Bellinger squandered runners on first and third base in the fifth inning Wednesday night at Tropicana Field, striking out on four pitches to end the frame with the Chicago Cubs trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by one run. So when he stepped to the plate in the seventh, again with two outs and two on base, Bellinger was determined to take advantage of the moment.

Bellinger got all of lefty Garrett Cleavinger’s 1-2 cutter down in the zone, turning on it for a go-ahead, three-run home run to right field. Tyson Miller and Drew Smyly combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings and Héctor Neris bounced back from surrendering a walk-off home run the night before to secure the 4-3 victory.

“Three-run homers change games, and that swing certainly changed the game,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It was a big swing at a time we needed that held up.”

The Cubs have been stung during this rough offensive stretch with hard-hit balls finding leather or dying at the warning track. Seiya Suzuki was finally on the right side of luck, tying the game in the fourth on his home run to center field. Right-hander Javier Assad allowed two runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

“It definitely felt amazing,” Bellinger said of his home run. “I was just frustrated with my previous at-bat and got another opportunity … really just kind of just locked in and tried to get the job done.

“Definitely relieves the pressure. We’ve hit a lot of balls hard right at people and it’s kind of how it goes when things aren’t going your way and to have a big one right there go over the fence feels really good.”

Neris had an adventurous ninth inning en route to his 10th save. He gave up a one-out solo home run and had runners on second and third when Brandon Lowe, the Rays’ walk-off hero Tuesday, was up with two outs. This time Neris bested Lowe, forcing him to fly out to end the game.

Wednesday’s victory represented their 27th one-run game (13-14) on a night the Cubs’ batting order featured a noticeably different look at the top.

Third baseman Christopher Morel hit leadoff for the first time this season with Michael Busch slotting into the No. 2 spot, the highest he’s batted this year. Counsell lined up Bellinger and Suzuki in the Nos. 3 and 4 positions in the order while Ian Happ batted fifth.

It appeared to work for the night as the Cubs (33-35) defeated the Rays.

The revamped batting order quickly put pressure on Rays starter Aaron Civale, loading the bases in the first inning behind Busch’s one-out single, Suzuki’s two-out single and Ian Happ’s four-pitch walk. Their struggles with runners in scoring position remained as Nico Hoerner grounded out to end the inning.

“Really just seeing how all that rolls,” Counsell said of the lineup changes. “(Morel’s) been as good as anyone and for us, the ball-strike and getting on base and creating walks and making good swing decisions. It’s been a step forward, I think we’ve all seen that. It just puts that threat right at the start of the lineup and at the start of the game of a guy that can hurt you and then also get on base.”

Suzuki hit a solo home run in the fourth inning off Civale to tie the game at 1. He went 2-for-4 while Busch went 2-for-3 in the new order.

“Look, we’re playing the same guys, everybody’s going to hit four times, but yeah it’s a little bit guys are walking up (to the plate) at different times,” Counsell said. “You’re trying to put guys in spots to succeed that makes sense and maybe gives some guys a different look.

“We try to make decisions that have reasons behind them, a process behind them. Sometimes they don’t work, and I don’t have an explanation. But really it’s because it’s competition, the other side is trying to beat you and that’s part of it.”

Hoerner was back in the starting lineup for the first time since last Thursday when he sustained a fracture in his right hand. The Cubs will continue to monitor his hand as the days progress. Counsell expects to get feedback Thursday on how Hoerner feels after swinging a bat in game action Wednesday for the first time since the injury occurred. Doctors previously told Hoerner and the team that he is not expected to worsen the fracture by playing, but he might have to manage pain.

“I don’t know what to expect really,” Counsell said. “It could be nothing, could be something. We’re going to have to see what’s going on.

“He does dive a lot, we see that so he hasn’t had any problems doing that. Sometimes you can feel that stuff just in everyday life, getting out of bed or whatever, really there’s been nothing he’s mentioned.”

The Chicago White Sox left fielder said missing time because of his recent stint on the injured list was “terrible.”

“I was bored just watching the games and wanting to be out there,” Benintendi said Wednesday. “Excited to be back right now.”

The Sox reinstated Benintendi from the 10-day injured list, one of four roster moves announced Wednesday.

Benintendi went on the IL on June 2 with left Achilles tendinitis.  He is hitting .195 with five doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs in 51 games. Benintendi returns after appearing in two rehab games with the Arizona Complex League White Sox.

