Ian Happ stepped up in a big spot for the Cubs on Opening Day against the Brewers. It was the bottom of the seventh, tie game, runners on the corners. Milwaukee reliever Jake Cousins, who leans heavily on his slider, tried to stick with what he knows. He started Happ off with a sweeping slider for a ball, followed by a sinker down that caught a borderline strike call. Happ didn’t like it. He hadn’t swung at anything yet. Cousins kept throwing sliders but couldn’t find the zone, trying both the back foot and the back door with no success.
At 3-1, Cousins needed a strike and went back to his go-to pitch. So did Happ’s thinking. He sat on the slider, got it, and ripped it for a double off the wall. Two runs scored, Cubs took the lead, and Happ stood on second with a quiet nod. Happ read Cousins perfectly, knowing the same pitch was coming again at 3-2. The pitch wasn’t sharp enough to fool him, and Cousins likely regretted not mixing it up. Cubs fans got the moment they wanted. Happ delivered.