Fastball

Cubs Slugger Joins Prestigious Company in Team History with HR in Win on Monday

The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night as Cubs' slugger Ian Happ entered a prestigious group in team history before turning 30.

Brady Farkas

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (8) high fives third base coach Willie Harris (33) after he hits a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on July 22.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (8) high fives third base coach Willie Harris (33) after he hits a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on July 22. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night to move to 49-53 on the season. It was a good start to the week for the Cubs, who have been told by the front office that they need to put together a solid week in order to go from "sellers" to "buyers" at the looming trade deadline.

Drew Smyly earned the win in relief while Ian Happ blasted his 16th home run of the season, aiding in the 3-1 affair.

Happ went 1-for-4 with that homer, and he now has 59 RBI. In addition, the home run put him in a prestigous group in team history, according to @StatsCentre on social media:

Most career home runs with the @Cubs franchise - Player prior to their 30th birthday:
269- Ernie Banks
253- Ron Santo
244- Sammy Sosa
211- Anthony Rizzo
203- Billy Williams
160- Aramis Ramirez
160- Kris Bryant
141- Ian Happ (Via 1 in Monday's 3-1 victory vs MIL)
140- Javier Baez

The 29-year-old Happ will turn 30 on Aug. 12, so he just beat the deadline. The former first-round pick is in his eighth big league season, all with the Cubs. He's a lifetime .248 hitter with the 141 homers and 451 RBI.

The Cubs and Brewers will do battle again on Tuesday night with first pitch coming at 8:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jameson Taillon pitches for Chicago while Collin Rea goes for Milwaukee. Taillon is 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA while Rea is 9-3 with a 3.77.

Taillon is one of the names that could be moved by Chicago if they ultimately sell.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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