“It just needs a lot more time to be completely gone but I feel confident being in there now,” he said of the injury.

He was not in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

“He flew today, he played last night (for the ACL White Sox),” manager Pedro Grifol said. “We’re just going to let him go about his business here, get his work done and be ready to go tomorrow.”

The Sox also reinstated reliever Steven Wilson from the 15-day injured list. The right-hander went on the IL on May 20 with a back strain. He is 1-2 with a 2.84 ERA, six holds and 19 strikeouts in 21 relief outings. Wilson made two rehab appearances for Triple-A Charlotte before returning.

“I was kind of frustrated with it because I felt I was starting to get into a rhythm and feeling good on the mound,” Wilson said. “I had a couple good outings in New York (May 17 and 19) so that was frustrating. You never want to get on the IL.

“Thinking back, it happened when I kind of slipped on the mound in New York, that second outing the right side was kind of tight and when I worked out after that, my whole right side locked up when I was lifting. Kind of a bummer, freak thing but it is what it is.”

The Sox also optioned outfielder Duke Ellis to Charlotte and designated reliever Tim Hill for assignment.

Hill is 1-0 with a 5.87 ERA, one hold and 13 strikeouts in 22 relief appearances. He signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Sox in the offseason.

“It was unfortunate that we had to make a decision like that,” Grifol said. “We like what (reliever Justin) Anderson’s doing, we like what (reliever Jared) Shuster’s doing. So it’s not so much what he’s done, but it’s what he brought to us and also what these guys have been doing back there.

“We like Anderson. We like Shuster. These guys have done well up here and we can only keep eight back there (in the bullpen).”

Ellis went 0-for-4 with a run and four stolen bases in his first eight major-league games with the Sox.

“I saw a guy that can impact the game quickly with his legs,” Grifol said. “He’s going to continue to refine those skills and he’s going to be a big part of this when this is going really good.”

Getz described Thorpe as a pitcher who was “knocking on the door.”

That door opened Tuesday at T-Mobile Park. And Thorpe made quite the impression, allowing one earned run in five innings in his major-league debut against the Seattle Mariners. He left with the lead but did not factor in the decision in the 4-3 loss.

“I can’t really put it into words,” Thorpe said of the day. “Working for this my whole life and dream come true.”

Thorpe allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits. He struck out four and walked two in the 98-pitch outing.

“This is a tough team to pitch against because they don’t chase much and they did a good job controlling the strike zone,” manager Pedro Grifol said of the Mariners. “And he did a good job pounding the strike zone.

“He looked under control out there. He looked like he had done it before.”

Catcher Martín Maldonado said Thorpe’s “ability to throw his secondary pitches for strikes,” stood out.

“First start, I liked what I saw,” Maldonado said. “He worked hard to be here and he didn’t show any emotions. The only emotion was he threw the ball to the backstop (while warming up before the first).

“His bullpen coming into the game was really good and the same thing in between innings, he made good adjustments. That’s always good to see.”

Shortstop Paul DeJong called Thorpe a “Cool, calm and collected type guy.”

“I liked his composure, I liked his poise out there,” DeJong said. “I was glad to see him go out there and do his thing.”

The Sox acquired Thorpe, along with reliever Steven Wilson, minor-league pitcher Jairo Iriarte and minor-league outfielder Samuel Zavala from the San Diego Padres for Cease on March 13. It was the second major trade involving Thorpe in four months. He was dealt to the Padres from the New York Yankees as part of the Juan Soto trade in December.

The No. 3 rated prospect in the Sox organization according to MLB.com, Thorpe found out he was making the jump from Double-A Birmingham to the majors on Sunday morning.

“It was super exciting,” he said. “It was a long game day on Sunday, for sure.”

The 23-year-old was brilliant with the Barons, going 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA in 11 starts. And he began his major-league career with a 1-2-3 first inning, finishing it by fanning Julio Rodríguez for his first MLB strikeout.

Thorpe began the matchup against Rodríguez with a 92.5 mph fastball for a called strike. He threw another fastball, clocked again at 92.5 mph according to MLB Statcast, which was fouled off.

With the All-Star in an 0-2 hole, Thorpe went to his top pitch — a changeup. Rodríguez swung and missed the 84.5 mph pitch.

“I threw a good one and he swung over it,” Thorpe said. “It was pretty surreal. Grew up watching him over the last couple of years and a really good player. Super cool.”

