Anyone searching for Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs match player stats this week is almost certainly looking for one specific game: the September 16, 2026 series finale at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 8-4 behind a record-setting night from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. This article breaks down every player stat line from that game — batting, pitching, home runs, RBIs, and inning-by-inning scoring plays — and places it inside the context of the full three-game Braves-Cubs series and the National League playoff race.
If you came here for quick numbers, they are all below in table form. If you want the deeper story — who the standout performers were, how the game swung inning by inning, and what it means for the Cubs’ wild card push — keep reading, because we cover that in full detail as well.
Quick Answer: Braves vs Cubs Final Score and Player of the Game
- Final score: Chicago Cubs 8, Atlanta Braves 4
- Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Winning pitcher: Shota Imanaga (11-10)
- Losing pitcher: J.R. Ritchie (1-3)
- Player of the Game: Pete Crow-Armstrong — 3-for-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 2 home runs, a triple, and a walk
- Home runs: Pete Crow-Armstrong (2), Alex Bregman (1)
- Key storyline: Crow-Armstrong’s two home runs pushed his season total to 44, breaking the Chicago Cubs franchise home run record for a left-handed hitter, a mark previously held by Hall of Famer Billy Williams since 1970
That single line score is the fact most people typing “atlanta braves vs chicago cubs match player stats” into Google actually want first, so we’re putting it at the top before going into the full box score breakdown.
Full Box Score: Braves vs Cubs, September 16, 2026
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| Chicago Cubs | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 8 | 12 | 0 |
The Cubs scored in six of their eight offensive innings, while the Braves’ four runs came in bursts in the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings, after starter J.R. Ritchie had already dug the Braves into a 6-1 hole.
Atlanta Braves Player Stats (Batting)
Below is the complete Atlanta Braves batting line for this match, including season averages, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS at the time of the game.
| Player | Pos | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | RF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .257 | .348 | .450 | .798 |
| Drake Baldwin | DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .278 | .352 | .452 | .804 |
| Matt Olson | 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .323 | .503 | .827 |
| Ozzie Albies | 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .245 | .300 | .408 | .709 |
| Michael Harris II | CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .290 | .316 | .485 | .801 |
| Mauricio Dubón | LF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .272 | .318 | .393 | .711 |
| Austin Riley | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .222 | .294 | .363 | .657 |
| Sean Murphy | C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .191 | .250 | .337 | .587 |
| Ha-Seong Kim | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .123 | .219 | .132 | .350 |
| Mike Yastrzemski (PH) | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .228 | .312 | .377 | .689 |
| Totals | 35 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
Braves batting notes: Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and drove in a run on a groundout scoring play, finishing 2-for-4. Mauricio Dubón had the biggest night for Atlanta, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and an RBI, and scoring twice in the Braves’ late-game rally. Austin Riley, Sean Murphy, and Matt Olson each drove in a run, but the Braves left 11 runners on base and could not put together a big inning against Cubs ace Shota Imanaga.
Chicago Cubs Player Stats (Batting)
| Player | Pos | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | CF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .282 | .375 | .581 | .956 |
| Seiya Suzuki | RF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .266 | .365 | .469 | .834 |
| Michael Busch | 1B | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .238 | .347 | .393 | .740 |
| Alex Bregman | 3B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .264 | .354 | .458 | .812 |
| Ian Happ | LF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .219 | .329 | .412 | .741 |
| Tyrone Taylor (PH-LF) | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .278 | .326 | .507 | .833 |
| Nico Hoerner | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .263 | .315 | .354 | .669 |
| Michael Conforto | DH | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .238 | .336 | .471 | .807 |
| Pedro Ramirez | 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .258 | .318 | .415 | .733 |
| Carson Kelly | C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .262 | .341 | .387 | .727 |
| Totals | 34 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
Wait — the home run column shows 3 total home runs for the Cubs in the team line (Crow-Armstrong’s 2 plus Bregman’s 1), which matches the official box score.
Cubs batting notes: Pete Crow-Armstrong was the unquestioned offensive engine of the game, reaching base four times, scoring three runs, and driving in three more. Alex Bregman was nearly as dominant, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a double, and four RBIs — a rare “double-plus-triple-plus-homer” type of night that also pushed his season RBI total to 88. Carson Kelly chipped in two hits and a run scored from the catcher’s spot, while Michael Conforto’s eighth-inning single plated an insurance run.
