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Cubs' Ballesteros Smashes 404-Foot Grand Slam, Teams Lose 9-7

4/29/2026

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Summary

Ballesteros Grand Slam

Moisés Ballesteros of the Chicago Cubs hit a 404-foot grand slam on the first pitch of the third inning in a 9-7 loss to the San Diego Padres.
He is batting .387 with five homers, 16 RBIs and 12 runs in 69 plate appearances.
Manager Craig Counsell said Ballesteros could see more at-bats and might serve as a designated hitter.
Pitcher Matthew Boyd praised Ballesteros’ defensive work behind the plate.

Summary

Padres Record April

Cubs' early pitching woes and depletion of both automated ball-strike (ABS) challenges by the third inning swung the game to San Diego.
Relievers Phil Maton and Jacob Webb each gave up multiple runs, eroding the Cubs' comeback chances.
The loss was the Cubs' third straight defeat after a ten-game winning streak earlier in the season.
San Diego posted a franchise-record April of 19-9, the best in Padres history.

History

Historical Context

During the 1975 season the Cincinnati Reds posted a league-best record while Johnny Bench delivered a historic long home run, a performance echoed today by Chicago Cubs rookie Moisés Ballesteros. The Reds’ triumph unfolded amid a turbulent year that also saw the May 15 Mayaguez incident, in which 38 Americans were killed, and Junko Tabei become the first woman to summit Everest.

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Ballesteros Grand Slam

Moisés Ballesteros of the Chicago Cubs hit a 404-foot grand slam on the first pitch of the third inning in a 9-7 loss to the San Diego Padres.
He is batting .387 with five homers, 16 RBIs and 12 runs in 69 plate appearances.
Manager Craig Counsell said Ballesteros could see more at-bats and might serve as a designated hitter.
Pitcher Matthew Boyd praised Ballesteros’ defensive work behind the plate.

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