Thorpe’s changeup was on display throughout the night. He threw 38 changeups (39%) in the outing and got seven swings-and-misses.

“That helps me out quite a bit,” Thorpe said. “Knowing it’s my bread and butter, it’s what I’m going to throw and throw a lot. It’s helpful that it does play up here.”

Thorpe ran into a little trouble in the second. He retired the first two hitters before surrendering a double to Luke Raley. Mitch Garver followed with another double, driving in Raley to tie the score at 1. Thorpe walked Dominic Canzone but limited the damage to just one run by striking out Ryan Bliss.

He returned to the mound in the third with a 3-1 lead thanks to back-to-back home runs by Andrew Vaughn and DeJong.

An error hurt the Sox that inning, as Nicky Lopez couldn’t cleanly field Josh Rojas’ grounder to second. Lopez immediately got another opportunity when Rodríguez bounced one his way. The Sox got the force out at second, but couldn’t complete the double play.

With two outs, Rodríguez stole second and scored on a double by Cal Raleigh, cutting the Sox lead to 3-2.

Thorpe had an important shutdown inning in the fourth, striking out two in the scoreless frame.

“Your team scores runs for you, your job is to go put a zero on the board,” Thorpe said. “That’s all I was trying to do.”

Thorpe fielded his position well in the fifth, hopping off the mound to get to a ball hit by Raleigh and making the throw to first for the final out of the inning — and his outing.

“That looked like a shortstop out there,” DeJong said of the final out.

The Sox stumbled late, as Raleigh drove in two with a two-out double against reliever John Brebbia in the seventh. But the team got a positive look at the future with Thorpe.

He was already thinking ahead.

“Good to get the first one out of the way and hopefully build on that and get better for the next one,” Thorpe said.

After Tuesday’s game, he soaked in the experience with family members who made the trip.

“Pretty close to home so it was an easy flight for them, which is nice,” said Thorpe, who was born in Utah. “They’ve been there for me my whole life. Being able to have them here supporting me, unbelievable.”

Step 1: Put runners on base, which Tuesday night at Tropicana Field meant finishing with double-digit hits for the third consecutive game.

Step 2: Repeatedly struggle and fail to take advantage of opportunities with runners in scoring position, a constant since the start of May with a .179 average in such situations. No other MLB team in that span is hitting below .200. Not even the 17-51 White Sox, who sit at .225.

Step 3: Squandered offensive chances leave the Cubs pitching staff with little margin for error. The Cubs’ 26 one-run games lead the majors, and they again found themselves clinging to a one-run advantage entering the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Step 4: A painful loss filled with what-ifs that leaves the Cubs (32-35) still trying to build momentum as mid-June approaches.

The Rays tagged closer Héctor Neris with four runs in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Cubs a 5-2 loss on Brandon Lowe’s walk-off, three-run home run.

“We had a bunch of singles today really and we had some balls hit well kind of to the wall and not enough,” manager Craig Counsell said. “But two runs, you’re not going to win most nights scoring two runs for sure so we’ve got to do more offensively.

“There’s some good signs, it’s a bunch of hits. Some balls well hit for outs, but two runs ain’t gonna cut it.”

Lowe got around on Neris’ full-count splitter with two outs to pull it over the right-field wall. It marked the first walk-off home run Neris has surrendered since April 23, 2021, at Colorado when he was with the Philadelphia Phillies.

“You want to do everything and it’s not your day,” Neris said. “I just want to be focused on getting my three outs. As soon as we got the tied game, leave the game like that. But it wasn’t the day today, focus on tomorrow.”

Christopher Morel’s home run in the fourth, his 13th of the season, put the Cubs ahead, and they added a run in the sixth on David Bote’s pinch-hit RBI single. The seventh was filled with near runs after Miguel Amaya opened the inning with a walk. Mike Tauchman barreled a 383-foot flyout that would have been a home run at Wrigley Field. Seiya Suzuki scorched a 106.6-mph lineout that had a .720 expected average. Cody Bellinger followed with a double, but Amaya wasn’t able to score from first. Morel struck out on three pitches to end the inning.

Right-hander Jameson Taillon tossed six shutout innings while limiting the Rays to four hits.

“I mean, it’s tough. We kind of did some of the same stuff last year,” Taillon said. “We’re in a lot of games and the close ones hurt even more, because you were right there, but that’s baseball. You just show up tomorrow and try to get them to start turning your way. Great group of guys, everyone works really hard.

