Happ powers Iowa with second grand slam

Ian Happ knew he had a bead on Josh Hader on Thursday night, and in his third trip to the plate, he proved it.
The Cubs' No. 2 prospect belted his second professional grand slam and matched a career high with five RBIs as Triple-A Iowa came from behind to down Colorado Springs, 9-7, at Principal Park. 

"He got me with the first at-bat, three pitches, did a good job putting me away," said Happ, who fanned to lead off the first inning against the Brewers' No. 3 prospect before drawing a walk in the third. "The second at-bat, I worked the count and was able to see a lot of pitches, see a lot of his stuff. After that, I had a pretty good feel for him and was able to come up in that spot and get a pitch to handle."

Iowa jumped out to the game's first lead, but trailed, 3-1, when Happ came to the plate in the fifth. It didn't take long for the 2015 first-rounder to find a pitch he wanted.
"First pitch, he threw me a cutter," MLB.com's No. 24 overall prospect said. "I felt good about the at-bat before that, the walk. He threw me a cutter, and I got the barrel to the ball and was able to get it in the air."
Box score
That was the modest description. Happ's manager added more perspective.
"Oh my goodness, it was just a line drive. It was a slider up in the zone left up by Hader," Iowa skipper Marty Pevey said. "It was just a live-drive home run. It left the ballpark in two seconds."
That swing turned Thursday night back in favor of the I-Cubs and highlighted a good night at the plate for Happ, who finished 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. The grand slam marked his first since Aug. 13, 2015 with Class A South Bend in a 7-1 win over Beloit. He set the career high of five RBIs in that contest.
"He has unbelievable bat speed, no doubt about that," Pevey said. "It's a different sound coming off of his bat, even in batting practice. It's not something you teach. It's something that's God-given.
"The whole game, they were pretty careful with him. They tried to pitch to both sides of the plate, and fortunately for us, they left a couple balls up and he did some damage. I moved him into the leadoff spot today to try to get him some more fastballs, and it worked."
That change in the Iowa order added another dimension to the hitter's versatility.

"Oh, he has pop," Pevey said. "He can hit anywhere from first to sixth. He's an RBI guy. He does damage when he gets an opportunity to do some damage, and he certainly did it tonight. He's going to generate some runs, for sure."
Though Happ has hits in six straight games and has worked six walks in his last five contests, he still sees room to grow.
"The last week has honestly kind of been a struggle," he said. "There's been some ups and some downs. The good thing is I have been taking my walks. That was something I wanted to focus on, to see a lot of pitches and when you're not feeling as good, sneaking a hit in a day. Getting your walks is important. For me, that last week, the road trip was a little bit tough, but I'm feeling good right now, feeling comfortable and getting on base."
Iowa once again relinquished the lead in the eighth before regaining it for good in the bottom of the frame. Bijan Rademacher drove a triple to right that plated a pair, and Happ lifted a sacrifice fly to left for the Cubs' final run.
Hader was charged with five runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings and didn't factor into the decision for the Sky Sox.
Chicago's No. 26 prospect, Ryan Williams (1-2), picked up the win after allowing two runs on two hits in two frames. No. 20 Félix Peña notched his third save with a perfect frame.