Kyle Harrison, who dealt in two previous outings against the Cubs this season. It’s the kind of pitcher they’ll need to solve if they’re going to be successful come October.
“You make someone uncomfortable right away, and you don’t let them settle in. Tyrone’s homer obviously did that,” Counsell said. “He has had a good season, but we made him uncomfortable immediately.
“We got him tonight, no doubt about it.”
Role players can be difference-makers, but the Cubs parted with No. 2 prospect Jefferson Rojas to nab Holmes, who looked worth the cost once more Monday, following up seven shutout innings against the Diamondbacks with six more scoreless frames against the Brewers.
He’s allowed just a single run in his last four starts, with a 1.55 ERA since being acquired.
“Clay’s been awesome, and he’s done exactly what we thought he would do,” Counsell said. “He’s locked in.”
Before Hoyer’s deadline dealing, the Cubs spent $175 million to add third baseman Alex Bregman, whose scorching summer has only been overshadowed by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP push.
After launching three homers Monday – his second three-homer game in August – Bregman has a 1.018 OPS in his last 43 games.
If the Cubs are going to finally clear the Brewers-shaped hurdle, be it in a surprise late-season rally in the division race or come the postseason, the front office’s aggressive work to add to the roster could prove the difference.
Sticking with Shota
The Cubs have no plans to remove lefty Shota Imanaga from their rotation following a second straight clunker Sunday.
Imanaga leaped into a tie for the major league lead in home runs allowed by surrendering a trio to the Reds, matching the 33 given up by Jeffrey Springs of the Athletics.
“Shota’s going to make his next start,” Counsell said Monday. “We’re going to continue to work on, like everybody, having him be more effective, be your best possible self and be as effective as you possibly can. That work never stops.
“We need Shota to be one of our guys.”
The choice to stick with Imanaga is no shock. Though he wrapped a rough August with a 5.96 ERA in five starts, including a pair of games in which he allowed three homers, that followed a terrific July (1.53 ERA in five starts) and a stretch of a 2.09 ERA in nine starts.
“Major League Baseball is an execution game,” Counsell said. “Shota has proven, at his best self, he’s a very good major league pitcher. He didn’t execute some things [Sunday] night.”
However, watching Imanaga serve up long balls brings to mind how his 2025 ended: He gave up 10 homers in September and wasn’t chosen to start the Cubs’ loss to the Brewers in Game 5 of the NLDS.
Ramirez sidelined
Cubs infielder Pedro Ramirez was out of the lineup Monday while dealing with back spasms that cropped up Sunday.
“He was really sore [Sunday] night, actually, and we were very concerned,” Counsell said. “He responded really well today. It loosened up.
“He was walking gingerly last night by the time the game was over but was able to take some swings, even, in the cage today.”
Counsell said Ramirez won’t have to go on the injured list but will likely sit again Tuesday.
Murray? Present.
Infielder B.J. Murray Jr. is joining the Cubs after putting up impressive numbers in the minors this season.
In 118 games with Triple-A Iowa, Murray hit .294/.395/.500 with 49 extra-base hits, 68 RBIs and 74 runs scored.
Murray, ranked as the organization’s No. 19 prospect, was a 15th-round draft choice of the Cubs in 2021.
He’ll become the second player born in the Bahamas to appear in a game for the Cubs, joining infielder Andre Rodgers, who played in nearly 500 games across four seasons as a North Sider in the 1960s.