Central Plains FFA Chapter

08/23 18:37 CDT Happ and Ramrez hit grand slams to propel the Cubs to a 19-2 blowout of the Mariners Happ and Ramrez hit grand slams to propel the Cubs to a 19-2 blowout of the Mariners By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) --- Ian Happ and Pedro Ramrez each hit grand slams and had five RBIs, Pete Crow-Armstrong also homered and the Chicago Cubs blew out the Seattle Mariners 19-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep. Michael Conforto hit Chicago's other homer, getting his 11th of the season on a leadoff shot in the third that Happ highlighted with his two-out, two-strike shot with the bases loaded. Mariners starter Bryce Miller (4-8) issued three straight two-out walks before facing Happ. The Seattle right-hander got ahead in the count 1-2, but Happ kept his hands tucked on a down-and-in splitter to blast it off the right-field foul pole for his 22nd home run of the season. Seattle (62-69) remained three games behind Houston in the AL West and fell three games back for the final wild-card spot. The Cubs (75-56) preserved a 4 1/2 -game lead in the NL wild card. Miller also walked the bases loaded in the fifth, an inning in which Chicago scored on a fielder's choice by Alex Bregman. Miller issued a career-high seven walks in the game. Ramrez hit a grand slam in the eighth off Jhonny Pereda, Seattle's backup catcher. Crow-Armstrong hit his team-leading 33rd home run of the season earlier in the inning. Aaron Civale (6-7) threw four scoreless innings in relief of Chicago starter Shota Imanaga, who was pulled in the third. Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena, who hit a walk-off home run during Saturday's 5-4 win, smacked a leadoff home run for the second straight day. Arozarena became the 11th player in major league history with at least six seasons with both 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases. Seattle utilityman Brendan Donovan was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list on Sunday, a day after he was hit in the head by a baseball in the batting cages.

Up next Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (10-7, 3.35 ERA) will start opposite Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (10-4, 2.92) on Monday as Seattle opens a three-game series against Philadelphia. RHP Kevin Gausman (6-11, 4.58) gets the nod for the Cubs against the Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly (8-11, 5.37) on Monday in Arizona. ___ See AP's full MLB coverage here