CHICAGO — The Cubs’ 7-0 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday night might be an afterthought at the end of the season.

It’s a blowout, and the Cubs cruised to victory — or so it seemed.

But the circumstances entering the game paint a different picture and could overshadow a crucial moment that highlights the team’s budding identity.

[Cubs takeaways: What we learned in frigid series-opening win vs Rangers]

It was a frigid game — the coldest temperature at first pitch since April 18, 2011. And two of the game’s better pitchers — Cubs left-hander Justin Steele and Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi — toed the rubber, so it seemed runs would be at a premium.

That’s why Jon Berti’s third-inning plate appearance was so crucial.

It was a 1-0 game, and Berti was putting up a fight with Eovaldi. Berti worked a full count and then was hit by an 84.4-mph splitter on the ninth pitch to reach first base. Berti stole second, then swiped third, turning a hit-by-pitch into a de-facto triple.

Berti finished the job two batters later, again showcasing his speed in the process. Ian Happ hit a sharp grounder to Rangers first baseman Jake Burger, who rifled a throw to catcher Kyle Higashioka at home. The utilityman broke on contact and dove headfirst into home before the tag to double the Cubs’ lead.

“That’s just great baserunning, right?” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game. “He created that run all by himself, took advantage of stolen bases.”

It was an impressive showing for Berti, who signed with the Cubs in the offseason and made just his fourth start this year.

“Coming off the bench and starting today and being able to have that at-bat and then getting on first base, stealing second, stealing third and getting in to score, that was a big run and a huge at-bat,” Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said. “Just such an individual moment for him.”

Wrigley Field’s pitcher-friendly environment was a storyline in 2024. It’s safe to assume early in the year that the park would play similarly, even if you can’t forecast the rest of the season. So, it was paramount for the Cubs to find different avenues to generate offense.

They’ve done it so far this season by running the bases well, swiping bags and taking walks. Nothing flashy or glamorous, but it’s yielding results, as their 8-5 record showcases.

“You never know what’s going to be the winning run, so they all are just as important as the others,” Berti said. “So, to be able to go out there and help produce any way possible, whether it’s defense or offense or whatever it may be, is clutch.”

Ultimately, Berti’s run wasn’t the game-deciding moment — the Cubs tacked on a run in the fifth inning, then exploded with a four-run sixth — but there undoubtedly will be moments when the weather produces a low-scoring environment.

“I don’t think that there’s one way to score a run,” Busch said. “If you can tap into all the ways to score runs, I think you might as well, especially on a night like tonight where the ball is not probably going to go as far as you want it to.

“But if you can scrape away one or two runs, especially [with] Steeley on the mound and Eovaldi on the mound, you’re probably not going to get too many runs in the game. Any way you can scrape across a couple of runs, I think is good for that.”