RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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SEATTLE — Cubs left fielder Ian Happ had a chance to join a mighty exclusive baseball fraternity.
Only 13 players in major-league history have hit two grand slams in the same game, and after Happ banged his first off the foul pole in the third inning Sunday, he strolled to the plate with the bases loaded again in the eighth. He drew a walk instead of becoming the newest member of the club.
Two batters later, however, infielder Pedro Ramirez shot himself and Happ into the franchise record book by hitting a slam of his own. The duo became the third pair of Cubs hitters since 1910 with grand slams in the same game.
For the nostalgia buffs out there, the previous pairs were Brian Dayett and Keith Moreland on June 3, 1987, and Matt Duffy and Frank Schwindel on Sept. 5, 2021.
More than geeking out over the feat, however, the Cubs were more focused on the offensive day as a whole. They throttled the Mariners 19-2, putting the same kind of hurt on them the Brewers did with a 22-0 rout Tuesday.
Happ’s slam came after three consecutive two-out walks against Mariners starter Bryce Miller , who walked seven after coming in with only one game with more than four walks in his big-league career.
It was an explosive way to salvage a victory in the series after losing in walk-off fashion Friday and Saturday.
‘‘We did a really good job the first couple of games of this series and scored [five runs Friday and four Saturday], but we had opportunities to score more,’’ Happ said. ‘‘When we have days like that, it feels like one of these is coming. That’s how good the offense has been this year.’’
Despite being a prime target of frustrated fans because of poorer-than-usual production, particularly against left-handed pitching, Happ quietly has had a nice couple of weeks, hitting .298 with a .389 on-base percentage, four homers, nine RBI and nine runs scored in his last 14 games.
Civale steps up
Left-hander Shota Imanaga got a quick hook after struggling early and was lifted after the first two Mariners reached base in the third.
After the game, the Cubs were ecstatic about the relief performance they got from right-hander Aaron Civale — four scoreless innings of one-hit ball — who quietly has excelled out of the bullpen since joining the team last month.
In nine appearances, Civale has a 1.80 ERA and has eaten innings as one of the team’s several long relievers, a stockpile that allowed manager Craig Counsell to be confident in removing Imanaga in what was then a three-run game with 6½ innings to play.
‘‘It’s pounding the strike zone; that’s what he’s done so good in the bullpen,’’ Counsell said of Civale. ‘‘There’s no walks, so you’ve got to get a hit to get on base against him. He’s done a fabulous job of that. . . . He’s been really effective in that role.”
See you in Williamsport
MLB announced the Cubs will take on the Blue Jays in the Little League Classic on Aug. 19 next season in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The game has been held every year since 2017 — except in 2020 because of COVID — in connection with the Little League World Series and offers young players a chance to interact with major-league stars.
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