Pitching Stats: Braves vs Cubs
Atlanta Braves Pitching Line
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.R. Ritchie (L, 1-3) | 4.2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5.03 | 1.47 |
| Dylan Dodd | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.36 | 0.92 |
| Owen Murphy | 2.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5.00 | 1.56 |
| Brent Suter | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.52 | 1.26 |
| Totals | 8.0 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
Chicago Cubs Pitching Line
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shota Imanaga (W, 11-10) | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3.80 | 1.10 |
| Aaron Civale | 1.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.23 | 1.44 |
| Ryan Rolison | 0.2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.98 | 1.26 |
| Ryan Zeferjahn | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.03 | 1.28 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
Pitching notes: Shota Imanaga was outstanding across six innings, walking nobody and striking out eight while allowing just one run — his only real hiccup was a two-out Ronald Acuña Jr. double in the sixth that eventually scored. On the other side, J.R. Ritchie surrendered two home runs and six earned runs in fewer than five innings, the outing that ultimately decided the game. Atlanta’s bullpen — Dylan Dodd and Brent Suter in particular — actually pitched well in relief, combining for one hit and no runs across less than a full inning of work, but by the time they entered the Braves were already trailing by five.
Inning-by-Inning Scoring Recap
Understanding how the runs actually crossed the plate matters just as much as the final totals, so here is the full scoring sequence from Wrigley Field.
1st Inning: Alex Bregman doubled to deep right-center, driving in Michael Busch, who had walked earlier in the frame. Cubs led 1-0.
3rd Inning: Pete Crow-Armstrong led off with a solo home run to right field — his first of two on the night, and the blast that tied Billy Williams’ Cubs franchise record for home runs by a left-handed hitter. Cubs led 2-0.
4th Inning: Alex Bregman led off with a solo home run to left field, his second homer of the young game (technically his first, but second Cubs homer of the game overall). Cubs led 3-0.
5th Inning: The Cubs blew the game open. Carson Kelly singled, and Pete Crow-Armstrong tripled him home — the homer that made it 4-0 also broke the franchise record outright. Two batters later, Alex Bregman ripped a triple to deep left field, scoring both Seiya Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong to make it 6-0.
6th Inning: The Braves got on the board. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled to deep center, moved to third on a Drake Baldwin groundout, and scored on a Matt Olson groundout to the pitcher. Cubs led 6-1.
7th Inning: Mauricio Dubón tripled and later scored on an Austin Riley groundout to cut the deficit to 6-2 — but Pete Crow-Armstrong immediately answered with his second home run of the game, a shot to right-center, restoring the five-run cushion at 7-2.
8th Inning: Tyrone Taylor doubled and scored on a Michael Conforto RBI single, making it 8-2 Cubs.
9th Inning: Atlanta mounted a two-run rally against the Cubs bullpen. Ozzie Albies walked, Michael Harris II singled, and Mauricio Dubón doubled home Albies. Harris then scored on a Sean Murphy groundout, but the rally died there, and the Cubs closed it out 8-4.
Player Spotlight: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Record-Setting Night
The single biggest storyline coming out of this Braves-Cubs match was Pete Crow-Armstrong’s performance. His two home runs on September 16 pushed his season total to 44, which broke the Chicago Cubs’ single-season home run record for a left-handed batter, a mark Hall of Famer Billy Williams had held since 1970. It was also the 13th multi-home-run game of Crow-Armstrong’s career and the seventh time he has done it in the 2026 season alone.
For fantasy managers, DFS players, and anyone tracking Chicago Cubs player stats more broadly, Crow-Armstrong’s final line — 3-for-4 with 3 runs, 3 RBIs, 2 home runs, a triple, and a walk — was worth 17.5 fantasy points, by far the best individual mark of the game on either roster.
Player Spotlight: Alex Bregman’s Four-RBI Game
Alex Bregman’s contribution is easy to overlook next to a franchise-record night, but on almost any other day his stat line would be the headline. Bregman went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a double, and four RBIs — hitting for the cycle in everything except a single. His season numbers now sit at a .264 average with 26 home runs and 88 RBIs, numbers that have made him a central piece of the Cubs’ late-season playoff push.
Player Spotlight: Shota Imanaga’s Six Shutdown Innings
Imanaga’s final line — 6.0 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts — improved his record to 11-10 and lowered his ERA to 3.80. After allowing three hits across the first two innings, he retired 11 consecutive Braves hitters before Ronald Acuña Jr.’s sixth-inning double broke the streak. Zero walks against a lineup that includes Acuña, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley is an especially strong indicator of command on a given night.