“When push comes to shove with runners in scoring position — I know these guys are prepared. I know everyone’s putting themselves in the best position to succeed and that’s why I’m confident that this whole team is going to come together and start knocking out wins.”

For as many veteran hitters as the Cubs have in their lineup, the group must collectively be better and alleviate pressure on their pitchers. Signs have emerged over the last week of hitters individually becoming locked in, including Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki, but big hits with runners in scoring position still elude the Cubs despite ample chances. The Cubs’ 365 plate appearances with RISP dating to May 1 are seventh-most in the majors in that span yet their 94 total runs put them 25th and their wRC+ is last.

“There’s no question, if we want to score more runs, we’re going to have to have offense in those spots,” Counsell said.

The Cubs can’t wait for external additions to help get them on track. If this is going to be a playoff team, they need their core group of hitters to start coming through more frequently in prime run-scoring moments. Counsell believes it will happen despite this challenging six-week stretch. The Cubs are fortunate only four teams are above .500 in the National League. But the rest of this season can’t play out like last year, otherwise a long, challenging summer will leave president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer facing more tough questions in October.

Brown landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday because of a neck strain, a move that is retroactive to Sunday. The Chicago Cubs activated right-hander Colten Brewer from the IL as the corresponding move. Brown returned to Chicago for further testing on the left side of his neck. Manager Craig Counsell said Brown had been battling the issue for the last couple of weeks.

“We’ve got to figure out what’s going on,” said Counsell, who said there wasn’t one specific incident that caused Brown’s neck injury.

Brown, 24, has posted a 2.68 ERA in his 14 games (eight starts) since his rough MLB debut March 30. He wasn’t as efficient in his last two starts when he was tagged for five runs in five innings against the Reds on June 2 and allowed three runs on two home runs in his last outing Saturday in Cincinnati. The three home runs given up between his two most recent starts (nine innings) were more than he previously surrendered (two) in his first 13 games (46 1/3 innings).

Left-hander Jordan Wicks, who threw a bullpen Tuesday, would be the obvious choice to take Brown’s spot in the rotation. In his first career relief appearance Saturday, Wicks threw 52 pitches in 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits.

The Cubs, though, appear to have avoided losing their second baseman to the IL.

While Nico Hoerner wasn’t in the starting lineup again Tuesday, he went through an extensive hitting session pregame. If his fractured right hand does not swell Wednesday, Counsell is optimistic Hoerner will start that night.

Hoerner hasn’t been in the lineup since getting hit on his right hand during a check swing Thursday at Great American Ball Park. He was used as a pinch runner in the ninth inning Friday but otherwise hasn’t played since sustaining a small fracture in his hand. The Cubs could have put him on the IL Tuesday and taken advantage of the three-day window to make the move retroactive, which would sideline him for a minimum of seven more days.

But the Cubs are confident Hoerner could return Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays and be able to play without his hand hindering him. Doctors told them there was a very slim chance he could worsen his facture by playing. Counsell said before the game he felt comfortable using Hoerner off the bench Tuesday night if needed, which he did. Hoerner entered the game as a defensive replacement at second base to start the bottom of the seventh inning.

“He had significant swelling in there so trying to get rid of that, we’re three days in and the off day obviously helped with that,” Counsell said. “He didn’t do any hitting activities for three days.”

“It sucks,” the starting pitcher said Monday at T-Mobile Park. “I don’t have much more for you than that.”

The Sox saw a four-run lead slip away in the last two innings of an 8-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners, ending with a walk-off grand slam by Cal Raleigh in the ninth against reliever Jordan Leasure.

“We let that one get away,” manager Pedro Grifol said.

In the process, the Sox (17-50) became the first team in the majors to lose 50 games this season. Entering Tuesday, the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies were tied for the second-most defeats with 43.

The Sox are on pace to lose 120 games, which would tie the modern major-league record set by the expansion 1962 New York Mets.

Here’s a closer look at some of the bumps along the road to 50 losses for the Sox.

No. 10 (2-10)

When: April 10 at Progressive Field in Cleveland

Score: Guardians 7, Sox 6 (10 innings)

Oddity: Brothers Josh and Bo Naylor homered in the same inning as the Guardians rallied from a five-run deficit. Josh Naylor hit a solo home run with one out in the fourth. And with two outs, Bo Naylor hit a two-run homer, cutting the Sox lead to 5-3. Josh Naylor drove in a run with a double in the 10th to tie the score at 6 before Bo Naylor won it with a walk-off single. Gavin Sheets had five RBIs for the Sox, including a three-run homer.

