Michael Conforto could not stop smiling after hitting a walk-off home run. He rounded third base, headed for the plate, and was met by his Cubs teammates ready to celebrate. The opposite-field shot delivered a 5-4 victory over the Reds at Wrigley Field, as the North Siders secured their sixth consecutive win, and 12th in a row at home.
Conforto’s Memorable First Homer for Chicago
Conforto said it was “really, really cool” to hit his first home run for the Cubs. He acknowledged the team’s winning streak and their determination to win. “It’s awesome I got the opportunity to go out and do that,” Conforto said.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell praised Conforto for his acceptance and embrace of his role. Counsell noted the difficulty of Conforto’s situation, having not had an at-bat in four days. Counsell said Conforto got a pitch up and put a great swing on it.
Wrigley Field Winning Streak
The Cubs’ home winning streak is their longest since a 14-game run in 2008. The team record at the ballpark at Clark and Addison is an 18-game streak from September 1935. The franchise record is a 21-game stretch in 1880 at Lakefront Park, according to team historian Ed Hartig.
- The Cubs secured their 12th consecutive win at Wrigley Field.
- Their home winning streak is the longest since 2008.
- The team record is an 18-game streak in 1935.
Ninth-Inning Rally Seals the Win
The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. Seiya Suzuki had earlier hit a 455-foot, game-tying homer in the fourth. The Reds then handed the ball to their closer, Emilio Pagán, for the ninth.
Pagán opened the ninth by getting Pete Crow-Armstrong into an 0-2 count. Crow-Armstrong then launched a ball to deep centre for a triple. Myers crashed into the wall attempting to make the catch.
Conforto fills a sporadic role as a backup outfielder. He had not appeared in a game yet this month, last playing on Wednesday in San Diego. He has 39 plate appearances in 18 games this season.
Conforto has hit .323 with a .984 OPS in his limited playing time. The Cubs’ reserve group has produced a collective 1.068 OPS in 33 pinch-hit at-bats.
Conforto could not remember hitting a walk-off home run in his life, perhaps only in Little League. He was soaking up every step as he headed to the plate.