Michael Busch and the Cubs really needed Sunday.
Benched after an 0 for 30 slump, Busch’s eighth-inning pinch-hit single led to the Cubs tying the game. Carson Kelly’s ninth-inning single gave the Cubs a 7-6 win over the Pirates, helping them avoid a sweep after two games of missed opportunities and poor situational hitting.
“That win was pretty big,” Busch said.
For the first time in a while, Busch played a part in a Cubs victory.
Expected to be a key cog in the Cubs offense after a strong 2025 when he hit 34 home runs with a .343 on-base percentage, Busch’s start to 2026 hasn’t been ideal.
Entering Sunday’s game, Busch was hitting .118 with an OPS-plus of 15. His advanced stats didn’t indicate he’s having bad luck – Busch’s average exit velocity of 87.0 mph was in the 26th percentile of MLB and his 5.0% barrel rate was in the 33rd percentile.
“It’s been pretty frustrating, but putting one foot in front of the other each day and continuing to work,” Busch said before the game. “Starting to feel a little better as of late, but obviously not getting the results I want.”
Busch’s hit Sunday wasn’t a screamer – it left his bat at just 68.2 mph – but he and the Cubs weren’t too concerned about that. They were glad to see him break through.
“It lets you take a big exhale,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It doesn’t give you anything tomorrow or the next day but it lets you take a big exhale and you contribute to a win. For every guy in there, you desperately want to do that.”
Busch was not the only Cubs player who helped them recover from an early 5-0 deficit.
Dansby Swanson homered in the third and made two alert plays on the bases. With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Alex Bregman popped to the Pirates’ Brandon Lowe at second. Lowe made the catch but fell backward, allowing Swanson to score. In the eighth, Swanson came around from first to score the tying run on Busch’s single when Pittsburgh left fielder Bryan Reynolds made an errant throw back into the infield.
Swanson said he’s been taught his whole life to run with his eyes up and on the ball. That gave the Cubs two important runs Sunday.
“Your instincts can tell you to go quicker than someone can tell you to go, for you to listen and then be able to go,” Swanson said. “A lot of it is just enjoyment. I get a lot of joy out of running bases.”
There hadn’t been a lot of joy around the Cubs during the first two games with Pittsburgh. They were shut out Friday and frustrated Saturday, going 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranding 16 runners on base in a 4-3, 11-inning loss.
From the outside, Sunday looked like it would be no different. The Cubs were down and not maximizing opportunities.
Inside the dugout, the vibe was different. Relievers Riley Martin and Ethan Roberts combined for two scoreless innings, buying the Cubs time until they rallied.
“I never saw our guys waver or falter today,” said starter Jameson Taillon, who pitched six innings and allowed six runs, including Lowe’s second-inning grand slam.
Because of Busch and others, the Cubs ended a rough series in a good mood.
“Every day is a must-win,” Kelly said. “We just continue to keep putting good days on top of good days. We control what we can control and just continue to keep hitting the ball hard, play good defense and pitch well.”