Some games start quietly, then explode into baseball lore. That's exactly what happened on this day in Cubs history, when an otherwise ordinary Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field turned into a 20-run demolition of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 2001 Cubs entered the game riding high at 17-11, leading the NL Central by two games after a rough 97-loss season the year before. The Dodgers were no slouches either, sitting at 17-12 and atop the NL West. The stage was set for a tight divisional showdown.
For the first six innings, the game played out exactly as expected. Sammy Sosa and Todd Hundley launched two-run homers in the fourth off Dodgers starter Darren Dreifort, giving Chicago a 4-0 lead. Julian Tavarez kept Los Angeles scoreless until future Cub Eric Karros plated a run in the sixth, cutting the lead to 4-1.
That's when the seventh inning happened.
Damon Buford and Ron Coomer—now the voice of the Cubs on radio—started the rally with singles. Eric Young Sr. drove in a run, making it 5-1. Ricky Gutierrez's sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a fielder's choice, loading the bases. Bill Mueller cleared them with a two-run single. Sosa and Rondell White added RBI hits. Then Julio Zuleta crushed a three-run homer, capping an eight-run inning that turned a tight ballgame into a 12-1 laugher.
But the Cubs weren't done. In the eighth, Gutierrez doubled, Mueller walked, and Sosa reached on an error that scored Gutierrez. With two outs and the bases loaded, pitcher Courtney Duncan drew a walk to force in a run. Buford singled in two more. Coomer singled to reload the bases. Then Augie Ojeda hit a grounder to third that should have ended the inning—but Dodgers third baseman Dave Hansen booted it, allowing two more runs to score.
By the time the dust settled, the Cubs had hung 20 runs on one of the league's best teams. It was the kind of offensive explosion that reminds you why you never leave Wrigley Field early. And for fans looking to channel that same energy, sometimes all it takes is the right gear to spark a rally. Whether you're in the bleachers or the living room, every great comeback starts with a little bit of Cubs pride.