Here are the Cubs' top 10 HRs of 2010s
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CHICAGO -- Think of all the great home runs in the storied history of the Cubs.
Gabby Hartnett delivered the "Homer in the Gloamin'" in 1938. Ernie Banks connected for his 500th homer in ‘70. Rick Sutcliffe's blast in the ‘84 National League Championship Series comes to mind. There was The Ryne Sandberg Game earlier in that same season and Andre Dawson's shot that rocked Wrigley in the final home game of '87.
No list of famous Cubs homers would be complete without mentioning Sammy Sosa hitting 61 and 62, and then Mark Grace ending that same game against the Brewers in '98 with a walk-off shot to right. What about Glenallen Hill's tape-measure blast to the rooftops in 2000, or Kerry Wood going deep in Game 7 of the NLCS in 2003?
Over the past decade, there have been more entries into the list of greatest home runs in Cubs history. Here is our list of the North Siders' best long balls of the past 10 years.
1. Ross vs. Miller
Nov. 2, 2016
Game 7 of the 2016 World Series was not just historic (Chicago's 108-year drought vs. Cleveland's 68-year drought), it was full of incredible twists and turns. The most improbable moment arrived in the sixth inning, when backup catcher David Ross stepped in against playoff hero Andrew Miller. Entering their battle, Miller had 29 strikeouts and a 0.53 ERA in 17 playoff innings for the Tribe. Ross fell behind, 1-2, but then drilled a fastball to center, where the baseball disappeared just over the wall. Miller crouched on the mound, stunned in disbelief. It was the last hit of Ross' playing career, and the Cubs' now-manager was carried off the field by his teammates during the World Series-clinching celebration.
2. Bote's ultimate slam
Aug. 12, 2018
The situation was one kids dream up in their backyards or in sandlots. Two strikes, two outs, bases loaded, bottom of the ninth inning and down by three runs. That was what faced the pinch-hitting David Bote, who crushed Ryan Madson’s pitch to send the Wrigley Field crowd into a frenzy. It was the first "ultimate" slam (a game-winner when trailing by three runs) for the Cubs since 1963, and one of 29 in recorded MLB history. Bote rounded third with his arms spread wide, soaring into a mob of teammates waiting at home plate in one of the iconic moments in the franchise's recent history.
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3. Fowler quiets Cleveland
Nov. 2, 2016
Cleveland's Corey Kluber had been overpowering in his first two starts of the World Series. He racked up eight strikeouts in the first three innings of Game 1, and he had 15 with only one run allowed across 12 frames between the Game 1 and Game 4 outings. So, Kluber was an intimidating foe for Game 7. Dexter Fowler welcomed the ace with a lead-off shot in the first inning at Progressive Field, where thousands of Cubs fans made their presence felt. Kluber recorded zero strikeouts in the game, and Fowler's blast set the tone for Chicago's historic victory.
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4. Schwarber's scoreboard shot
Oct. 13, 2015
The young Cubs knocked off the Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game, earning a clash with the rival Cardinals in the NL Division Series. In Game 4, a series of key home runs kept upping the decibel level at the old ballpark. In the seventh inning, Kyle Schwarber launched a Kevin Siegrist pitch high over right field, where it landed atop Wrigley Field's video board. The blast in the series-clinching win immediately became a part of Cubs lore, especially when the club had the ball encased where it came to rest.
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5. Montero slams Dodgers
Oct. 15, 2016
In Game 1 of the NLCS, the Cubs saw a 3-0 lead squandered away by the eighth inning. In the home half of that frame, catcher Miguel Montero was called upon to pinch-hit for closer Aroldis Chapman. With two outs and the score caught in a 3-3 deadlock, Montero drilled a Joe Blanton offering to deep right field, where it fell into a sea of celebrating fans in the bleacher seats. The grand slam blew the game open, and Fowler kept the party going with a homer in the next at-bat, sending Chicago to an 8-4 win.
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6. Bryant shocks Rox
July 27, 2015
In a wild, back-and-forth game, the Rockies struck for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to take an 8-7 lead against the Cubs. Kris Bryant -- in the midst of an NL Rookie of the Year campaign -- then launched a two-run, walk-off shot off John Axford to seal a 9-8 win. The victory ignited a 16-2 run for the Cubs over the next few weeks. Chicago did not stop there, either. Starting with Bryant's walk-off winner, the Cubs won 22 of 27 and 46 of 65 to finish the 2015 season. That home run marked a turning point in the franchise's swift rise to World Series contention after years of rebuilding. Watch here.
7. Schwarber's wild splash
Oct. 7, 2015
The Cubs rolled into Pittsburgh and faced an intimidating "black out" from the Pirates fans at PNC Park. Coming off a historic second half, ace Jake Arrieta was hardly fazed. The right-hander spun a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts to power the Cubs to victory. In the third inning, Schwarber made his mark on the milestone win for Chicago, connecting on a Gerrit Cole pitch for a two-run homer that soared over the right-field seats and into the Allegheny River.
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8. Bryant swings momentum
Oct. 30, 2016
The Indians had a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series and a 1-0 advantage in the fourth inning of Game 5 at Wrigley Field. The Tribe's dominant pitching staff just needed to hold on to bring a trophy back to Cleveland. Enter Bryant, who had no homers and a .216 average in 44 plate appearances across his past 10 playoff games. The Cubs slugger homered off Trevor Bauer to spark a three-run inning that paved the way for a 3-2 win. Bryant also homered for the first run in Game 6, and the rest -- as they say -- is history.
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9. Javy's Mother's Day present
May 8, 2016
Javier Báez has enjoyed a number of jaw-dropping home runs in his career. He homered in his Major League debut, has delivered key blasts in the regular season and has multiple moments of heroism on the October stage. Our favorite home run from Báez over the past decade, however, was on Mother's Day in 2016. The shortstop entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, but it was not until the 13th frame that he came through with a walk-off blast off Blake Treinen. Báez was wearing pink spikes, sleeves and batting gloves and launched the game's decisive blow with a pink bat.
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10. Big Jon's first blast
Aug. 1, 2017
There are more postseason heroics, timely slams or walk-off shots that could round out this list, but let's give some love to Jon Lester. The left-handed pitcher started his career with an 0-for-66 showing and hit just .064 (10-for-157) with a .202 OPS across the 2006-16 seasons. Then, during a 16-4 romp over the D-backs in August of 2017, Big Jon sent a pitch from Patrick Corbin out to left-center at Wrigley Field in the third inning. His teammates celebrated wildly in the dugout, the relievers danced in the bullpen and the North Side crowd demanded a curtain call. Watch here.
Honorable Mention
11. Oct. 7, 2016: Báez off Johnny Cueto in 1-0 win in Game 1 of NLDS
12. Oct. 10, 2016: Arrieta takes Madison Bumgarner deep in Game 3 of NLDS
13. June 6, 2018: Jason Heyward's walk-off grand slam vs. Phillies
14. July 16, 2018: Bote and Anthony Rizzo go back-to-back to walk-off D-backs
15. Nov. 1, 2016: Addison Russell's grand slam in Game 6 of World Series
16. Aug. 5, 2014: Báez belts 12th-inning game-winner for first MLB hit
17. June 9, 2016: Willson Contreras' first homer on first pitch of first MLB at-bat
18. March 29, 2018: Ian Happ homers on first pitch of the MLB season
19. May 17, 2019: Bryant homers in seventh, eighth and ninth vs. Nationals
20. May 4, 2019: Taylor Davis' game-tying grand slam against Cardinals