Embattled Chicago Cubs Closer Credits Ian Happ for His Turnaround

On May 9, Chicago Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly was humbled in front of the fans at Wrigley Field.

The 36-year-old closer, who was supposed to be their answer in the ninth inning, found himself lit up like a Christmas tree against the San Francisco Giants. He gave up five hits, nine runs (eight earned) and a walk without recording an out in a 14-5 loss. It all happened in 26 pitches.

Pressly’s ERA went up from 2.08 to 7.62 in one game. It was like nothing he had ever experienced.

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Turning to teammates can be a source of help throughout a season. Typically, hitters lean on other hitters. Pitchers lean on other pitchers.

But, after getting worked over by the Giants, Pressly took a different approach. He went to a Cubs hitter, Ian Happ, for help.

The ask? A scouting report.

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“He’s already got a lot on his plate, and I added a little extra to see if he could help me and he did it,” Pressly told Marquee Sports earlier this week.

Happ eagerly went to work and gave Pressly a full report on what he was seeing out of the right-hander. It was the kind of report that hitters typically get on opposing pitchers, not one of their own.

But Pressly wanted to see what other hitters were thinking about him. Naturally, he wasn’t going to get those kinds of notes from opposing hitters.

Happ’s report was constructive, Pressly said. It gave him a different perspective on what he was doing on the mound.

“I wanted to see what hitters prepare for, because they get that on pitchers, right?” Pressly said. So, when I got his report on me, I could see what I was doing, tendencies and things like that. I was getting happy with one pitch, and we just have to make sure everything is mixed in.”

The results have been hard to ignore. While Daniel Palencia is handling more save chances, Pressly has turned things around, with Happ’s help. In 13 innings since the Giants game, he has allowed one run (unearned) and three walks while he has struck out 11. He has no ERA and has brought down his season ERA by four points.

The best part? He claimed his save since April 13 on Thursday against Pittsburgh.

It’s all because Pressly kept an open mind and had a teammate that wanted to help.

You’ve got to be humble or you’re going to get humbled,” Pressly said. “I was humbled in front of the Cubbie faithful. You take it with humility, build off of it, and build a good routine so you can get better.”