Pair of Chicago Cubs Stars Get Revenge Against Former Team on Monday

Two of the Chicago Cubs stars were able to produce huge performances against their former team on Monday that earned them an important victory at this time of the season.

Aug 20, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first base Michael Busch (29) and right fielder Cody Bellinger (24) celebrate after defeating the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

It's not uncommon for Major League players to face their former teams, but for two Chicago Cubs stars, the game on Monday had some extra significance.

Last season, the Cubs were able to add former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP Cody Bellinger to their ranks after the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to non-tender him and allow him to hit free agency.

This turned out to be a great addition for Chicago as he went on to win the National League Comeback Player of the Year award after he found his form that once made him a megastar with the Dodgers when he helped them win the World Series in 2020.

This offseason, the Cubs landed Los Angeles' top prospect, Michael Busch, in a trade that addressed their clear need at first base.

Once seemingly part of the Dodgers' future plans, both Bellinger and Busch were sent packing and ended up in Chicago with the opportunity to revitalize and jumpstart their careers.

Again, it's not uncommon for MLB players to face their former teams, but for this duo, returning to Los Angeles had to give them a little extra motivation to go out there and show the Dodgers they made a mistake by moving on.

Bellinger and Busch were able to do that in spades.

In the first inning, the former MVP blasted a two-run homer 430 feet to right field that made it 2-0. Two batters later, Busch took his pound of flesh by driving in a run with a single.

Then, in the fourth inning, the former top prospect hit a blast of his own to the opposite field that extended the Cubs' lead to 4-0.

That was just the start for Busch as he drove in Bellinger during the sixth inning to start their scoring frenzy that ultimately put the contest out of hand.

Chicago won the opening game of this series 10-4.

Busch went 4-5 with a homer, three RBI and three runs.

Bellinger went 2-4 with a homer, three RBI, two runs and a walk.

While it certainly feels good for these two to get some revenge on the team that let them go, it was also a massive win for the Cubs that moved them to four games above .500 and five back of the final Wild Card spot.

Despite all the ups and downs this team has gone through this year, they have not given up on their goal of making the playoffs.

To do that, they'll need to continue playing good baseball down the stretch.

Beating Los Angeles keeps their momentum going and their postseason hopes alive.