On Thursday night the Chicago Cubs extended their National League Central division lead to 13 games over the St. Louis Cardinals, but more importantly, they accomplished something that no Cubs team has done in over a century.
That feat is starting the month of August with nine straight victories, which they did by beating the Cardinals 4-3 in extra innings. The win makes them 9-0 for the month of August, a mark that they have not achieved in the month since they won nine consecutive games to start the month of August during the 1909 season.
During that time period, the Cubs have won at least five straight games to start August on only seven occasions. The last time they accomplished the feat was in the 2011 season, when they won six consecutive games to begin the month.
The Cubs began this month by welcoming the Miami Marlins to town, and they proceeded to sweep the team in three consecutive games. They continued their winning ways during a brief three-game road trip, taking all three contests from the Oakland Athletics to sweep the season series. The Cubs also swept the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field this week, taking two consecutive games against Mike Trout and company.
If the Cubs can win another game on Friday against the Cardinals, it would not only be their 11th straight victory overall, but it would also give them a 10-0 record to start the month of August for the first time in the World Series era (since at least 1903).
The Cubs are on a 10-game winning streak overall, their longest such streak since they won 12 in a row during the 2001 season.
h/t to Baseball Almanac for their game logs.
