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CHICAGO — Ian Happ played in his 1,000th major league game on Saturday – all with the Chicago Cubs.

It’s that last part that makes it special for the outfielder.

“I think the one thing that means a lot about it is is doing it all here,” Happ said. “I think that’s the thing that means a ton.”

It’s a rare accomplishment, too.

Happ became the eighth active player with 1,000 games with one team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, joining a group that includes Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and José Ramírez. He is the 21st player to appear in at least his first 1,000 games with Chicago, according to the team.

Happ, Mark Grace and Shawon Dunston are the only players drafted by the Cubs to play in 1,000 games with the franchise.

“The big significance for me is 1,000 games with the same team,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who played in 1,624 games for five teams during his 16 years in the majors. “That’s, to me, what makes it rare and definitely worth talking about. That, in this era of baseball, is not happening. It’s just not happening.

“That speaks a lot about kind of how Ian’s gone about it, I think.”

The Cubs paid tribute to Happ as he walked to the plate in the first inning against San Diego. Happ took off his batting helmet and patted his chest to acknowledge the cheering Wrigley Field crowd of 35,391.

The 30-year-old switch hitter went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk in Chicago’s 7-1 victory. He also made an outstanding diving catch for the first out of the seventh inning, robbing Gavin Sheets of extra bases.

“That’s a pretty good one,” said Happ, who had a HAPP 1000 jersey autographed by the team hanging in his locker after the game. “Had to go a long way.”

Happ was selected by Chicago with the No. 9 pick in the 2015 amateur draft out of the University of Cincinnati. He made his big league debut in 2017, batting .253 with 24 homers and 68 RBI for a Cubs team that won the NL Central and made it to the NL Championship Series.

But Happ’s future was uncertain after he was optioned to Triple-A Iowa before the start of the 2019 season. The stay in the minors gave him time to work on his approach at the plate – away from the glare of the big leagues – and he returned to the Cubs that July.

Happ made the NL All-Star team and won the first of his three consecutive Gold Gloves in left field in 2022. He has appeared in 480 of Chicago’s last 497 games.

“The work that it takes to be healthy and be out there and be available, you know, everything that goes into it, whether that’s pregame for a day like today or whether it’s in the offseason, there’s a lot of work that goes into being available that much,” Happ said before the matchup with the Padres. “That part of it is kind of what I think about.”

There also was some question about Happ’s future in Chicago before he agreed to a $61 million, three-year contract in April 2023 that runs through the 2026 season and includes a full no-trade provision.

When Kyle Hendricks left and signed with the Los Angeles Angels in November, Happ became the longest tenured major leaguer with the Cubs.

“He deserves every bit of praise that he gets,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “It’s just been so impressive watching him go about his work on a daily basis and just what he does in order to be able to play every day. … He’s available every day. He posts up, and that’s an impressive feat.”

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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