Last night against the Atlanta Braves, Carson Kelly led the way for the Chicago Cubs, hitting a key home run in a 3-2 victory.
The Chicago bullpen also delivered, pitching 4 2/3 innings after starter Jameson Taillon only lasted 4 1/3.
This homer was Kelly’s fourth in September, just over a week into the month.
In fact, this season has been a career year for Kelly, who has posted a career-high 3.7 WAR, along with personal bests in hits and RBIs. With his 17th home run last night, he is one shy of tying his career high.
For the Cubs to keep their foot on the gas in the National League wild-card race, they’ll need Kelly to continue supplying power, especially with star outfielder Kyle Tucker on the injured list with a calf strain.
Tucker is eligible to return on Sept. 16, but manager Craig Counsell is unsure if that’s realistic. When asked, Counsell said: “At this point, I don’t know. I’m hopeful, but I think I was wrong in terms of avoiding the IL. We just have to get to a point where he’s not symptomatic and not feeling it doing baseball activities.”
The Cubs sit four games ahead of the San Diego Padres for the first wild-card spot. If they hold it, they’ll earn home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The NL Central title remains a long shot, but with the Milwaukee Brewers dropping three straight, Chicago is still in the hunt, six games back with 16 to play.