The 1922 Cubs got off to a 10-3 start, then fell into the bottom reaches of the National League. A combined 20-30 record in May and June had them in sixth place, 11½ games out of first, entering July.
Then they went on a 33-14 run that brought them up to second place, just 3½ games behind the league-leading Giants entering the action on August 17. Unfortunately, they dropped four of their next six and so, beginning a three-game weekend series at home August 25 at what was then still called “Cubs Park,” they had dropped into third place, six games out.