CHICAGO — With the crowd erupting in cheers and excitement, Kyle Tucker energized the fans, celebrating his pivotal two-run homer that sailed past the right-field fence during the eighth inning. The Chicago Cubs staged an impressive comeback to win against the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11, following an extraordinary sequence where they initially conceded 10 runs before rallying with six of their own in the same inning on a dazzling Friday game.
“This game is full of unpredictability,” reflected Tucker. “Through so many games we play, you experience both highs and lows.”
A match with such a rollercoaster of emotions is an uncommon event. In fact, history shows the Cubs as merely the seventh team in over 125 seasons to concede 10 or more runs in a single inning and still come out victorious. Other teams that achieved similar feats include Cleveland in Kansas City on August 23, 2006; Philadelphia facing Pittsburgh on June 8, 1989; the New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Athletics on June 3, 1933; the Cubs versus Cincinnati on September 26, 1912; the New York Giants during a match with the Boston Braves on June 20, 1912; and the Philadelphia Athletics contending with the Yankees on May 3, 1912.
An inning featuring both teams scoring six or more runs after having allowed 10 or more is even rarer. Only a handful of teams reached this mark in the past 125 years, including Detroit playing Texas on May 8, 2004; Cleveland facing the Yankees on August 3, 1986; Boston playing Cleveland on April 10, 1977; and the Giants against Boston on June 20, 1912.
With a total of 16 runs combined in the eighth inning, it marked the highest number at Wrigley Field as per Elias Sports Bureau’s records.
The favorable weather made it an effortless day for long-range sluggers. Carson Kelly blasted two home runs, Ian Happ delivered a grand slam, and Seiya Suzuki also homered, aiding the Cubs in kicking off the weekend series with flair.
“We’ve shown resilience from the start — pushing past tough defeats and bouncing back strong,” Happ stated. “Like bouncing back to win the series even after dropping the first game. Moments like today, showcasing professional hitting, highlight our journey.”
The tensions surged dramatically in the closing innings. Initially, Kelly’s second-inning two-run bang against Corbin Burnes and Happ’s grand slam off Ryne Nelson, part of a five-run explosion in the seventh, seemed to strengthen the Cubs’ grip with a 7-1 lead. But the game took a frenetic twist in the eighth inning.
Eugenio Suárez narrowed the gap to 7-5 with a grand slam off Porter Hodge, then Geraldo Perdomo added a run with a single, followed by Randal Grichuk’s two-run double placing Arizona ahead. Further increasing the drama, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. slammed a three-run homer, making the scoreboard 11-7.
The crowd of over 39,000 voiced their dissatisfaction, yet the Cubs rallied admirably in the next turn. When Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner at-bat and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong, a pivotal moment came as Kelly rocketed a three-run homer to centerfield. Tucker, a noteworthy off-season acquisition for the Cubs, seized the opportunity post-Happ’s one-out single. Suzuki then launched his run off Joe Mantiply, securing the Cubs’ 13-11 lead.
“You have to remain focused,” emphasized Kelly. “The aim is to avoid conceding 10 in an inning, but we have to gather ourselves, regroup, and keep the fight going.”