Chicago Cubs Hit Record Nine Home Runs in 17-3 Victory Over Milwaukee Brewers

The Chicago Cubs concluded the month of August with a historic power display, hitting nine home runs in a 17-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. The nine home runs set a new single-game franchise record for the club.

The surge brought Chicago’s monthly total to 62 home runs, establishing a franchise record for any calendar month. That mark stands as the second-highest monthly home run total in Major League Baseball history, surpassed only by the 74 home runs hit by the New York Yankees in August 2019. The Cubs currently lead the major leagues in total home runs hit this season, while simultaneously holding a share of the record for most home runs allowed.

Third baseman Alex Bregman led the barrage with three home runs. It was his second three-homer game of the month, coming after he played his first 1,342 career games without recording one. Bregman became the seventh player in major league history to log multiple three-homer games within a single calendar month, joining a group that last included Adam Duvall in September 2020. “First two ever, so for sure, we’ll definitely remember it,” Bregman said after the game.

Bregman hit 12 home runs in August, while teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong hit 14. The pair became just the third duo of teammates in major league history to each hit at least 12 home runs in a single calendar month. They join Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, who accomplished the feat twice, as well as Rafael Palmeiro and Iván Rodríguez.

Milwaukee starting pitcher Kyle Harrison surrendered five home runs early in the contest. Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted that the strategy was to “make someone uncomfortable right away and you don’t let them settle in.” As the game slipped out of reach, Milwaukee turned to first baseman Andrew Vaughn to pitch the seventh and eighth innings to preserve relief pitchers. Vaughn allowed seven runs, nine hits, three walks, and three home runs, including Bregman’s final home run of the night.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy defended using a position player on the mound, stating, “We’re not playing for run differential,” and noting his team’s focus was managing a young pitching staff to win games over the course of the season. The win marked the opening of a four-game series, bringing Chicago within seven games of division-leading Milwaukee in the National League Central.

Background

In Major League Baseball (MLB), teams play a 162-game regular season divided across six divisions within the American League and the National League. The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers both compete in the National League Central division, making their head-to-head games critical for playoff positioning late in the season.

During lopsided games, managers sometimes choose to deploy position players—such as first basemen—as relief pitchers in late innings. This practice is used to spare actual pitchers from overuse during a long season, though it frequently leads to additional runs and home runs for the opposing team.