NEW YORK — Dansby Swanson never doubted himself.
The Chicago Cubs’ shortstop knows how ugly his offensive production got during a six-week stretch from late April until mid-June that produced a .154 batting average, .234 on-base percentage and .451 OPS. Swanson still believed in what he was capable of, though he wondered when he was going to find “the thing” that would get him back to being himself.
Well, Swanson found it in the last week. And in a big way.
Swanson slugged a three-run home run and grand slam in the Cubs’ Game 1 victory over the New York Mets, then drove in four more runs on two singles and a triple during their 10-5 win in Game 2. The Cubs (43-37) go for the four-game sweep Thursday. The Cubs have scored six or more runs in six consecutive games for the first time since 2000.
Swanson’s 15 RBIs in this series versus the Mets are the most by a Cub in a series of four games or fewer dating to when RBI became an official stat in 1920. He’s tied for the franchise record with Kiki Cuyler, who had 15 RBIs in a five-game series in 1932.
And Swanson still has Thursday’s series finale at Citi Field to add more.
Swanson’s 15 RBIs against the Mets are more than he had recorded since April 21, tallying just 13 RBIs in that 48-game stretch.
“In a way, I feel like I never really went anywhere, it just wasn’t necessarily showing up in the box score so I think that’s the easy answer for that,” Swanson said Wednesday. “I’m always at my best when I can get to a place of belief and conviction in the things that I’m doing, and so the hitting staff’s done a really good job of creating that environment for me and allowing my natural self to show up and not trying to think about what I need to be doing, so give them all the credit for that.”
Swanson delivered a historic doubleheader and series to this point.
He is the first shortstop in MLB history with 15 RBIs in a three-game span, passing the previous high by Nomar Garciaparra (14) in 1999. Swanson’s 11 RBIs in Wednesday’s doubleheader are the most by a Cub and the most in a major-league doubleheader since St. Louis’ Mark Whiten in 1993 (also 11), according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“It’s one that you honestly like dream about, like, you get a double header in the show and it’s like, man, I want to get this, and this was as close as they can get,” Swanson said. “So, just very, very grateful.”
Swanson also became the first Cub to ever tally four or more RBIs in three consecutive games, something a big leaguer hadn’t done since the Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis in 2013.
“That’s why the game sometimes drives you crazy because if you probably look at Dansby’s season right now, it’s kind of a normal season for Dansby — maybe the batting average is a little bit low — but probably all the other numbers are right around where he’s been the last couple years,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And it’s just been peaks and valleys a little bit for him. But the good times, you’ve got to take advantage of them, and when you have days like that and you’re kind of the primary driver of offense, that’s going to win your team games.”
Norwegian soccer fans show out for Cubs-Mets
Fans of Norway’s national soccer team perform a ‘Viking Row’ during the sixth inning between the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs in game one of a doubleheader at Citi Field on June 24, 2026, in New York City. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
A mid-week day game with less than 48 hours’ notice typically doesn’t draw a big crowd, even in the summer.
Monday’s rainout created a Wednesday doubleheader that had a soccer-like vibe in center field during Game 1. Two sections were packed with Norwegians in town to watch Norway compete in World Cup pool play in nearby Secaucus, New Jersey. Decked out in Vikings helmets, Norway jerseys and shirts, and even a few with face paint, the Norwegian fans’ chants reverberated in Citi Field.
A few times, the Norwegians broke into their traditional “Viking row.”
“I loved it, I thought it was so cool,” Swanson said. “Just them embracing being here and watching a baseball game, it felt like they were so in unison and so loud for, I don’t know, maybe a couple 100 people. I was like, could you imagine if this was 80,000 of them? That’d be incredible.”
Right-hander Javier Assad, who earned the Game 1 victory by allowing three runs in five innings, said he loved pitching in that environment. Assad represented his country postgame by wearing a Mexico jersey ahead of their World Cup game against the Czech Republic on Wednesday night.
“I heard them, it was really loud, obviously,” Assad said through an interpreter. “You’re focused when you’re pitching, but I did hear them.”
Pitching prospect Grant Kipp promoted to Triple A
The Cubs have promoted right-hander Grant Kipp to Triple-A Iowa, a source told the Tribune on Wednesday.
Kipp, 26, reaches Triple A for the first time in his career after posting a 4.03 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) while lowering his walk rate to 2.8 walks per 9 innings with 10.5 strikeouts per 9 innings at Double A this year. Rated the Cubs’ No. 28 prospect by MLB.com, Kipp signed with the organization as an undrafted free agent following his Cape Cod League performance in 2022.