Full Braves-Cubs Series Recap (September 14-16, 2026)
This September 16 game was the finale of a three-game series between the Braves and Cubs at Wrigley Field, and the series swung back and forth:
| Date | Result | Key Performer |
|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2026 | Cubs 7, Braves 3 | Pete Crow-Armstrong: 4 hits, 4 RBI, 42nd HR (tied the Cubs LHB record) |
| September 15, 2026 | Braves 6, Cubs 3 | Braves bounce back to even the series |
| September 16, 2026 | Cubs 8, Braves 4 | Pete Crow-Armstrong: 2 HR, 3 RBI, breaks the Cubs LHB HR record outright |
The Cubs took the series 2 games to 1, a result that mattered beyond bragging rights: it kept Chicago a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the first National League wild card spot heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
What This Game Means for the Playoff Race
Both the Braves and the Cubs entered this series in the thick of the National League postseason picture. Atlanta had a chance to clinch a playoff berth outright with a win combined with other results around the league, but the loss pushed that possibility back. Chicago’s win, on the other hand, kept its wild-card positioning intact against a hard-charging Phillies team.
There was also a notable injury update out of the Cubs clubhouse: shortstop Dansby Swanson, out since August 16 with a left oblique strain, took six at-bats in a simulated game on the same day and was on track to be activated that Friday, according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Swanson’s potential return adds a further layer of depth to a Cubs roster trying to hold its playoff position down the stretch.
After the series finale, both teams had a scheduled off day on Thursday before hitting the road: the Braves traveled to Houston for a three-game set, while the Cubs headed to Cincinnati.
Braves vs Cubs: Season Series and Team Snapshot
Atlanta Braves (2026 season): Built around a veteran-heavy lineup featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies, the Braves have relied on power and on-base ability all year, though their record dipped after this loss. The team’s rotation, led by names like Chris Sale in past seasons, has weathered injuries at multiple points in 2026.
Chicago Cubs (2026 season): Under manager Craig Counsell, the Cubs’ 2026 roster leans on a mix of homegrown talent (Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch) and offseason additions (Alex Bregman, Michael Conforto). Their run at the top wild-card spot has been driven in large part by Crow-Armstrong’s breakout power season and Imanaga’s steady presence at the top of the rotation.
Frequently Asked Questions: Braves vs Cubs Player Stats
Q: Who won the Braves vs Cubs game on September 16, 2026?
The Chicago Cubs won 8-4 over the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field.
Q: Who hit home runs in the Braves vs Cubs game?
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs (his 43rd and 44th of the season) and Alex Bregman hit one (his 26th of the season).
Q: What was Pete Crow-Armstrong’s stat line?
Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-4 with 3 runs, 3 RBIs, 2 home runs, a triple, and a walk.
Q: What was Alex Bregman’s stat line?
Bregman went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a double, and 4 RBIs.
Q: Who was the winning and losing pitcher?
Shota Imanaga (11-10) picked up the win for the Cubs, and J.R. Ritchie (1-3) took the loss for the Braves.
Q: Did Pete Crow-Armstrong break a franchise record?
Yes. His two home runs pushed his season total to 44, breaking the Chicago Cubs’ single-season home run record for a left-handed hitter, previously held by Billy Williams since 1970.
Q: How did the three-game Braves-Cubs series end?
The Cubs won the series 2 games to 1, taking the opener 7-3, dropping the middle game 6-3, and winning the finale 8-4.
Q: How did this result affect the NL wild card race?
The win kept the Cubs a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the first NL wild card spot.
Sources and Further Reading (Backlinks)
The player stats, box score figures, and game details in this article are drawn from official MLB game coverage. For live odds, additional box scores, and ongoing coverage of both teams, see:
- CBS Sports — Braves vs. Cubs Full Gametracker Recap
- ESPN — Braves vs. Cubs Box Score, September 16, 2026
- MLB.com — Official Gameday, Braves vs. Cubs, September 16, 2026
- FOX Sports — Braves vs. Cubs Live Score and Stats
- ESPN — Atlanta Braves Team Page, Scores & Schedule
- Wikipedia — 2026 Atlanta Braves Season
- Wikipedia — 2026 Chicago Cubs Season
- CBS Sports — Chicago Cubs Team Page
- CBS Sports — Atlanta Braves Team Page
- MLB.com — Braves vs. Cubs, September 15, 2026 Gameday