- Cubs become first team since 2004 to surrender 10+ runs and score 6+ in same inning
- 16 combined 8th-inning runs set Wrigley Field record
- Kyle Tucker's go-ahead HR validates $185M offseason signing
- Only 7th team in modern MLB history to win after allowing 10+ runs in an inning
In a game that rewrote baseball history books, the Chicago Cubs demonstrated extraordinary grit Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. After surrendering 10 runs in the top of the eighth inning - a catastrophic collapse that saw three pitchers combine for 86 pitches - the North Siders responded with six runs of their own in the bottom frame. The seesaw battle featured four lead changes after the seventh-inning stretch, culminating in Kyle Tucker's laser-beam two-run homer that cleared the right-field ivy.
This unprecedented offensive explosion marked only the fifth instance since 1900 where both teams combined for 16+ runs in a single inning. The Cubs joined the 2004 Detroit Tigers as just the second franchise in the modern era to simultaneously allow double-digit runs and post a six-run response within the same inning. You don't practice for scenarios like this,said manager Craig Counsell. But our hitters showed why we invested in disciplined at-bats this offseason.
Wrigley's unique dimensions played a crucial role in the outcome. With game-time temperatures hitting 82°F and winds blowing out at 12 mph, four of the game's seven home runs landed in the final two rows of outfield seating. Ian Happ's seventh-inning grand slam - a 427-foot moonshot to right-center - initially appeared to seal the victory before Arizona's explosive reply.
The dramatic turnaround reflects Chicago's revamped offensive philosophy. Since hiring hitting coach Dustin Kelly in November, the Cubs lead the NL in late-inning (.287) and two-out (.314) batting averages. Tucker's heroics validated management's controversial decision to sign the former Astros slugger to a nine-figure contract, with his eighth-inning blast registering a 112.3 mph exit velocity - the hardest-hit go-ahead HR in Cubs history.
This historic contest underscores MLB's evolving run environment. Through June 2024, teams are averaging 1.2 more runs per game than in 2022, with analysts attributing the surge to pitch clock adjustments and restricted defensive shifts. The Cubs-Diamondbacks thriller generated $218k in incremental merchandise sales during the eighth inning alone, per MLB's real-time commerce data.
For Arizona, the collapse raises concerns about bullpen management. Manager Torey Lovullo used four relievers in the fateful eighth, including closer Paul Sewald who surrendered Suzuki's game-sealing homer on a 1-2 slider. The Diamondbacks have now blown 11 late-inning leads since implementing their closer-by-committeeapproach in May.
As Chicago fans flooded Clark Street bars celebrating the franchise's wildest victory since their 2016 World Series run, Tucker summarized the day's chaos: Baseball gives you ulcers until it gives you moments like this. That's why we play 162.