The 2019 Cubs scored at least 10 runs in 5 of their first 10 games, something they had not accomplished since the birth of the National League in 1876. But they lost 2 of those games, 11-10 at Texas, on March 31, and 13-10 at Milwaukee, on April 5. If you are a Cubs fan of a certain age, as I am, you can recall all too many games over the years in which the Cubs scored in double digits, yet still failed to win. Many of them came on days when the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field, and any ball hit in the air seemed as likely as not to wind up in the bleachers or beyond. Like me, you may remember the 18-16 loss to the Phillies in 1976, in which Mike Schmidt hit 4 home runs. Or an 18-12 loss to the Pirates the previous year, in which WGN's 10 o'clock news set the highlights to the "1812 Overture." But here is something absolutely remarkable about the Cubs' losses to the Rangers and Brewers this season: Going into 2019, the Cubs had lost exactly ONE game in which they scored at least 10 runs since... May 29, 2006 -- nearly 13 years ago! After losing to the Braves at home, 13-12, on May 28, 2006, the Cubs went a ridiculous 132-1 when scoring in double digits! They won the last 8 times they did so in 2006. Then won all 10 in 2007. And all 19 in 2008. And all 12 in 2009. And all 11 in 2010. And all 10 in 2011. And all 7 in 2012. And all 2 (yes, just 2) in 2013. And all 3 in 2014. And all 5 in 2015. And all 10 in 2016. And then they won their first 10 double-digit games in 2017, extending the streak to 107 consecutive wins when scoring 10 or more runs. The streak ended Aug. 17, 2017, with a 13-10 loss at home to Cincinnati. Since then, through their 12-4 win at Texas on Opening Day of 2019, the Cubs had won another 25 straight games when scoring at least 10 times, resulting in that mind-boggling mark of 132-1. The 13-10 loss to the Braves was the ONLY double-digit loss for the Cubs in 2006. And they had won all 11 double-digit games in 2005. So, after 7 games of the 2019 season, the Cubs already had lost as many games when they scored 10 times, 2, as they had from 2005 through 2018 -- 14 full seasons! The 2004 loss, 11-10 to Cincinnati on April 18, was their 4th double-digit game of the young season. The Cubs won 16 straight double-digit games the rest of that year. That means, from April 19, 2004 through March 28, 2019, nearly 15 years, the Cubs played 160 games in which they scored 10 or more runs. And they went 158-2 in those games!
You have to go back to 2002 to find the last time the Cubs lost 2 double-digit games in an entire SEASON; they went 10-2 in such games that year. The most double-digit losses the Cubs have had in any season since 1901 is 4, in 1993 (12-4). They lost 3 in 6 other seasons: 1985: 3 (7-3) 1976: 3 (1-3) 1975: 3 (5-3) 1948: 3 (10-3) 1929: 3 (31-3) 1924: 3 (8-3) They lost 2 in 12 different seasons, including 2019 so far. They lost 1 in 31 different seasons. And they won ever double-digit game they played in 69 seasons. Which means, the 2019 Cubs already have lost more double-digit games than in 100 of the team's 118 previous seasons since 1901. The 1976 team is the only one that ever lost more games than it won when scoring 10 or more runs. Here are the 10 seasons with the lowest winning percentage in double-digit games: 1976:.250 (1-3) 1916:.500 (1-1) 2019:.600 (3-2) 1975:.625 (5-3) 1957:.667 (4-2) 1915:.667 (2-1) 1985:.700 (7-3) 1991:.714 (5-2) 1966:.714 (5-2) 1924:.727 (8-3) Those are the only seasons below.750. Here are the top seasons, by wins, of those in which the Cubs were unbeaten in double-digit games: 1937: 20-0 2008: 19-0 2018: 17-0 2001: 16-0 1984: 16-0 1928: 16-0 1996: 15-0 1936: 15-0 1927: 15-0 1938: 14-0 1923: 14-0 The 10 straight seasons, 2007-16, in which they lost no double-digit games are unparalleled in Cubs history. Here are all stretches of 3 or more seasons without a double-digit loss:
10, 2007-2016 (1 loss in 2007-2018) 6, 1958-1963 (1 loss in 1958-1966) 5, 1949-1953 5, 1936-1940 (1 loss in 1936-1943) 5, 1906-1910 (1 loss in 1904-1910) 4, 1994-1997 4, 1925-1928 4, 1918-1921 (1 loss in 1918-1923) 3, 1971-1973 In the total 1,244 games they have scored at least 10 times since 1901, the Cubs have won 1,167 and lost 77, a.938 winning percentage. For comparison, the 132-1 stretch that ended in Texas last week is.992. In the dead ball era, 1901-19, the Cubs were 165-8,.954, in double-digit games. In the live ball era, 1920-2019, they are 1,002-69,.936. In the National League expansion era, 1962-2019, they are 572-41,.928. In the live ball, pre-expansion era, 1920-1961, they were 484-36,.949. Their 85-3 record in 2010-19 is.966, the second-highest winning percentage in double-digit games in any