Cubs 7, Rangers 1: Ben Brown’s great start helps the winning streak reach 10

All year, the Cubs have gone by a “next man up” mantra. Thus, when Matthew Boyd went down with a knee injury this week, Ben Brown was tabbed to make the start in his place. It was Brown’s first start of the year, and his past results as a starter have been uneven.

Like just about everything else that’s happened with the Cubs this year, Brown did his “next man up” job exceptionally well. Expected to go no more than three innings, Brown instead no-hit the Rangers for four innings. Michael Busch added a bases-clearing double and Seiya Suzuki homered in a 7-1 win over the Rangers , the team’s 10th win in a row.

That, combined with losses by the Braves and Yankees, leaves the Chicago Cubs waking up this morning with the best record in baseball. Also, the 2026 Cubs are in rare territory: Per the Elias Sports Bureau, these Cubs are the fifth team in MLB history with multiple distinct winning streaks of at least 10 games before their 40th decision of a season. The 1955 Dodgers, 1941 Cardinals, 1889 St.

Louis Browns and 1880 Chicago White Stockings (Cubs) also achieved the feat. And per Elias, the Cubs are also just the sixth team with a gap of three or fewer games between a pair of winning streaks of at least 10 games. That rare feat was also pulled off by the 1906 Cubs (one game, twice), 1897 Orioles (one), 1880 White Stockings (two), 1978 Pirates (two), and 1955 Dodgers (three).