Down 9-0, you wouldn’t have said this game was over after only the second inning – not with the wind blowing out and the Cubs’ powerful lineup – but you would say the Cubs almost certainly weren’t going to win. FanGraphs’ win expectancy pegged their chances at just 1.5%.
And, hey, don’t get me wrong, the Cubs still might not win.
But after a solo homer by Ian Happ in the 2nd inning, the Cubs blew up in the 4th inning with four homers (tying a club record), including a solo Kris Bryant shot, and then a subsequent back-to-back-to-back explosion by Alex Avila, Ian Happ, and Javy Baez (via @CSN):
Avila, Happ, and Javy are just ⛏ away.
Flip over to CSN or stream it here: https://t.co/DaEDBc6IdR pic.twitter.com/PugBSFijDU
— CSN Chicago (@CSNChicago) August 17, 2017
That’s the first time the Cubs have gone back-to-back-to-back since September 2004, when Derrek Lee, Sammy Sosa, and Michael Barrett pulled it off.
The blasts cut the Reds’ lead to just three, on a day with the win doing what it is, I’d say the Cubs probably have a good 1 in 3 chance of pulling this one out.
MY GOD, as I type, Kyle Schwarber just hit ANOTHER Cubs homer. It’s now 9-7. This is nuts.