Christopher Morel's ball hit to Waveland Avenue was merely the appetizer for Chicago Cubs fans. The team was down 8-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning. Shortly after, the Cubs loaded up the bases and Ian Happ let one fly.
Grand slam, and the Cubs closed the inning down just two runs.
As you might expect, Cubs fans went wild:
The Cubs enter the day sitting at nearly 50/50 odds to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs' predictive model. While their opportunity to win the division has all but surely passed them by, the Wild Card spot is still in play.
Unfortunately, a skid has kept them tumbling down the standings, with Chicago 3-7 over its last 10 games. Though it would make the extended season if the year were to end today, teams are hot on their heels with the Marlins a half-game back and the Reds 1.5 games back.
A seven-run fourth inning from the Pirates appeared to be more of the same from Chicago. But that's the nice thing about baseball, sometimes it only takes a few swings to wake up a momentum swing that could last for several games.
A moment like this in September has thee chance to sustain the Cubbies right into the postseason. The Pirates shot back the following inning, so the Cubs may have to work extra hard to eke this one out.
Ian Happ proving his extension worthwhile late in the season
Ian Happ has had a steady season for the Cubs with an OPS about 10 percent better than the league average. When he plays well, the Cubs play well, with his OPS in wins clocking in at .968 and his OPS in losses coming in at .562.
Happ earned himself a three-year, $61 million extension with Chicago early in this season to keep him in Wrigley for the foreseeable future. Now, the Cubs just hope they can also re-sign Cody Bellinger, sure to be one of the most coveted free agents this winter, to solidify another piece of the outfield.
