Michael Busch saves Shōta Imanaga’s electric outing with 427-foot walk-off home run originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It was quite the evening at the Friendly Confines on Tuesday.
Trying to tie the home series against the Padres, the Cubs struck first in the fourth inning with a home run from Cody Bellinger in his return to the field. He hadn’t played since April 23 because of two fractured ribs he endured running into the back wall at Wrigley Field against the Astros.
The Padres posted two runs themselves in the eighth inning, but not without Christopher Morel blasting a sacrifice fly to help tie up the game. Hector Neris pulled through with a scoreless appearance in the ninth inning That gave Michael Busch a chance at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning.
And he delivered.
In the pouring rain at Wrigley Field, Busch drove an absolute bomb to the right field bleachers. It went 427 feet, according to the Marquee Sports Network broadcast.
It was a much-needed win, especially after starter Shōta Imanaga kept the Padres quiet for seven innings. He allowed two earned runs in those seven innings, striking out eight batters from 102 pitches, too.
With a 1.08 ERA through seven starts of his MLB career, he joins rare Cubs air for starters who have thrown sub-1.15 ERAs through any seven-game stretch of their careers. Jake Arrieta (2015), Warren Hacker (1952) and Grover Alexander (1920) are the only three to eclipse that mark in that time frame in Cubs history.
The Cubs host the series finale on Wednesday. They’ll put Hayden Wesneski on the bump and they’ll hit against former Cubs draft pick Dylan Cease.
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