It was the team’s first game after third baseman Yoán Moncada suffered a left adductor strain. Injuries have been a major factor this season for the Sox, who have spent large amounts of time without Moncada, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and designated hitter Eloy Jiménez.

Quote: “In reality, this game’s on me. When they give us a 5-0 lead, I can’t let them back in the game. Got to finish strong, that’s expected. I expect that of myself.” — Fedde

No. 20 (3-20)

When: April 23 at Target Field in Minneapolis

Score: Twins 6, Sox 5

Oddity: Jiménez is known for his power, and he hit a three-run homer in the fourth. He later stole the first base of his career, helping the Sox build a 5-2 lead. But the Twins scored twice in the eighth and two more in the ninth.

Byron Buxton tied the game with a home run leading off the ninth against Steven Wilson. Alex Kirilloff drove in the game-winner later in the inning with a two-out single to right. It was the Sox’s fifth straight defeat during a seven-game slide.

Quote: “Every game when you lose is tough. It doesn’t matter if they win by one or by 10, every loss is tough. Every guy in this clubhouse, they want to go out there and do the best that they can do on a daily basis to win games. When you have the lead like that with two big boys (relievers Michael Kopech and Wilson) coming in, it’s even tougher.” — catcher Martín Maldonado

No. 30 (12-30)

When: May 14 at Guaranteed Rate Field

Score: Nationals 6, Sox 3

Oddity: A groundout to third base played a pivotal part in the first game of a doubleheader. Pinch runner Nasim Nuñez displayed aggressiveness on the bases, going from first to third on Luis García Jr.’s grounder to third. Nuñez scored on a single by Keibert Ruiz, giving the Nationals a 4-3 lead. Washington scored two more runs in the inning.

Quote: “That play, you can arm fake and try to get the guy out at second base. But any hesitation whatsoever, he would have been safe at first. He outran the baseball. Good job of baserunning.” — Grifol

No. 40 (15-40)

When: May 27 at Guaranteed Rate Field

Score: Blue Jays 5, Sox 1

Oddity: The loss came during the first winless homestand of at least seven games (0-7) in franchise history. It was also part of a single-season franchise-record 14-game skid. The Sox went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base while falling to 2-16 in series openers. They are now 2-20 after Monday’s loss to the Mariners.

Quote: “(The) biggest thing is scoring points. That’s how you win ballgames. We didn’t cash in.” — first baseman Andrew Vaughn

No. 50 (17-50)

When: Monday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle

Score: Mariners 8, Sox 4

Oddity: Robert (two-run) and Corey Julks (solo) homered to help the Sox build a 4-0 lead. But the momentum began to shift when Dominic Canzone led off the eighth with a homer against Fedde. Raleigh ended it an inning later with his slam. It’s the 24th time the Sox have lost after leading this season.

Quote: “Disappointing, to say the least.” — Kopech after allowing three of the four runs in the game-tying eighth

Even the swim coaches have trained themselves to be on high alert at the pool deck more than 450 feet away just in case the left-handed hitting Sasaki somehow sends one that far — and they believe he will do so soon enough.

His coach is counting on it.

“He might splash a few,” Stanford coach David Esquer said. “He’s pulling toward the pool for sure.”

Sasaki, who hit 140 high school home runs and then made waves by opting out of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league draft, has been immersing himself in classes and a new culture on Stanford’s Bay Area campus for two-plus months. He’s learning English in impressively speedy fashion and getting settled in a baseball routine that has included road trips with the team before he begins his collegiate career in earnest this fall.

The 19-year-old prospect will make his U.S. debut Tuesday in the MLB Draft League, playing for the Trenton Thunder of New Jersey along with others hoping to one day develop into major leaguers.

Before leaving town, the savvy Sasaki reminded Esquer his games will be streamed so the coach can watch. He has also requested help in finding another team once the Draft League season ends.

“He’s fired up for it,” said Esquer, the seventh-year Stanford coach who previously spent 18 seasons at rival California. “He wants to play.”

And Sasaki hardly seems fazed by the expectations that come with being a trendsetter of sorts given he is taking his own unique path. He comes across mature beyond his years when discussing the importance of finding something to fall back on after his baseball career is through. Most Japanese players — including Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani — first become professionals at home often with goals of coming to the United States already having years of experience.