decade. The record is.979, when the Cubs went 92-2 in 1901-09. Here are the records by decade, ranked by winning percentage: 1901-1909: 92-2,.979 2010-2019: 85-3,.966 1930-1939: 153-7,.956 2000-2009: 128-6,.955 1920-1929: 134-7,.950 1960-1969: 74-4,.949 1950-1959: 82-5,.943 1940-1949: 96-7,.932 1910-1919: 73-6,.924 1980-1989: 78-8,.907 1990-1999: 96-10,.906 1970-1979: 88-12,.880 Of the 77 double-digit losses, 50 have come at home and 27 on the road. All 50 home losses came at Wrigley Field. In the National League expansion era (1962-2019), the Cubs have lost 35 games at home in which they scored at least 10 runs, but done so only 9 times on the road, including the 2 losses this season! The last time they had 2 such losses on the road was in 2002. They never have had 3 double-digit losses on the road in a season. In 1929, they lost 2 such games on the road and also played an 11-11 tie. If you are a glutton for punishment, here is every games the Cubs scored 10 or more runs and lost, from 2019 back to 1901, with the score, location ("to" indicate a home game), opponent and date. Lost at Texas, 11-10, on March 31, 2019
Lost at Milwaukee, 13-10, on April 5, 2019 Lost 13-10 to Cincinnati on Aug. 17, 2017 Lost 13-12 to Atlanta May 28, 2006 Lost 11-10 to Cincinnati on April 18, 2004 Lost 11-10 at San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2002 Lost 15-12 at Cincinnati on Sept. 12, 2002 Lost 16-15 at Montreal on May 14, 2000 Lost 13-10 to Houston on Sept. 8, 2000 Lost 19-12 to Milwaukee on July 1, 1999 Lost 13-11 to Milwaukee on Sept. 11, 1998 (won next 2 games of series on walk-offs, 15-12 and 11-10) Lost 11-10 to Philadelphia on April 18, 1993 Lost 14-13 to Colorado on May 4, 1993 Lost 11-10 to St. Louis on June 17, 1993 Lost 12-11 at Florida on Aug. 11, 1993 Lost 11-10 to St. Louis on Sept. 19, 1992 Lost 13-12 at Pittsburgh on April 21, 1991 Lost 12-10 to Pittsburgh on Sept. 9, 1991 Lost 15-10 to New York Mets on June 13, 1990 Lost 16-13 to Philadelphia on Aug. 10, 1989 Lost 23-10 to New York Mets on Aug. 16, 1987 Lost 13-11 to Los Angeles Dodgers on July 27, 1986 Lost 13-11 at Cincinnati on May 28, 1985 Lost 11-10 to St. Louis on June 14, 1985 Lost 17-15 to Montreal on Sept. 24, 1985 Lost 12-10 to Houston on May 31, 1983 Lost 12-10 to Pittsburgh on April 23, 1982 Lost 23-22 to Philadelphia on May 17, 1979 Lost 13-10 to Pittsburgh on April 15, 1978 Lost 12-11 to Pittsburgh on Sept. 19, 1978
Lost 18-16 to Philadelphia on April 17, 1976 (Mike Schmidt 4-homer game) Lost 14-12 to Los Angeles Dodgers on May 5, 1976 Lost 13-10 to Cincinnati on Aug. 11, 1976 Lost 18-11 to Cincinnati on June 13, 1975 Lost 18-12 to Pittsburgh on July 6, 1975 Lost 14-12 to Houston on Aug. 23, 1975 (lost 22-0 to Pittsburgh on Sept. 16!) Lost 11-10 to Philadelphia on Sept. 8, 1974 Lost 12-10 to New York Mets on June 23, 1970 Lost 16-14 to Pittsburgh on July 3, 1970 Lost 11-10 at Houston on Sept. 11, 1967 Lost 11-10 to San Francisco on April 19, 1966 Lost 14-11 to New York Mets on April 26, 1966 (twice in span of 6 games, season games 7 and 12) Tied 10-10 with St. Louis on April 12, 1965 Lost 12-10 to New York Mets on Aug. 28, 1964 Lost 12-10 to New York Giants on June 21, 1957 Lost 23-10 to Milwaukee Braves on Sept. 2, 1957 Lost 12-11 at St. Louis on April 16, 1955 Lost 12-11 at Philadelphia on July 17, 1955 Lost 18-10 to Pittsburgh on May 2, 1954 Lost 13-11 to Cincinnati on May 16, 1948 Lost 12-10 to Boston Braves on July 16, 1948 Lost 13-12 to Pittsburgh on Sept. 11, 1948 Lost 15-10 at New York Giants on June 23, 1947 Lost 15-12 at Brooklyn on May 18, 1945 Lost 12-10 at New York Giants on July 23, 1944 Lost 12-11 at St. Louis on May 26, 1941 (loss was second of 4 straight walk-off defeats!) Lost 14-13 to Brooklyn on July 22, 1935 Lost 13-12 at Philadelphia on Aug. 21, 1935
Lost 16-10 at Philadelphia on June 23, 1932 Lost 11-10 at Philadelphia on June 29, 1931 Lost 17-13 at St. Louis on July 12, 1931 Lost 14-12 to New York Giants on May 12, 1930 Lost 12-11 at Philadelphia on Sept. 15, 1930 Lost 17-12 at Cincinnati on April 28, 1929 Tied 11-11 at St. Louis on July 1, 1929 Lost 16-12 at New York Giants on July 11, 1929 Lost 13-11 to Boston Braves on Sept. 8, 1929 Lost 16-12 to New York Giants on May 16, 1924 Lost 13-11 to Brooklyn on July 8, 1924 Lost 12-11 at Philadelphia on July 28, 1924 Lost 17-11 to New York Giants on Aug. 18, 1922 Lost 13-10 to Cincinnati on July 4, 1917 Lost 11-10 to Boston Braves on May 10, 1916 Lost 13-12 at Cincinnati on April 26, 1915 Lost 14-11 at New York Giants on May 14, 1913 Lost 12-11 at Pittsburgh on May 3, 1912 Lost 17-12 at Boston Braves on July 15, 1911 Lost 11-10 at Cincinnati on May 31, 1905 Lost 11-10 at Boston Braves on Aug. 12, 1903