Rehearsals for the Chicago Air and Water Show interrupted Hayden Christensen's rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and startled the Cubs' dugout.

It's only been two weeks since the July 31 trade deadline, so it's important not to jump to too many conclusions based on such a short period of time.

The Cubs welcomed Hayden Christensen to Wrigley Field, where the Imperial March set the stage for his appearance and ceremonial first pitch.

The Cubs went into the All-Star break tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most runs scored in MLB at 508. Considering Shaw leads the team in home runs and RBI since the break, a strong offense could have turned into a juggernaut.

Horton, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of Oklahoma, debuted on May 10. He was forced into the Cubs' rotation due to a few injuries, but he also did some forcing on his own, thanks to a 1.24 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in six Triple-A starts.

Fly-bys are normal at the beginning of sporting events, but when they happen mid-game, it comes as a bit of a surprise.

And it’s all falling on Craig Counsell, the manager the Cubs plucked from the very same Milwaukee team that is now tormenting them. The North Siders apparently believed that the secret sauce that kept the small-market Brewers consistently in contention emanated from the manager’s office, and gave him a record five-year, $40 million for it.

The Chicago Cubs have been falling behind lately in the National League playoff picture, with their offense taking a step in the wrong direction.  Despite still