Cubs Hit 200th Home Run of Season; Zeferjahn Records First Save

The Cubs defeated the Marlins 6-5 on September 6, 2026, at loanDepot park, capturing two franchise milestones in a single game. Michael Conforto hit the Cubs' 200th home run of the season in the third inning, and reliever Ryan Zeferjahn recorded his first save in a Cubs uniform, per MLB.com reporting. Conforto's 200th home run was his 14th of the year, hit off Marlins starter Ryan Gusto on a 94.4 mph four-seamer. The ball was Statcast-projected at 411 feet to center field, per MLB.com. Conforto finished 2-for-3. The Cubs became the first team in 2026 to reach 200 home runs, per MLB.com reporting. The offensive output accelerated a recent surge: the Cubs hit 36 homers over their last 15 games. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the team with 39 home runs, per MLB.com. Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki each have 24, according to MLB.com reporting. The Cubs finished last season with 223 home runs after hitting 170 in 2024, per MLB.com. Zeferjahn entered relief in the eighth inning with one out and Esteury Ruiz on second. He completed 1 2/3 innings on 19 pitches, striking out one and allowing a walk while recording five outs, per MLB.com reporting. Zeferjahn was acquired from the Angels and carried an uneven early record with his new team. After the trade, he posted a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings pitched over his first 11 appearances, per MLB.com reporting. The save marked a reset after that rocky start. Starting pitcher Javier Assad allowed three runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings while striking out three and walking five, per MLB.com. Assad set a season-high in walks with five. Seven Cubs relievers have spent time on the injured list this season, per MLB.com reporting, placing additional weight on performances like Zeferjahn's. The Cubs hold a half-game lead over Philadelphia for the top NL Wild Card spot, per MLB.com.