What an eventful week for the Chicago Cubs.
The team has outperformed most people’s expectations through the first dozen games, winning back-to-back three-game series against the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners – two playoff hopeful teams in the American League West.
Wrigley Field sounded like it was October 2016 after a 14-9 comeback win against the Seattle Mariners.
Hayden Wesneski was smacked around for the second consecutive start, allowing seven runs through two innings.
An eight-run third inning, highlighted by rookie right fielder Nelson Velazquez’s first career grand slam, closed the gap in the most eventful game of the season.
Patrick Wisdom was the only starter to not record a hit in the comeback win. Alongside that impressive stat, five of the eight starters recorded 2+ hits, including Dansby Swanson’s perfect 4-4 night.
The Cubs only walked three times in the game – including twice from Wisdom – relying on its season-high 18 hits for the offensive explosion.
The Cubs opened up a crucial two-and-a-half week slate, when they’ll face the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres 10 times.
Former Dodger MVP winner Cody Bellinger, now the center fielder for the Cubs, returned to LA for the first time. The Dodgers honored him with a two minute video presentation before the game Friday, and Dodger fans gave him a well-earned standing ovation.
When Bellinger led the top of the second inning for the Cubs, Bellinger soaked in his second standing ovation. Still, rules are rules, and they don’t care about ovations. Bellinger was called for a pitch clock violation because he wasn’t set with eight seconds left on the clock.
Things got even weirder on Saturday during the two teams’ second meeting of the season. Dodgers’ outfielder Jason Heyward, who had just spent seven seasons on the Northside, sent a ball to deep center field in his first plate appearance against the Cubs.
The ball stayed in the field.
Who else would be there but the defensive wizard in Bellinger, robbing Heyward of a payback moment against the Cubs.
Bellinger couldn’t help but smile about the moment, a play he made countless times in Dodger Stadium for his former team.
The Cubs had countless opportunities to pull the game away and secure its third straight series win.
While leading by one run in the top of the eighth inning, the Cubs had the bases loaded with only one out. Both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki were unable to push insurance runs across. The inability to capture the moment came up big. Following a perfect six-up, six-down appearance in the seventh and eighth innings from Keegan Thompson, manager David Ross placed trust in Michael Fulmer to close the game.
Pinch hitter David Peralta ended the game on a walk-off two-run single, a picture-perfect ending to Jackie Robinson Day. Robinson, the most important player in MLB history, made his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 – integrating America’s pastime for future players of color.
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