Chicago Cubs Left Fielder Ian Happ had a day to remember on the Fourth of July within the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. He went 4-of-4 with two home runs and a career-high six RBI. Happ’s career day helped the Chicago Cubs dominate the Philadelphia Phillies 10-2. Happ’s offensive outburst helped the Cubs avoid being swept at the hands of the best team in Major League Baseball.
Happ’s first plate appearance was a single, his second was a three-run home run, he hit another three-run shot in the fifth, and had a double in the final plate appearance of what was truly a historic performance. Happ single-handedly won the game for his ballclub, but Starting Pitcher Jameson Taillon was great in his own right. He surrendered two earned runs over seven innings of work and punched out seven.
Happ is hitting .238 this season with 13 home runs and 50 RBI. Will Happ be able to carry this momentum into this weekend of games?
Ian Happ Career Summary
Ian Happ had himself a huge day at the plate. 👏 pic.twitter.com/YcYI60o7dO
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2024
Happ made his Major League debut as a member of the Chicago Cubs in 2017. He is a one-time MLB All-Star(2022) and a two-time Gold Glove winner(2022, 2023). He also finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. Cody Bellinger won the award that season. Happ is a .248 career hitter with 138 home runs and 442 RBI.
Chicago Cubs Season Summary
It has been a rough season for the Chicago Cubs(40-48). They are in last place in the National League Central and are six games back of the third and final National League Wild card spot. Chicago has struggled as of late. They have dropped 10 of their last 13 games. Chicago was a season-high eight games over .500 on April 26 but has struggled mightily ever since.
The Cubs offense has not been good this season. They are 24th in batting average, 21st in home runs, and 17th in home runs. Their offense is led by Happ and Third Baseman Christopher Morel. Morel is second on the team in home runs(13) and RBI)46). Happ leads the Cubs in doubles, home runs, and RBI. Chicago’s pitching staff has been average this season. They are 15th in ERA, fourth in strikeouts, and 15th in opposing batting average.
Starting Pitcher Shota Imanaga and Relief Pitcher Hector lead the team with seven wins and Imanaga is 19th in the league with an ERA of 3.16. The Japanese rookie struggled in June after having a sub-one ERA over the first month and a half of the regular season. Imanaga had a 5.67 ERA in June. His July got off to a better start as Imanaga surrendered three runs over six innings of work yesterday against the Phillies.
Cubs Upcoming Schedule
The Cubs begin a three-game series at home tomorrow against the Los Angeles Angels. Chicago heads to Baltimore for a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles beginning on Tuesday. Manager Craig Counsell has struggled in his first year at the helm. He is on track for his first losing season since 2020. The Chicago Cubs are looking to avoid missing the MLB Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Happ will look to continue swinging a hot bat as the Chicago Cubs look to claw their way back into the playoff picture. Chicago will have their work cut out for them in the second half of the regular season but have the talent on their roster to turn things around.
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