CHICAGO — For the second day in a row, Dansby Swanson looked to have pulled off a 90-foot miracle.

Swanson set up Justin Turner’s walk-off two-run homer Sunday when he hustled down the line on a grounder and forced an errant throw by the Baltimore Orioles’ Jordan Westburg.

Another golden opportunity presented itself Monday when the Cubs trailed the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Willi Castro stood on third base, representing the tying run.

At the plate, Swanson worked a full count. With Wrigley Field’s full house on its feet, he chopped a grounder to Reds third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.

Swanson turned on the jets, speeding down the first base line. He looked safe by a mile, and the umpires thought so, too, as Castro crossed home plate. The score was tied — but not for long.

The Reds reviewed the call, and the left field video board showed the unthinkable: Swanson’s foot never touched the bag. A chorus of groans erupted from many of the 37,937 fans in attendance.

The score remained the same — 3-2 — after the final out. It was the play that decided the game in the end.

“Initially, I felt like I was a little bit short. I didn’t think I was as short as the replay (showed),” Swanson said after the Cubs’ loss. “I don’t know if I’ve ever done that in my baseball life, to be honest.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever done that in my baseball life, to be honest.”

Dansby Swanson on missing first base tonight. pic.twitter.com/f1sGGZB7xz

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 5, 2025

Swanson appeared to drag his toe on the base, almost as if he knew he needed to get something on there. He said it wasn’t exactly what was going through his head, though.

“I think it was just somewhat of a natural instinct,” he said. “I guess it was just a little too late. Unfortunate timing and point in the game for that to happen.”

It was another rung in the bad-luck ladder for the Cubs, whose starting pitcher, debutant Michael Soroka, exited the game in the second inning with right shoulder discomfort. Manager Craig Counsell later announced Soroka will head to the IL.

The Cubs threatened in the bottom of the eighth as well, when Pete Crow-Armstrong was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. But then Nico Hoerner roped a liner straight at Reds second baseman Matt McLain and, with a large secondary lead, Crow-Armstrong was caught out and doubled up to deflate any signs of a rally.

In a lot of ways, it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Cubs.

“This game in itself is a lot like life — it isn’t fair,” Swanson said. “But that’s the beauty of being able to come back tomorrow and have another game, to have a chance to come back and start playing a little bit better collectively. This group has been so good all year long, and we know it’s just a matter of time before it starts clicking.”