The Cubs are still having their ups and downs, but they can really score runs when they get rolling

The Chicago Cubs battered San Diego to the tune of a 23-3 score that would have seemed more appropriate for an old Bears-Chargers matchup.

Then, in their very next game, they lost to St. Louis 17-1.

The Cubs have been a tough team to figure out this season. By May 9 they’d already had two separate 10-game winning streaks and were 15 games over .500. Then a week later they began a 10-game losing streak. Chicago is now 10 games over .500 but trails the Milwaukee Brewers by six games atop the NL Central.

On Wednesday, Dansby Swanson hit three home runs with eight RBIs as the Cubs produced their most runs at home since 1977. San Diego catcher Rodolfo Duran pitched the final two innings, allowing eight runs.

After a day off, Chicago looked like a completely different team Friday, when David Peterson allowed 10 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Cardinals.

Perhaps it was simply a case of Chicago facing two opponents heading in different directions. The blowout loss Wednesday was part of an eight-game losing streak for the Padres. Meanwhile, the Cardinals took two of three at Wrigley Field and have won five of their last seven overall.

The Cubs have been one of baseball’s better offensive teams despite a quiet season from new addition Alex Bregman. Pete Crow-Armstrong has 19 homers, 23 steals and a .910 OPS.

Trivia time

Crow-Armstrong is tied for the major league lead in homers plus stolen bases with 42. Which player is he tied with, and who led the majors in that stat last year?

Late dramatics

The Cubs lead the majors with 10 walk-off victories this season, and the crosstown White Sox are second with seven. But two of the biggest walk-off wins this week came against Chicago.

Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Cleveland a 6-5 victory over the White Sox on Thursday night. Then Khalil Watson hit a game-winning RBI single the following night in the 10th for a 4-3 triumph.

The first-place White Sox have been one of the game’s biggest stories this year, but even after Chicago took the last two games of the four-game set, Cleveland is only a game behind in the AL Central.

Performance of the week

Eury Pérez pitched seven perfect innings, then was pulled by Miami manager Clayton McCullough on Sunday. The move nearly blew up in McCullough’s face, but the Marlins held on to beat the Athletics 9-8 after almost squandering an 8-0 lead.

Part of McCullough’s explanation was that he was thinking long term, with the Marlins hoping to play beyond the regular season. And it probably is time for the rest of baseball to take Miami seriously as a playoff contender. The Marlins are percentage points behind St. Louis for the third wild card, and they have the second-best run differential in the NL East.

Pérez has allowed two runs in 17 innings since returning from a leg injury last month.

Comeback of the week

The Houston Astros rallied from a 7-2 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-8 on Saturday. Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win it. That snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Rays, who now lead the New York Yankees by four games atop the AL East.

Houston is 45-47 but just 2 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West and one game out of a wild card.

Trivia answer

Bobby Witt Jr. has 12 home runs and 30 steals.

Last year’s leader was Juan Soto (43 homers, 38 steals).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb