The Los Angeles Dodgers came to Wrigley Field with a new ace and a whole lot of hype. They left with their fifth straight loss and more questions than answers.
Look, I’ve covered enough baseball to know that a 162-game season has its share of cold spells. But what happened in Chicago on August 4, 2026? That was more than a hiccup. The Cubs, riding high after a 10-5 beatdown the night before, turned around and did it again with a 5-1 victory.
This one was a pitcher’s duel for a while. But the Cubs’ bats woke up just enough, and Los Angeles couldn’t solve Javier Assad. The result? A clean sweep for Chicago, pushing the Dodgers’ losing streak to a season-high five games.
Quick Answer: The Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on August 4, 2026, at Wrigley Field. Starter Javier Assad held the Dodgers to just one run over 5 2/3 innings, while Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner homered for Chicago. The win gave the Cubs a series sweep and extended the Dodgers’ losing streak to five games, spoiling Tarik Skubal’s debut for LA.
Game at a Glance: Final Score and Key Stats
If you were looking for a slugfest like Monday night, you were disappointed. This was old-school baseball.
Dodgers vs Cubs Scoreboard (August 4, 2026)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| LAD | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| CHC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
Summary: The Dodgers grabbed a brief 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Cubs answered right back. Chicago chipped away, adding a run in the 6th, two in the 7th, and one more in the 8th to secure the win.
Dodgers vs Cubs Box Score (August 4, 2026)
Here are the complete stats from the game.
Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting
| Player | POS | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
| Shohei Ohtani | DH | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Andy Pages | CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Freddie Freeman | 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 |
| Max Muncy | 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 |
| Mookie Betts | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Kyle Tucker | RF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .667 |
| Teoscar Hernández | LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Tommy Edman | 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Ben Rortvedt | C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Alex Call | PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Hunter Feduccia | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 29 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | .138 |
Chicago Cubs Hitting
| Player | POS | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .500 |
| Seiya Suzuki | RF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .500 |
| Alex Bregman | DH | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Michael Busch | 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Nico Hoerner | 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Tyrone Taylor | LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Ian Happ | LF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Dansby Swanson | SS | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .750 |
| Pedro Ramírez | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Miguel Amaya | C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Totals | 33 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 | .273 |
Pitching Summary for August 4
- Dodgers: Tarik Skubal (L, 7-6) — 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO.
- Cubs: Javier Assad (W) — 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO.
- Cubs: Ryan Rolison — Relief win (6-1).
What Happened in the Game?
The Dodgers’ Offense Stalls
After scoring five runs on Monday, the Dodgers mustered just one run on Tuesday.
Here’s the thing: LA actually took the lead early. Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run in the second inning to make it 1-0. For a brief moment, it looked like they’d found their groove again.
But that was it. The bats went silent.
The top of the lineup—Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy—struggled. Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a pickoff (again), and Mookie Betts finished 0-for-3. The Dodgers only managed four hits total.
Key Takeaway:
- Kyle Tucker provided the only offense with his solo homer.
- The Dodgers went 2-for-4 with runners in scoring position but couldn’t string together hits.
- Four hits isn’t winning baseball.
⚾ Dodgers vs Cubs Aug 4, 2026
📋 Dodgers vs Cubs · Box Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubs | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| Dodgers | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
🔸 Los Angeles Dodgers · Hitting
| Player | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani (DH) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Andy Pages (CF) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Freddie Freeman (1B) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 |
| Max Muncy (3B) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 |
| Mookie Betts (SS) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Kyle Tucker (RF) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .667 |
| Teoscar Hernández (LF) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Tommy Edman (2B) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Ben Rortvedt (C) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Alex Call (PH) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 29 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | .138 |
🔹 Chicago Cubs · Hitting
| Player | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P. Crow-Armstrong (CF) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .500 |
| Seiya Suzuki (RF) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .500 |
| Alex Bregman (DH) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Michael Busch (1B) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Nico Hoerner (2B) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Tyrone Taylor (LF) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Ian Happ (LF) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Dansby Swanson (SS) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .750 |
| Pedro Ramírez (3B) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Miguel Amaya (C) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Totals | 33 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 | .273 |
⚡ Pitching · August 4, 2026
Swanson and Hoerner Lead the Cubs
While the Dodgers’ bats napped, the Cubs’ lineup did enough.
Dansby Swanson was the offensive star. He went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double. His solo shot in the third inning tied the game at 1-1. He’s hitting for power and average lately.
Nico Hoerner also chipped in with a big moment. His single and a home run helped provide the cushion. Pete Crow-Armstrong added two hits, an RBI, and a run.
Key Takeaway:
- Swanson is the engine for this lineup right now.
- Hoerner continues to be a reliable contact hitter.
- Wrigley Field was electric, with a crowd of 39,384 watching the complete series sweep.
The Pitching Story: Skubal’s Debut Spoiled
Let’s talk about the two biggest storylines of this game.
Tarik Skubal’s Dodgers Debut
The Dodgers made a massive splash at the trade deadline, acquiring the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner from Detroit.
His debut was “fine.” But for a man with his resume, “fine” isn’t enough.
Tarik Skubal went six innings. He allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked two. He took the loss, dropping to 7-6 on the year.
His line wasn’t bad. The problem was the offense he got. Skubal did his job. He kept the game close. He gave his team a chance to win. But the lineup let him down.
“Skubal pitched six innings and allowed two runs. That’s a quality start. You can’t ask for more from a debut, especially on a new team.” – If I’m Dave Roberts, I’m not worried about Skubal. I’m worried about the lineup.
Javier Assad Shuts the Door
On the other side, Javier Assad didn’t have a 2.79 ERA like Skubal, but he pitched like an ace.
The Dodgers couldn’t touch him after Tucker’s homer. It was a classic case of a team relying on a deep bullpen getting out-dueled by a guy who just knows how to pitch.
Key Takeaway:
- The Dodgers needed Skubal to be better, but his debut was serviceable.
- Assad was the story, silencing the Dodgers’ bats for almost six full innings.
What was the final score of the Dodgers vs Cubs game on August 4, 2026?
Who won the Dodgers vs Cubs game?
Did the Dodgers win or lose on August 4, 2026?
How did Tarik Skubal perform in his Dodgers debut?
Who hit the only home run for the Dodgers?
Bottom Line
The Cubs swept the Dodgers with a dominant 5-1 win on August 4, 2026. Javier Assad outpitched the newly acquired Tarik Skubal, while Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner provided the offense. Los Angeles has now lost five straight games and needs to figure out its offensive consistency in a hurry.
Sources
- ESPN. “Cubs 10-5 Dodgers (4 Aug, 2026) Game Recap.”
- FantasyData. “Dodgers vs Cubs August 4, 2026 Box Score.”
- DodgerBlue.com. “Dodgers losing streak reaches 4 games after Justin Wrobleski allows 4 homers.”
- KNBR/The Sports Leader. “MLB roundup: Cubs spoil Tarik Skubal’s Dodgers’ debut.”
- ESPN UK. “Cubs 10-5 Dodgers (4 Aug, 2026) Box Score.”
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