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Watch Cubs’ Ian Happ punish Brewers with 3-run HR in Game 4 first inning
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- Watch Cubs’ Ian Happ punish Brewers with 3-run HR in Game 4 first inning
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The post Watch Cubs' Ian Happ punish Brewers with 3-run HR in Game 4 first inning appeared first on ClutchPoints .
When the Chicago Cubs ended a 100-plus year drought and won the World Series in 2016, Ian Happ was a top prospect in the organization's farm system and therefore just missed out on the momentous celebration. The three-time Gold Glove outfielder has competed in the National League Championship Series just once since making his MLB debut in 2017, but he is doing everything possible to ensure that the franchise gets back there this year.
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Happ crushed a two-out, three-run home run off Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta in the bottom of the first inning, quickly vaulting the Cubs to a 3-0 lead in a must-win NL Division Series matchup. Chicago has gone yard in its first time up at-bat in every game of the NLDS thus far, and yet, it trails the Brew Crew 2-1 in the series and is facing elimination on Thursday night.
Though, if a club can repeatedly set the tone in the first, eventually positive results should start showing up in the final outcome.
The Cubbies finally prevented a Milwaukee counterpunch and went into the second with its advantage intact, a potential sign that momentum is on the home team's side. Happ, a 2022 All-Star who posted 23 homers and 79 RBIs this year, was an unlikely candidate to launch the ball into the crowd at this specific time. He was 2-for-21 with one dinger going into Game 4, but it appears the 2015 first-round pick is rising to the occasion in this high-stakes NL Central face-off.
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Manager Craig Counsell will trust Ian Happ and his other veterans to stay sharp the deeper this game goes, as Chicago tries to send the series back to American Family Field for a decisive clash. The Cubs still lead 3-0 in the fifth inning at time of print.
Related: Cubs complete bonkers feat in NLDS Game 4 not seen before
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