Seiya, Shota power Cubs to .500 for 1st time since June, make history in the process

MIAMI -- A surge from Seiya Suzuki that backed a gem from Shota Imanaga powered the Cubs to a 14-2 victory over the Marlins at loanDepot park on Saturday afternoon, bringing Chicago back to .500 (65-65) for the first time since June 5.

Suzuki crushed a pair of homers and an RBI triple while Imanaga delivered seven innings and allowed just two runs on four hits (two homers). With the pair's masterful outing, the Cubs became the first MLB team to have one Japanese-born player hit three-plus extra-base hits and another Japanese-born player earn the win in the same game.

It started when Suzuki, who had not homered since Aug. 1, belted a 2-1 fastball from Marlins starter Valente Bellozo deep for a Statcast-projected 412-foot solo homer in the first inning, his 17th of the season.

“I've been seeing the ball pretty well the last couple games," Suzuki said. “It's not anything particular today, just the results were good today. So, I just want to continue for tomorrow.”

In his next turn to the plate, Suzuki smashed another long ball -- a two-run shot that went 446 feet and put the Cubs ahead, 3-0. It was the third multi-homer performance of Suzuki's career and his first since May 17, 2023, at Houston.

The Cubs’ right fielder added an RBI triple in the seventh and finished the game 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits and four RBIs. It was his second career game with three extra-base hits (he hit two doubles and a triple on July 7 at Baltimore).

“A whole bunch of big swings from Seiya got us a lead early, which is always great,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And I think giving just Shota some room is always helpful for the starting pitcher and Seiya was the guy kind of leading the charge there.”

But Suzuki was not the only Chicago hitter to go deep on Saturday. A day after electrifying the Cubs with an inside-the-park homer, Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed a two-run shot 437 feet to right field. It was the second straight day the Cubs have hit three home runs.

Three batters later, Michael Busch squibbed an infield single down the third-base line and Miami reliever John McMillon threw to third where no one was covering. Miguel Amaya and Ian Happ scored on the throwing error to cap the four-run fifth inning.

Chicago scored seven runs over the final three frames, adding three runs in the seventh inning thanks to RBIs from Busch, Suzuki and Cody Bellinger, who had consecutive two-out extra-base hits against reliever Emmanuel Ramirez.

“Obviously, we were able to support all the pitchers,” Suzuki said. “But usually when a team scores a lot of runs a certain game, the next game they have tougher situations. I think we just want to keep our heads down and continue to perform tomorrow.”

In the eighth, Crow-Armstrong ripped a ground-rule double to right that drove home pinch-hitter Mike Tauchman. The Cubs loaded the bases when Ramirez hit pinch-hitter Luis Vazquez and Marlins manager Skip Schumaker brought in right-hander Brett de Geus, who walked Busch before getting an inning-ending double play.

Chicago scored its final two in the top of the ninth when Patrick Wisdom hit a two-run homer to left off Vidal Bruján, who started the game at shortstop for Miami. The blast gave the Cubs their fifth game with at least four home runs this season and first since Aug. 16 vs. the Blue Jays.

“We dug ourselves a pretty big hole at some point from [.500], and it's taken us a bit, but this stretch now, specifically at the end of August, I think we've played really just consistent baseball and that's gotten us there,” Counsell said. “It means that a lot of people are contributing. Consistency means you're getting contributions, kind of up and down the roster, and I feel like that's where we're at right now.”

While their dominance at the plate was evident, so too was Imanaga's dominance on the mound. Making his first appearance at loanDepot park since he started the 2023 World Baseball Classic final for Japan, Imanaga retired the first nine batters he faced before surrendering a solo homer to Connor Norby to open the fourth.

“They were very aggressive early on in the count and I was noticing that,” Imanaga said. “So that was kind of the game plan, let them hit it, and then just kind of keep going in there.”

An inning later, David Hensley hit a one-out solo shot to center, but Imanaga finished the day allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking a pair while tying a career-high seven innings pitched to earn his 10th win of the year.

“They put the ball in play, kind of in the air or weakly on the ground, and that made him really super efficient through five, especially,” Counsell said. “They made him work a little bit in the sixth, but overall very efficient and that got him through seven innings. On a game like that, you get seven from your starter in the stretch we're in, there's a little hidden value to it and Shota did an excellent job.”