Red-hot Ian Happ belts 2 of Chicago Cubs' 5 home runs in 10-7 win on a steamy, windy day at Wrigley Field
Ian Happ is a solid home run hitter, having belted more than 20 four times in his first eight seasons with the Chicago Cubs, including twice hitting 25.
So, when the calendar turned to June and he had just three to his name in 2025, the switch-hitting left fielder was concerned.
'You're sitting there with three homers and it's definitely frustrating,' Happ, 30, said. 'You want to do more and help more. But I've done this long enough that it's going to show up at some point.'
It has shown up in June.
Big time.
The veteran has gone deep eight times this month, including twice in the first two innings Saturday in a 10-7 win over the Seattle Mariners in front of 39,047 at Wrigley Field on a hot, humid and windy day that made every ball hit in the air an adventure.
Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong also homered for the Cubs (46-30), with Crow-Armstrong notching his team-high 21st of the season.
Happ, who had four RBIs, passed Kris Bryant for 15th place on the Cubs' all-time home run list with 161.
'It's really cool,' Happ said. 'Being here and being available … being on a list with those guys who are all-time Cubs great is really cool.'
Happ has homered in three straight games and led off the last two finding the seats — the first Cub to accomplish the feat since Anthony Rizzo on June 13-14, 2017, against the Mets in New York.
Photos: Chicago Cubs beat Seattle Mariners 10-7 at Wrigley FieldAfter three pitches Saturday, Mariners starter Emerson Hancock already had given up Happ's leadoff homer into the left-field bleachers, followed by Tucker's into the right-field seats to set the tone.
'With the nature of the elements, it was good for us to jump out to a lead,' Happ said. 'You knew you were going to have to score some runs to win that game.'
The Cubs were trying to keep the Mariners' Cal Raleigh in the park and nearly succeeded, but he hit a solo shot in the ninth off Daniel Palencia for his major-league-leading 30th of the season. The switch-hitting catcher does not have the star power of Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani — yet — but that could be coming.
He went deep twice in Friday's 9-4 win at Wrigley, breaking Johnny Bench's record for most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break with 29. And the break is still three weeks away.
Raleigh had a chance to do some huge damage in the sixth, but Cubs reliever Brad Keller struck him out with runners at first and third and one out. Keller (3-0) inherited the first-and-third situation and struck out the side. He also fanned Julio Rodriguez and Jorge Polanco.
Manager Craig Counsell called Keller the MVP of the game for that sequence.
'He did a heck of a job — it was a great inning,' Counsell said. 'It was early to go to him, for sure, but at that spot and with the guys they had coming up, you're kind of going for it.'
Keller said it was hot and steamy in the Cubs bullpen the whole game, but he picked up even more heat when he stepped onto the field.
'It was a heat blast, that's for sure,' Keller said. 'Running in, I didn't want to throw my warmup pitches because I wanted to conserve all of the energy that I can. But it was hot for everybody. I'm from Georgia and I've felt the heat before.'
Early in the game, Crow-Armstrong was befuddled in center field by two wind-aided fly balls, and Happ was caught off guard by one as all three fell for hits.
'We made adjustments after the first couple of innings,' Happ said. 'They were a couple of tough ones that fell. You're trying to get behind the ball as much as you can, but everything in your brain is telling you from all of the fly balls you have had in the past … to recalibrate can be challenging.'
The heat — it was 94 degrees and likely hotter on the field — got to plate umpire Chad Whiston, who left the game after five innings. There was no announcement about his condition. Dexter Kelly took over behind the plate in the sixth, and the game went on with three umpires.
Mariners reliever Trent Thornton wobbled on the mound with one out in the eighth. He was helped off by training staff.
And Sunday's series finale could even be hotter.
Before the game, the Cubs recalled right-hander Nate Pearson from Triple-A Iowa and designated lefty Génesis Cabrera for assignment. Pearson was 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 19 appearances with Iowa, including a start. He opened the season with the Cubs and was 0-1 with 10.38 ERA in eight outings.
'Nate's been throwing the ball well,' Counsell said. 'He struggled a little when he was sent down to Triple A. We're working on getting him back to a good place and we feel like we've made some progress there.'
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