SAN FRANCISCO — Michael Busch couldn’t help but use a couple hacks during batting practice Friday afternoon to swing for the water beyond the right-field wall at Oracle Park.
The tantalizing, unique feature of the ballpark is nearly impossible to reach for right-handed hitters, making it ideal for the Chicago Cubs first baseman. Busch wasn’t fooled when San Francisco Giants lefty reliever Erik Miller hung a 1-1 slider over the plate in the fifth inning. He slugged it 387 feet into McCovey Cove for a three-run homer that a fan in kayak quickly scooped out of the water with a fishing net.
Busch’s eighth homer of the year provided the Cubs their final runs in a 5-1 victory over the Giants.
In Oracle Park’s 27-year history, only four other Cubs have connected for a “splash” home run. Busch’s was the first by a Cub since Joc Pederson in 2021 following Robel Garcia (2019), Ben Zobrist (2016) and Corey Patterson (2004).
Busch didn’t find out his blast landed in the bay until a couple of innings later. He immediately thought of his baseball-loving dad, Mike, who appreciates those special moments within the game, and planned to text him about it afterward.
“You come to San Francisco and obviously 99% of the players I’m guessing know what McCovey Cove is, so to be in that group was pretty cool,” Busch said. “I’ll take the game over batting practice for sure.”
The Cubs (36-34) secured their first back-to-back victories since May 27-28. They have a chance to extend it Saturday to their first three-game winning streak since their stretch of 10 consecutive wins ended May 7.
Seiya Suzuki’s RBI double and Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly in the fifth got the Cubs on the board against Giants starter Landen Loupp. Busch’s home run gave right-hander Javier Assad all the support he needed in his six shutout innings.
“We’ve been talking about that for a while, we need the big hit, and that’s a huge one, that’s a game changer,” manager Craig Counsell said of Busch. “Three-run homers are game-changing swings, and they brought in a lefty for him, and it was the third, third slider in a row, and he hit it great.”
Busch’s home run continued strong production against left-handers this season. This marks his first big-league season getting to truly be an everyday player, even when a southpaw is on the mound, and the 28-year-old slugger has held his own. He came into the matchup with a .236 average, .367 on-base percentage and .700 OPS, all of which will increase following his home run off Miller. Busch has five extra-base hits, including two home runs, and 13 RBIs off lefties this year.
With his 92 plate appearances, Busch nearly already has exceeded his MLB single-season career high in PAs against left-handers set when he had 100 in 2024.
“Having at-bats against them I think always helps and then just developing an approach against them, especially getting them in the zone,” Busch said. “I think making good swings decisions, especially off the lefties, is pretty key for me. But yeah, trying to tap into a little more slug without giving up the quality of the at-bat, so I’m just trying to find that balance a little more.”
Assad is riding back-to-back shutout outings, combining to throw 12 1/3 scoreless frames with four hits and two walks allowed and 10 strikeouts, both against the Giants. Two rough outings in April accounted for 15 of his 17 earned runs allowed this year, including a start in Philadelphia in which he had to eat innings to save the bullpen en route to giving up nine in a blowout loss.
In Assad’s other eight appearances, including Friday, he owns a 0.57 ERA (two earned runs in 31 2/3 innings).
“This is how you got to figure out how to stick in the big leagues, and it hasn’t been all smooth for Javy, and there’s been some bumps, but you don’t know when your opportunities are coming, and you stay ready for your opportunities,” Counsell said. “Javy keeps telling you I’ll be ready when I get my opportunity.”
Assad’s command of his sinker, especially to his glove side, is often the key to his success. It again was an important pitch Friday. Facing the same team twice in a six-day span had Assad flashing seven pitches against the Giants, though his sinker was the most effective. He recorded three of his five strikeouts on the sinker as well as seven of his 15 called strikes.
“Truthfully I feel really good with all of my pitches right now, and working with the catcher we executed the pitches well,” Assad said through an interpreter. “But the sinker is the one I go to the most.”
