Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals

WASHINGTON – Alex Bregman was deep down a rabbit hole of video archives during the Cubs’ off-day on Monday night, comparing clips from different points in this season to other moments throughout his career. That included pulling up footage from a decade ago before he even reached the Majors. “I mean, we were watching Corpus Christi, Double-A video,” Bregman said. On Wednesday night, the results of Bregman’s work were on full display at Nationals Park, where the Cubs third baseman launched three home runs and collected seven RBIs to power a 12-6 win over the Nationals. Both the home run total and RBIs marked career bests for the veteran, who has been turning a sharp offensive corner at the right time for Chicago. With the victory, the Cubs (71-50) pulled within three games of the National League Central-leading Brewers (74-47). The North Siders have rattled off eight wins in the past nine games while averaging 7.1 runs in that span. Bregman has been a central part of the offense, following a search for consistency over his first three-plus months with the Cubs. “It’s a credit to how he works every single day,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, “and is just relentless with his search to be himself and to be the best version of himself. He will never give you an inch on that.” With a pair of walks in his first two plate appearances of the night, Bregman became the first player in Cubs history to collect at least two free passes as part of a three-homer game. Will Smith of the Dodgers was the last player to enjoy a game with two walks and three blasts, doing so on July 5, 2024.