NEW YORK (AP) -Jason Marquis hit a grand slam Monday night against the New York Mets and became the first Chicago Cubs pitcher in 36 years to have five RBIs in a game.
Marquis connected off rookie Jon Niese in the fourth inning, snapping a 2-all tie with his fifth career homer and second this season. It was the second slam the Mets allowed to a pitcher this year – Seattle’s Felix Hernandez cracked one June 23 off Johan Santana, also at Shea Stadium.
The 1977 Cubs were the previous team to give up two grand slams to pitchers in one season. Montreal’s Don Stanhouse and Philadelphia’s Larry Christenson hit those long balls, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Enjoying a big game in his hometown with friends and family in the stands, Marquis added an RBI groundout in the fifth to make it 8-2. The last Cubs pitcher to drive in five runs was Milt Pappas on Aug. 11, 1972, against the Mets at Wrigley Field.
Kevin Tapani hit the previous grand slam by a Cubs pitcher on July 20, 1998, at Atlanta off Denny Neagle.
a career high for Marquis, who entered the game with a .205 career batting average and 35 RBIs – including five this season.
In the fourth, Marquis pulled the first pitch he saw into New York’s right-field bullpen for his second home run in three at-bats. He also connected off Cincinnati’s Gary Majewski on Sept. 6 in a 14-9 victory.
Marquis left with an 8-4 lead in the seventh inning and received applause from fans behind Chicago’s dugout on the third base side.
The slam by Hernandez in June was the first by an AL pitcher since Cleveland’s Steve Dunning connected off Oakland’s Diego Segui on May 11, 1971.
Dontrelle Willis, then pitching for Florida, also hit a grand slam against the Mets at Shea Stadium on July 7, 2006.
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