Colin Rea worked two scoreless innings to open the game for the Cubs, while Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch provided early offense. The Dodgers battled through a rough outing from Roki Sasaki, a shaky half inning from catcher Dalton Rushing, and lingering frustration over a bullpen collapse the night before.
Colin ReaCubsDodgersSeiya SuzukiMichael BuschMiguel AmayaRoki SasakiPete Crow-Armstrong
Colin Rea quietly delivered the kind of start the Cubs needed against the Dodgers. Entering the game with a 3-0 record and a 3.00 ERA, Rea kept the ball moving early and avoided damage, working 2.0 innings with two hits, no runs, one walk and two strikeouts on 42 pitches. With the Cubs coming off a bullpen collapse the previous day and dealing with injuries, there was clear value in simply getting a starter to absorb innings and limit early stress on the relief corps.
The Cubs struck first when Seiya Suzuki launched a fly ball to left-center field for a home run. That early swing set the tone for a lineup that also found production in the third inning. Miguel Amaya was hit by a pitch to start the frame, then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Michael Busch single. Busch continued to look like a hitter who thrives in this matchup, and the Cubs took advantage of every opening the Dodgers gave them.
Amaya's steal of second was one of the more unusual moments of the game. A catcher taking off for a bag is rare enough to stand out on its own, and he made it count by turning a hit-by-pitch into a run. The sequence was a reminder that the Cubs did not need a big inning to create pressure. They just needed to keep the line moving, force mistakes and cash in when the Dodgers lost control of the inning.
The Dodgers' catcher, Dalton Rushing, had a rough stretch that compounded the inning's problems. He struggled with a challenge, hesitated on a throw and allowed the Cubs to keep extending the frame. The miscues became a focal point of the game because they were so visible in the moment: a catcher trying to manage the pace, the review process and the baserunning all at once, only to lose control of the situation. The result was a half inning that felt messy from every angle and left the Dodgers paying for small mistakes.
Roki Sasaki was also under pressure. The young right-hander had moments where his stuff flashed, but he was fighting command and looking for a cleaner third pitch to round out his arsenal. His slider and splitter were similar enough that pitch classification systems appeared to have trouble separating them, but the deeper issue was simpler: he needed to throw more strikes. When he did, the stuff looked good enough to get by. When he did not, the Cubs were able to stay patient and make him work.
There was still belief in Sasaki's long-term upside, even in a difficult outing. His reputation and raw talent remain obvious, and the expectation is that he can settle in once his command improves and his third pitch becomes more reliable. For now, though, the Dodgers are asking a lot of a young starter who is still learning how to turn elite stuff into consistent results.
The national broadcast drew as much frustration as the action on the field. Much of the commentary centered on Dodgers pitchers, Dodgers hitters and Dodgers roster topics, leaving Cubs fans feeling like their team was an afterthought for long stretches. The constant focus on Sasaki's mechanics, pitch mix and development became a particular irritation as the game went on. The lack of a strike zone graphic also stood out, adding to the sense that the presentation was missing basic details that help viewers follow the action.
Not everyone hated the approach. Some preferred a more technical broadcast that talked pitching mechanics and strategy. But for many viewers, the imbalance was hard to ignore, especially in a game where the Cubs were doing the early damage and Rea was turning in exactly the kind of efficient start they needed. The broadcast became another part of the night that felt tilted toward Los Angeles.
At Dodger Stadium, Pete Crow-Armstrong was booed heavily because of his past ties to the Dodgers organization. The reaction gave the game an extra edge, with Cubs fans wanting to see him answer back at the plate. Crow-Armstrong's every at-bat seemed to carry a little more weight, and the crowd response only increased the desire for him to break through with a big swing. He did not deliver a signature moment in this stretch, but the atmosphere around him added to the tension.
The previous night's bullpen collapse remained a backdrop to everything. The Dodgers had watched a lead disappear after relievers struggled to hold it, and that memory colored the way the game was being judged from the first inning onward. For some, the collapse was just the normal volatility of baseball. For others, it was a painful reminder of how quickly a game can unravel when the bullpen loses the strike zone and the defense stops helping. Either way, it left the team with little margin for error.
That made Sasaki's outing feel even more important. The Dodgers needed length and stability, but instead found themselves chasing the game while also trying to protect a young pitcher still searching for rhythm. The offense had flashes, but not enough to erase the Cubs' early advantage. And when the defense and catcher play got sloppy, the margin got even thinner.
The Cubs, meanwhile, looked like a team happy to take the simple version of the game. Rea gave them a clean start, Suzuki gave them a home run, Amaya manufactured a run with speed and Busch drove him in. In a game with plenty of noise around it, that was enough to put the Cubs in control early and keep the Dodgers chasing.
