Seiya Suzuki hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, on Friday in Chicago. Ian Happ began the 10th on second as the automatic runner. Chad Green (3-3) walked Michael Busch before Suzuki lined a 2-2 pitch into left field .
Happ scored easily to give Chicago a sorely needed victory after it blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth. The Cubs had dropped three in a row in a sweep at Cleveland. Happ, Cody Bellinger, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya homered for Chicago, and Tyson Miller (4-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Prior to his walk-off hit, Suzuki was hitless in four attempts at the plate. The Japanese-born outfielder said he tried to harness his frustration in his final at-bat. “Today, I was mad at myself, so I kind of channeled that,” Suzuki said through an interpreter.
“I’m glad the results were good, but moving forward, I’ll try not to be mad at myself. I was frustrated in past at-bats, but for the last at-bat, I was able to stay calm.” Despite the near collapse, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was quick to defend reliever Héctor Neris, who gave up Chicago’s three-run advantage in the ninth.
Counsell cited the win as the game’s most important takeaway. “No one likes to give up runs,” Counsell said. “Héctor did today.
He gave up the lead, but he kept it there and we got the job done. And that’s a win, that’s the big thing. It’d be great to pick how every win (is) and make them beauti.