The Chicago Cubs have won nine of their last twelve games and owe their recent winning streak to the power of Taylor Swift.
Manager Craig Counsell was recently gifted a scented candle labeled “This Candle Smells Like Taylor Swift,” and since then the Cubs have played their way into NL wild-card contention. As of Thursday, they are 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot after a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Counsell told the Marquee Sports Network this week that he and the team’s clubhouse manager, Danny Mueller, have lit a candle before each of the Cubs’ last 12 games as part of their new pregame routine.
“We’ve had a nice little run here, so we’re going to give Taylor Swift credit for that,” Counsell said.
The Swift magic has worked and the Cubs have won six of their last seven games, scoring 73 runs, with double digits in four of those wins. The Detroit Tigers, also 6-1 in their last seven games, are the next best team in that category with 42 runs scored.
After each win, tally sheets are added to the side of the $21 Candle Babes candle.
The fact that the Cubs overcame a 10-3 deficit in the fifth inning and won 14-10 against the Pittsburgh Pirates is probably another sign of good karma.
Having not made the playoffs since 2020, Cubs fans know all too well what false hope means. But as long as they keep winning, maybe they can put the cruel summer behind them and turn it into a baseball love story.
