Seiya Suzuki delivered a walk-off single in the ninth inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field on Monday.
The hit came off Padres closer Mason Miller, scoring Alex Bregman from third base.
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Suzuki drove a slider 361 feet to the left-field wall, where it bounced away from outfielder Jase Bowen.
The rally started with three consecutive singles against relievers Jason Adam and Miller. Suzuki entered the at-bat 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against Miller in his career.
"In that at-bat there's only going to be that one pitch, so don't miss it," Suzuki said.
The win improved the Cubs to 47-38, marking their 13th win in 17 games despite having six players on the injured list.
Suzuki finished with two hits, including a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
Strong Pitching and Depth
Left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out four with no walks or home runs.
Relievers Gavin Hollowell, Caleb Thielbar, and Trent Thornton combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Manager Craig Counsell praised Imanaga's length, noting the bullpen is heavily depleted.
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"We desperately needed the length, and for him to get into the seventh inning just meant everything," Counsell said.
Imanaga credited communication with the catcher and pitching coach for adjusting his pitch mix against a dangerous Padres lineup.
He also lauded Suzuki's work ethic.
"He's one of the top hitters in MLB," Imanaga said.
"The hits, the homers, especially in the situations where the team needs it and he delivers, that's not really surprising to me."
Suzuki acknowledged his recent hitting streak with humor. "To be honest, I'm kind of surprised myself that the ball is hitting the bat," he said.
The walk-off win capped a successful week that included a road series win over the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
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Suzuki emphasized the team's resilience: "It shows the teamwork."
