SEATTLE — Well, THAT felt better.
Ian Happ’s grand slam in the third inning gave the Cubs the lead and eventually they put together a 17-hit, nine-walk, 19-run pounding on the Mariners, winning 19-2 and salvaging the final game of the series.
Things did not start out that way. Randy Arozarena, who hit the crushing walk-off homer Saturday evening, led off this one with a long ball off Shōta Imanaga, another “you have got to be kidding me” moment.
Imanaga struggled through the first two innings, allowing
another run on a throwing error by Carson Kelly, issuing a couple of walks and hitting a batter, and things just were not going well for him at all.
Fortunately, things didn’t go well for Mariners starter Bryce Miller, either, and the Cubs gave him a parting gift for his 28th birthday today. Michael Conforto led off the third with a home run [VIDEO].
Not only did that bring the Cubs within one, it also put Conforto back into a tie with Kyle Tucker. Both players have 11 home runs this year.
After Miller retired the next two Cubs, he walked the bases loaded, with Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch and Alex Bregman all drawing bases on balls.
That brought up Happ [VIDEO].
That was Happ’s 22nd home run and the 195th of his career. Happ grand slam facts from BCB’s JohnW53:
Ian Happ’s grand slam was the Cubs’ . . .
Sixth of the season (one more than all of last year and as many as in 2024)
367th in the regular season since 1876
343rd since 1901
156th on the road since 1876
sixth by Happ; his previous one was their first of last season, on April 18 at home vs. the Diamondbacks)
…
Happ now is among five players tied for the fifth-most slams in team history. The others are Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez.Bill Nicholson, Sammy Sosa and Billy Williams hit eight. Ernie Banks hit 12.
Happ’s blast seemed to let the entire team and fanbase exhale after the two walk-off losses the last two days.
Imanaga, though, struggled in the third and after allowing hits to the first two Mariners he faced in that inning, he was removed for Aaron Civale, who retired the next three hitters without incident. About Imanaga’s brief outing, from John:
Shota Imanaga’s 2.0-plus innings pitched was the shortest of his 80 career starts as a Cub. He had been lifted after 3.0 innings twice: June 21, 2024, at home vs. the Mets (10 runs on 11 hits, including three homers), and July 25, 2025, at the White Sox (seven runs on seven hits, including three homers).
The game went 5-2 into the fifth, when Miller — who I was surprised was allowed to start that inning as he had thrown a ton of pitches — walked the bases loaded yet again, this time Pete Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki and Busch.
Bregman hit into a force play that made it 6-2 [VIDEO].
The Cubs might have scored more runs in that inning, as Happ was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases with one out. But Nico Hoerner hit into this weird double play, with a safe call at third overturned for the third out [VIDEO].
Civale breezed through a scoreless fourth and fifth and the Cubs put one more on the board in the sixth to make it 7-2. Pedro Ramirez led off with a single and took second on a single by Tyrone Taylor, who was batting for Conforto. Carson Kelly hit into a double play, moving Ramirez to third, where he scored on this infield grounder that PCA beat out for a hit [VIDEO].
Civale gave up a single in a scoreless sixth, the only baserunner he allowed in four solid innings of relief. Civale’s been really good for the Cubs in whatever role he’s been asked to perform, and those four innings were needed after Imanaga’s early departure.
The game went to the eighth still 7-2 and that’s when the Cubs put things way out of reach, and most of it was off old friend Michael Rucker — and all the runs scored after two were out.
Nico led off with a single and was forced at second by Ramirez. After Taylor struck out, Kelly blooped a ball into short left and when the Mariners were slow to play the ball, Ramirez scored all the way from first [VIDEO].
That made it 8-2 and Kelly took second. That wound up not really mattering when PCA smashed his 33rd home run of the year [VIDEO].
Now it’s 10-2 and the Cubs are not anywhere close to being done. Suzuki singled, Busch was hit by a pitch and Bregman walked. This is the third time the Cubs have had the bases loaded in this game, and Happ came to the plate with a chance for a second slam. It didn’t happen, but he did walk to force in run number 11 [VIDEO].
With the bases still loaded and the Cubs up by nine, Craig Counsell sent Gabriel Arias to the plate to bat for Hoerner, facing position player Jhonny Pereda for the Mariners. Arias singled in run number 12 [VIDEO].
That left the bases loaded for Ramirez — batting right-handed! [VIDEO]
Grand slam fact from John:
The Cubs had hit two grand slams in a game only three times before today:
Aug. 16, 1890 vs. the Pirates: Tom Burns and Malachi Kittridge
June 3, 1987 vs. the Astros: Brian Dayett and Keith Moreland
Sept. 5, 2021 vs. the Pirates: Matt Duffy and Frank SchwindelSo this is the first time they have done it outside Chicago — in their 9,789th road game.
And about that nine-run eighth, from John:
The nine-run eighth inning was the Cubs’ biggest of the season. They scored eight in their 23-3 pummeling of the Padres at home on July 1. They also had one eight-run outburst last year.
Caleb Thielbar threw a 1-2-3 eighth for the Cubs and then the Mariners’ second position player pitcher of the game, Weston Wilson, moved from third base to the mound.
That gave the Cubs a chance to pour it on. Kevin Alcántara, who had replaced PCA in center, led off with a sing.e Suzuki and Busch also singled to load the bases yet again. A sac fly by Bregman made i1 17-2 [VIDEO].
Happ followed with a single, re-loading the bases. A fielder’s choice by Arias made it 18-2 and Ramirez followed with a single, completing the Cubs scoring for the afternoon.
With the Cubs up by 17, Kelly was sent to the mound for the ninth. He allowed a one-out single but got out of the inning scoreless. Here’s the final out, a nice throw by Arias to Busch [VIDEO].
A note about Kelly’s mound outing:
More fun facts on this laugher from John:
The nine-run eighth inning was the Cubs’ biggest of the season. They scored eight in their 23-3 pummeling of the Padres at home on July 1. They also had one eight-run outburst last year.
…..
This was the 18th game of the season in which the Cubs have scored at least 10 runs. They began the day one ahead of the Nationals and two ahead of the Dodgers.The Cubs had 22 double-digit games last year, after having had only 12 in 2024. They had 24 in 2023 after just six in 2022.The nine-run eighth inning was the Cubs’ biggest of the season. They scored eight in their 23-3 pummeling of the Padres at home on July 1. They also had one eight-run outburst last year.
Loved my time in Seattle, a great city with lots to see and tons of good restaurants. Would have been nice to have two wins instead of one, but this game eases the sting of those walk-off defeats, a little, at least.
The Cubs remain two games ahead of the Phillies, who also won Sunday, for the first wild card spot. At this writing the Brewers and Braves are playing in the Little League Classic and the Brewers trail, for whatever that’s worth.
The flight to Phoenix for the Cubs will undoubtedly be a happy one after this blowout. They’ll open a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field Monday evening. Kevin Gausman will start for the Cubs and Merrill Kelly goes for Arizona. Game time Monday is 8:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