Sasaki is determined to build a foundation for his life well into the future, long after his baseball days are done. His dad, Hiroshi, who coached Ohtani and Toronto pitcher Yusei Kikuchi in high school, instilled in him starting at a young age the need to “make a plan.” Sasaki notes he heard it so much, there’s no way it wouldn’t become ingrained in him.

Another key message from his father: “I have to earn it. Nothing comes free,” Sasaki shared during a recent interview at Sunken Diamond, Stanford’s ballpark.

There’s no precedent for an elite Japanese prospect such as Sasaki foregoing his country’s draft system. International players with nine years of professional service time can come to Major League Baseball as free agents, while pros with fewer than nine years can ask to be posted by their Japanese club — a system in which that team receives a fee depending on the size of the player’s contract.

Yet major league teams have agreed to strict spending limits on international players under 25 years old. That’s why Ohtani, who left Japan at 23, signed with the Los Angeles Angels for just more than $2.3 million in 2017.

By attending college in the U.S., Sasaki will be eligible for the draft in three years, expediting his potential path to the big leagues. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, pitcher Paul Skenes of Pittsburgh, received a $9.2 million signing bonus.

While Sasaki is striving to play at the highest level one day, he insists for now the focus is on taking each necessary step to get there while enjoying his college career first.

Longtime family friend Junpei Tomonaga offers assistance as an interpreter when Sasaki needs it, but he is determined to do this on his own sooner than later.

Sasaki acknowledges that Ohtani’s stardom and success here along with that of Kikuchi greatly impacted him.

“They’re the ones who influenced my decision,” he said.

Away from home for the first time, Sasaki insists he is adjusting just fine thanks to all the support surrounding him.

“I never miss Japan,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge.”

And no question Sasaki is thrilled to be somewhere like Stanford.

Esquer considers this a perfect fit. He applauds Sasaki for his courage, saying, “it’s very brave to do what he’s doing, going to another country right after high school.”

When Sasaki made his official recruiting visit, members of the Stanford Japanese department and community made a point to come see him, make him feel welcome. Not that you will hear Sasaki say anything negative about the other two schools who were at the top of his list, California and Vanderbilt.

“Stanford is a leading school in America,” he said. “I still have big respect for the other schools I visited.”

He has embraced using Uber Eats to order food, like his favorite, Chipotle. Sasaki is studying English and physics — and making sure he can speak English well is his biggest anxiety at the moment.

He recently completed his first quarter of classes.

“He’s quietly charismatic despite speaking little English, very impressive,” Esquer said. “Everybody is impressed by him, his teammates. He brought energy to the field as if he was active and ready to play — and he can play.”

Despite that unease with the language barrier, Sasaki can speak near-perfect English for much of what he needs to say. He thanks everybody who has welcomed him here and made the adjustment so smooth and comfortable as he begins his new life.

“My teammates are so good, they are so kind,” he said in English, sporting a big smile. “I appreciate the teammates, they’re just so helpful all the time, also Coach Esquer and the other baseball coaches are good (people). I love Stanford baseball.”

And they did it in grand fashion.

Cal Raleigh hit a game-ending grand slam in the ninth inning Monday against reliever Jordan Leasure as the Seattle Mariners stormed back to beat the Sox 8-4 in front of 23,027 at T-Mobile Park.

The Sox had a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, only for the Mariners to pull even — with three of the four runs allowed by Michael Kopech.

The Mariners loaded the bases with two walks and a single in the ninth, setting the stage for Raleigh’s walk-off slam.

“Those two guys (Kopech and Leasure) have battled for us all year,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “They’ve taken the ball in tough situations. Every time those guys come in, they don’t have easy innings. Those guys are always pitching leverage. It’s feast or famine for those guys. And that’s the job when you’re pitching at the back end.”

The Sox built a four-run lead on a two-run homer by Luis Robert Jr. in the sixth, an RBI single by Lenyn Sosa in the seventh and a solo homer by Corey Julks in the eighth.

Starter Erick Fedde was phenomenal, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk in seven-plus innings. He got out of a two-on, one-out jam without allowing a run in the seventh, inducing an inning-ending double play.

He returned for the eighth and allowed a home run to Dominic Canzone.

“He asked me how I was feeling. I said, ‘I feel good,’” Fedde said of his conversation with Grifol before the eighth. “At that point — for sure — strong.

