Cubs' route causes Reds fans to meltdown after getting swept at Wrigley Field

After needing three consecutive walk-off victories during the first three games of a four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, the Cubs were on cruise control during their victory on Thursday afternoon that completed the sweep.

Entering the week, the series between the Reds and Cubs figured to be an early litmus test for the two teams. The Reds had been in first place in recent weeks but had lost ground to the Cubs. After the Reds were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend, and the Cubs entered the series with a five-game winning streak, it felt like a moment where Craig Counsell's team could finally create some distance for themselves.

That is certainly what the Cubs did as their sweep of the Reds pushed Cincinnati into last place, and the North Sides could end Thursday with a four-game lead in the division.

What turns a good team into a great team is the ability to stomp on an opponent when they are down. That is what the Cubs did this week against the Reds, and they may have broken the Cincinnati Reds.

Cubs have left Reds fans struggling to find the words

The moment that specifically broke Reds fans was an at-bat by Dansby Swanson in the fourth inning. The Cubs were already up 2-0, and Swanson was up with the bases loaded and no outs. Swanson hit a chopper to Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, who stepped on third for the first out of the inning before firing a throw to Tyler Stephenson at home plate. All Stephenson had to do was apply the tag to Ian Happ, who was clearly going to be out. Instead, Stephenson stepped on home plate before getting out of the way of a sliding Happ. Happ, of course, was ruled safe, and the Cubs would go on to score five more times to put the game out of reach.

It had already been a deflating series for Reds fans, but the gaffe by Stephenson may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Beyond breaking the Reds, Thursday's showing was another reminder that Shota Imanaga could be the key to the Cubs surviving the wave of pitching injuries they've faced since the start of the season. Imanaga struck out 10 across six innings of work, lowering his ERA on the season to 2.28.

The moment doesn't feel too big for this Cubs team, and as long as that remains the case, they should be the definition of success in the National League Central this summer.

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