Ian Happ Is Heating up at the Perfect Time for the Cubs
During a time when the offense and the team as a whole are struggling, Ian Happ is certainly doing his part.
The Cubs’ losing streak finally came to an end, and he is a big reason why.
To break the streak on May 27th, Happ had a home run along with five runs batted in. The final score of that game was ten to four, which means Happ was responsible for more runs than the Pirates had as a team.
If that wasn’t enough, the next day the Cubs won again behind another Happ homerun and his two runs batted in. Quite the showing from Ian Happ to get the Cubs back in the win column, but his streak didn’t end in Pittsburgh.
The Cubs next went to St. Louis to play the rival Cardinals, and in the first inning of that game, Ian Happ left the yard with two runners on base.
While the Cubs went on to lose that contest, Happ also had a double to finish two for four from the plate.
The next night, the three-game home run streak ended for Ian, but he still went two for five with a double. In the four games following the Cubs rough patch, Ian Happ has been the best offensive player on the team.
Watching Ian Happ succeed is one thing, but diving into the numbers behind his success is another.
When Happ plays against his hometown Pirates, he has one hundred and thirty-nine hits, twenty-one home runs, and a batting average of over three hundred. Against the Cardinals, Happ has one hundred and one hits, twenty-eight home runs, and a batting average of around two hundred and sixty. This is how good Ian Happ has been against two division rivals for the Cubs, and it also speaks to how great Happ has been for the Cubs. He is the current longest-tenured Chicago Cubs player and plays so well in the division.
Although Happ has phenomenal numbers in this four-game stretch and against these two rivals throughout his career, there is a deeper meaning to his being the one to pull this team out of its losing streak. Happ is a veteran MLB player who has been an All-Star, won four Gold Glove Awards, and, most importantly, is a leader for this team. When they take the field at home, he is the one who runs on the field first; his veteran presence and success guide this team.
Ian Happ has been such a great Cubs player throughout his career, and this current stretch reminds baseball fans of how special he can be and how great a career he has had while wearing the red, white, and blue.
While Happ has been phenomenal during this four-game period, where he has nine hits in twenty at-bats, three home runs, and ten runs batted in, hopefully this streak goes a lot longer than four games.
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