The wind was definitely blowing out at Wrigley Field on Friday as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs put on a show, combining for seven home runs and two grand slams in an eventual 13-11 victory for the home team. Cubs catcher Carson Kelly hit two home runs and drove in five runs to lead the home run barrage against his former team, for whom he played five seasons. Ian Happ hit a grand slam, and Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki also went deep for the Cubs, combining for seven RBI.
Arizona exploded for 10 runs in the eighth inning, wiping out a 7-1 Cubs lead. Eugenio Suárez hit a grand slam to begin the outburst, followed by an RBI single from Geraldo Perdomo, a three-run double by Randal Grichuk, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s two-run homer. Cubs relievers Jordan Wicks, Porter Hodge, and Ethan Roberts combined to give up the 10 runs on seven hits and two walks. However, the Cubs answered with six runs in the bottom of the eighth to regain the lead at 13-11.
Kelly led off the scoring with a three-run shot off Bryce Jarvis, and Tucker and Suzuki followed up with back-to-back homers against Joe Mantiply, who took the loss for the day. Ryne Nelson gave up five runs in 2/3 of an inning for the D-Backs, while Hodge allowed six runs in his 2/3 of an inning for Chicago. Yet neither reliever factored in the decision.
Kelly was the star on Friday, but he's been hitting well all season. He splits time behind the plate with Miguel Amaya, and that time share likely maximizes his offensive production. However, it also keeps him from being ranked among MLB's leaders in hitting. The 10-year veteran is batting .419 with a 1.675 OPS, six home runs, and 18 RBI this season. But he only has 43 plate appearances in 11 games. As ESPN's Jeff Passan pointed out on social media, if Kelly had enough PAs to qualify for the MLB batting title, his OPS would be 392 points ahead of Aaron Judge for highest in baseball.
"It was crazy. I mean, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and won," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said afterward. "It was a wild game, but we kept going. There's 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it. You're just happy to just get out of it with a win." With the win, the Cubs improved to 13-9 and have a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL Central over the Milwaukee Brewers, who hosted the Athletics on Friday. The Diamondbacks dropped to 12-8, leaving them fourth in the NL West at 3 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres.
This thrilling contest was reminiscent of the double-digit run games played at Wrigley Field back in the 1970s. The game was a tight 2-1 affair going into the bottom of the seventh inning before the floodgates opened. Colin Rea threw well for four innings, allowing just three baserunners, with no D-backs runner reaching past first base during that stretch. The Cubs fashioned a 2-0 lead thanks to Kelly, who homered after a double from PCA.
As the game progressed, Rea started to get hit in the fifth inning when Gabriel Moreno doubled, followed by a single that moved Moreno to third. Geraldo Perdomo doubled in a run, making it 2-1. Caleb Thielbar came in and walked the first man he faced to load the bases but got Josh Naylor to ground out to end the inning. The score remained 2-1 after five and six innings, with a scoreless inning thrown by Brad Keller.
Julian Merryweather threw a scoreless seventh inning, setting the stage for a dramatic bottom of the seventh where the Cubs scored five runs. Nico Hoerner and PCA singled, and Kelly walked to load the bases. After a strikeout from Vidal Bruján, Ian Happ delivered a grand slam into the bleachers. This marked Happ's fifth career grand slam, a much-needed boost for a player who had struggled with the bases loaded in the past.
The Cubs weren't done in that inning, as Kyle Tucker tripled, and Michael Busch's single made it 7-1. However, Craig Counsell called on Jordan Wicks to start the eighth, a decision that quickly backfired. The first three D-backs had solid hits off Wicks, loading the bases, prompting Hodge to come in.
Hodge faced Eugenio Suárez, who hit a grand slam, marking his fifth home run against the Cubs this season. Despite the Cubs having a 7-5 lead, the D-backs weren't finished. Hodge got Moreno to hit a line drive to Hoerner but then issued a walk and gave up a single. After striking out Corbin Carroll, Hodge allowed Perdomo to single, making it 7-6. Randal Grichuk's two-run double gave Arizona the lead, and Hodge's struggles continued as he issued another walk. Ethan Roberts then entered but served up a three-run homer to Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and the D-backs had a staggering 10-run inning, taking an 11-7 lead.
As the eighth inning progressed, the Cubs found themselves down by four. But the wind was still blowing out, and that lead seemed precarious. Hoerner was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and PCA walked. Kelly then hit his sixth home run of the year, bringing the Cubs within one. Justin Turner struck out, but Happ singled, and the Cubs had a chance.
Incredibly, the seventh and eighth innings saw the teams combine for 21 runs on 21 hits. Ryan Pressly was on the mound in the ninth, and despite the wind, he managed to secure the win for the Cubs. The combined 16 runs scored in the eighth inning set a Wrigley Field record, showcasing the wild nature of this game.
The Diamondbacks became the first team to score 10 runs in an inning this season and still lose. The last time both teams scored 10 or more runs in a nine-inning game at Wrigley Field was on July 6, 2021, when the Phillies beat the Cubs 15-10. As the Cubs look ahead, they will face the Diamondbacks again on April 19, 2025, with Ben Brown starting for the Cubs and Zac Gallen getting the call for Arizona. Game time is set for 1:20 p.m. CT, and fans are eager to see if the wild scoring continues.
