Christopher Morel #5 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates his grand slam in the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on April 9, 2024 in San Diego, California.
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SAN DIEGO – Christopher Morel’s towering grand slam, the first of his career, soared into Petco Park’s left field second deck Tuesday.
“Super-special in the moment,” he said. “My first year playing every day. … All offseason I was working hard. The guys showed me I can do it. Just trying to be more consistent, learn from the bad days. We need to keep doing that.”
Morel, who is off to a hot start as the Cubs’ everyday cleanup hitter, was responsible for most of the team’s run-scoring in a 5-1 win against the Padres on Tuesday.
Since Morel’s debut in 2022, the Cubs have lauded the spark plug he can be for the team. But his approach leading up to the grand slam reflected the adjustments he’s made over the past year to provide that kind of offensive boost more consistently.
“My passion was under control,” Morel said. “Trying to get my pitch, not trying to do too much. One at a time. Thinking, one run is good for the team. Just put the ball in play.”
The Cubs were up 1-0 in the fifth, thanks to a solo homer by Yan Gomes to lead off the inning, with the bases loaded and no outs.
Morel watched a first-pitch ball off the plate. Then Padres right-hander Stephen Kolek came back with another outside sinker, this one brushing the edge of the zone and called ball two.
Then Kolek went to his slider but missed over the plate. Morel was ready.
“One of those that off the bat you know it’s a homer,” manager Craig Counsell said.
Just trying to put the ball in play paid off.
The Cubs scored all their runs in that inning. But between rookie Ben Brown holding the Padres to three hits and no runs for 4 ⅔ innings in his first major-league start, and the bullpen doing their part to seal the win, five runs was plenty.
“I was trying to have a moment there for a second,” Gomes joked about his solo shot, “and then Morel comes in and hits his first grand slam, and then it’s about him.
“But it was great. It was one of those moments that, [if] we keep putting guys on, things are going to happen. And definitely a great way to bounce back from [Monday’s loss].”