Ian Happ hit two three-run home runs, one from each side of the plate, earning a career-best six RBIs as the struggling Chicago Cubs decisively beat the top-ranked Philadelphia Phillies 10-2 to prevent a sweep on Thursday.
At the start of the season, the Cubs aimed to compete for the NL Central title but have instead found themselves at the bottom of the division. Despite this, they gave their home crowd at Wrigley Field, totaling 40,143 on July Fourth, plenty to cheer about.
“We understand how high the expectations are from our fan base and how much they deserve,” Happ commented. “They show up every day no matter what. They deserve a strong baseball team, and we believe we have the talent for that. It’s been a tough stretch, but games like today, where we score 10 runs, give us confidence to keep pushing forward.”
Chicago was trailing 2-0 when Happ hit his first home run against Cristopher Sánchez in a five-run fourth inning. He struck again batting left-handed in the fifth against Seranthony Domínguez, extending the lead to 8-2 and marking his 14th multi-homer game in his career.
This was the second time Happ has hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a game. He also contributed with a single and a double, finishing the game 4 for 4 at the plate.
Happ had a slow start to the season but has shown significant improvement over the past 35 games since May 26, ranking second in the majors with 36 RBIs during this period.
“There are times when things just don’t feel right,” Happ acknowledged. “When the wind’s against you, or you’re in a strikeout slump. But you have to believe that you’ll hit a hot streak and find your groove again. For me, that came early in the year. The first six weeks were tough and challenging, but I always believed I could turn it around.”
Jameson Taillon (5-4) pitched seven strong innings for the Cubs, allowing two runs on four hits. The right-hander struck out seven batters and issued no walks.
