{"id":122565,"date":"2025-06-22T10:43:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T10:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/122565\/"},"modified":"2025-06-22T10:43:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T10:43:10","slug":"cubs-takeaways-what-we-learned-as-wrigley-slugfest-topples-mariners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/122565\/","title":{"rendered":"Cubs takeaways: What we learned as Wrigley slugfest topples Mariners"},"content":{"rendered":"

BOX SCORE<\/a><\/p>\n

CHICAGO \u2014 It was hot, it was windy and things got wild on Saturday at Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n

The Cubs (46-30) needed to get back in the win column after dropping two straight, and they delivered with a 10-7 victory to even the three-game series with the Mariners (38-37).<\/p>\n

Here are three things we learned from a day of big hits and record book-writing:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all Happening\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ian Happ wasted no time on Saturday by sending Mariners starter Emerson Hancock\u2019s very first pitch to the left-center bleachers for his second straight leadoff home run of the series.<\/p>\n

Ian Happ crushes his 160th home run as a Cub!<\/p>\n

He ties Kris Bryant for 15th all-time on the Cubs\u2019 home run list \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/8xicXc7e1X<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 21, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

With that, Happ became the first Cub since Anthony Rizzo in 2017 to hit a leadoff home run in consecutive games \u2014 and he tied Kris Bryant on the Cubs\u2019 all-time home run leaderboard with 160.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[MORE: Ian Happ soars past Kris Bryant on all-time Cubs home run list]<\/a><\/p>\n

But Happ didn\u2019t stop there. In his next at-bat, he one-upped himself with a 404-foot, three-run blast. He now sits above Bryant on the leaderboard with 161 home runs \u2014 the 15th-most for a Cub all-time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the Cubs\u2019 left fielder has struggled to string hits together this month, he\u2019s found a ton of power \u2014 eight of his 11 total home runs have come in June, and he has an .827 OPS in that span.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gone with the Wind<\/p>\n

With the wind blowing out all weekend, it was clear that the ball would be flying. On Friday, the Cubs and Mariners combined for six home runs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Saturday, the Cubs hit five on their own.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kyle Tucker added to Happ\u2019s multi-home run day with a solo shot of his own (No. 14) in the first, going back-to-back with Happ and giving the Cubs the lead early.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michael Busch joined the party in the bottom of the third inning with a three-run home run. His 12th of the year made it 9-1 Cubs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The wind giveth and it taketh away \u2014 and the Cubs learned that the hard way in the top of the second inning when both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ had trouble tracking a fly ball. It came back to haunt Crow-Armstrong in a very similar way the next inning, where he appeared to battle the elements on a Julio Rodriguez fly ball. However, Crow-Armstrong wasn\u2019t charged with any errors, as both went down as hits since the ball didn\u2019t touch his glove.<\/p>\n

In the fifth inning, Crow-Armstrong boosted his morale when he hit a laser to the right field porch for his 21st home run of the year.<\/p>\n

Horton tames the monster<\/p>\n

Cade Horton has shown a lot of stamina early in his Cubs career, providing at least five innings in all of his first six MLB starts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The right-hander began his seventh start in style by picking off Rodriguez at first base and striking out slugger Cal Raleigh, the latter of whom hit two home runs in the Mariners\u2019 series-opening win.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even though Horton struggled with the home run ball in his first four appearances for the Cubs, he kept the Mariners\u2019 bats as quiet as possible on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old didn\u2019t quite make it through five innings on Saturday, partly due to an errant throw from Vidal Brujan at third base (which would have gotten Horton and the Cubs out of the inning) and the misplays by Cubs outfielders.<\/p>\n

In Horton\u2019s final line, he allowed three earned runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings while striking out two. He has been very solid in June, posting a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 innings while not allowing a single home run.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The series finale on Sunday will be another hot one as Colin Rea (4-2, 3.84 ERA) will face off against Mariners ace Logan Gilbert (1-2, 2.55 ERA). Game coverage begins at noon on Marquee Sports Network.<\/p>\n