Athletics at Chicago Cubs: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATH | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| CHC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
The Story
The Athletics held on for a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 2, 2026, erasing what the DiamondIQ model had entered as a 58% pre-game home win probability for Chicago down to 0% by the final out. Oakland scored in the third and fourth innings to build a 2-1 lead, then surrendered nothing across the final six frames. The Cubs managed just four hits in the loss, and their offense could not solve Oakland's bullpen when it mattered most.
The decisive sequence came in the bottom of the ninth, where the DiamondIQ model's win-probability estimates swung sharply with each at-bat. Pete Crow-Armstrong's single off Scott Barlow gave Chicago a foothold, adding 12.8% to the Cubs' win probability, but Alex Bregman's strikeout against Barlow erased 16.6% and Seiya Suzuki's flyout cost another 13.1%, effectively sealing the game. A pivotal moment one inning earlier saw Moisés Ballesteros pop out against Justin Sterner in the eighth, a swing of minus 12.9% that stalled what could have been a Chicago rally. Ian Happ's flyout to end the ninth carried the largest single-play impact at plus 21.4% from the Cubs' perspective, though it was ultimately one of the few moments that briefly kept hope alive.
On the pitching side, Gage Jump was the most impactful arm of the night, contributing plus 36.5% in win probability for Oakland, with Sterner adding plus 23.3% and Hoby Milner another plus 11.1% in support. Among hitters, Happ finished as the top batter by WPA at plus 18.7% despite a modest minus 0.2 RE24, reflecting his involvement in late leverage situations. Nico Hoerner posted plus 12.2% WPA and plus 0.8 RE24 for Chicago, while Nick Kurtz contributed plus 10.2% WPA and plus 0.9 RE24 for the winning Athletics.