You probably could have made a pretty good wager this past spring training if you had told someone: “The Cubs are going to break their franchise home run record this season, and Nico Hoerner will hit the record-breaker.”
They’d have looked at you like you were crazy, but that’s exactly what happened. Hoerner’s three-run homer in the sixth inning was the third of the day and the Cubs’ 236th of 2019, breaking the franchise record of 235 set in 2004. Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Victor Caratini added round-trippers to the festivities and the Cubs once again pounded Pirates pitching in a 14-1 romp on a beautiful late-summer afternoon at Wrigley Field.