Miguel Amaya delivers in the clutch for Cubs with first career grand slam
Miguel Amaya needed just 1 pitch to turn the series finale against the Tigers the Cubs’ way.
Scoreless in the 2nd inning, Amaya crushed a 98.6-mph fastball from Kenta Maeda to the left field bleachers for a grand slam, the first of his career and sent Wrigley Field into a frenzy in the process. It gave the Cubs a big lead as they went on to beat the Tigers 10-2 and take the series against Detroit.
“Feels amazing,” Amaya said after the game. “Something that I dreamt as a kid, [to] make it happen now, it feels really good, and especially for the team. We’ve been having some up and downs, but we won the series.”
The Cubs loaded the bases against Maeda with 3 singles from their first four hitters in the frame. Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out, bringing Amaya up to the plate.
He didn’t need much time to impact the game. Maeda threw him a four-seam fastball that cut the inner, upper third of the plate, right in his wheelhouse and he hit it 399 feet for a no-doubt grand slam.
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It’s another big hit for the Cubs catcher, who has tapped into some of his offensive potential since pivoting from a leg kick to more of a toe tap and drag. He sat for a few days in early July to implement the changes and since July 7, Amaya is slashing .299/.341/.506 with 4 home runs and 14 RBI.
“I think the most impressive thing is [that] in-season adjustments are hard, they’re really hard for hitters to make,” manager Craig Counsell said after the win. “And Miggy made a significant one. I think you all can see it. And it was significant, and the kind of results beforehand necessitated it. But it’s tough to do, and he’s done a really good job with it.”
That type of production has helped lengthen the Cubs’ lineup. Prior to the swing adjustment, Amaya was hitting .186/.249/.256. Amaya’s offensive boost, plus the addition of veteran Christian Bethancourt, has helped the bottom of the order. Bethancourt is hitting .350/.409/.800 in 9 games with the Cubs, serving as Amaya’s backup.
“It just feels like a broken record a little bit, but when those guys — when Pete [Crow-Armstrong] and Miggy — are really almost driving the bus, offensively, we’re having big days, for sure,” Counsell said.
Bethancourt hit a 2-run home run on Wednesday, the Cubs’ only runs in their loss to Detroit.