“Trying to throw that cutter up in the zone and I yanked it down and in. Most lefties hit that pretty far. That was a bummer.”

Grifol said the plan was to maybe go “hitter to hitter” or “a couple of guys” with Fedde.

“Once he gave up that home run, I wanted to give Kopech basically a clean inning,” Grifol said.

Kopech surrendered a single, a walk and another single to load the bases. He struck out the next two hitters and had Mitch Haniger in an 0-2 hole before giving up a two-run single to right as the Mariners sliced the Sox lead to 4-3.

“The results of me overthrowing instead of pitching kind of gave them an opportunity to put some runs on the board,” Kopech said. “I could have thought more about execution to Haniger there on that bloop single instead of just trying to outpower him. He put the right swing on a pitch that was not well-executed.”

Luke Raley followed with a bunt single, bringing home Josh Rojas to tie the score.

“That’s probably the last guy in baseball I expected to bunt in that situation,” Kopech said. “For that, I guess I can tip my hat.”

Leasure entered with the bases loaded and got Canzone to ground out to end the eighth and keep the score tied.

“I could have handled that inning better and then given Leasure an opportunity to handle the ninth, but instead he had to come into a really difficult situation, did a great job of getting out of it,” Kopech said. “But one of the hardest things to do as a reliever is to have that high of a moment, sit down and come out and do it again the next inning.”

The Mariners got to Leasure in the ninth as the Sox began a seven-game trip with a heartbreaker. The Sox (17-50) have the worst record after 67 games in franchise history — the previous low was 21-46 in 1934. The Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies were tied for the second-most losses this season through Monday, each with 43.

“That one hurts, for multiple reasons,” Kopech said. “To be blunt, Fedde pitched his ass off and I kind of gave away a really well-played game by us.”

All three young pitchers have bright futures as major-league starters, but with the Cubs rotation set in the first four slots, adjustments have been made for the good of the team.

Both Brown, 24, and Wesneski, 26, have started and pitched out of the bullpen in the first 2½ months of the season, while Wicks, 24, made his first relief appearance Saturday after rehabbing at Triple-A Iowa from a left forearm strain.

The Cubs on Tuesday were forced to change gears again when Brown was placed on the 15 day injured list with a left neck strain. Reliever Colten Brewer was activated from the IL to take his roster spot.

Brown had been filling the No. 5 spot in the rotation and has performed well with a 3.23 ERA in eight starts, averaging 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings with a 0.97 WHIP. His seven no-hit innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 28 was the most dominant performance this year by a Cubs pitcher and gave reason to believe he would get every opportunity to stick in the rotation the rest of the season.

Before his injury, Brown said he would do whatever Counsell feels is best and doesn’t have any problems adjusting on the fly.

“Whichever way I’m impacting the team best is OK,” he said. “I’m just grateful to be here. Just take it with an open hand and make sure I stay on top of my routines and my recovery. This is the first time I’ve (gone back and forth). It’s cool.”

Brown had a brutal major-league debut March 30 in Texas, allowing six runs in 1 2/3 innings after entering in the seventh. Since then he has a 2.68 ERA in 14 appearances with 63 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings.

Obviously there’s a difference between knowing when you will pitch every week and sitting in a bullpen wondering if you’ll get in that day.

“It’s a little mental and a little physical,” Brown said. “There’s every aspect you have to check off when it comes to the mentality of pitching out of the bullpen and pitching as a starter. There are a lot of differences.

“I think it’s easier to bring a reliever’s mentality into the starting rotation than a starter’s mentality into the bullpen. It’s just a matter of acknowledging that (difference).”

Wesneski has a 2.20 ERA in three starts and a 3.32 ERA in 13 relief outings. Like Brown, he had no previous relief experience until last year with the Cubs, when he switched roles after beginning the season in the rotation and being demoted to Iowa.

Wesneski said the biggest challenge is variations in his workout schedule because he wants to do enough running and lifting on days he doesn’t get to pitch.

“Starting, it’s very scheduled,” he said. “These five days, I’m doing this, this, this and this. I always throw every day. I probably should start taking a day off or so, but the amount of stuff you do (working out) is the difference.”

Like Brown, Wesneski said the mental side of the switch is something he’s learning about on the job.

“You have to be able to calm your nerves and use them,” he said. “The first two innings I don’t need to be nervous. I should be enjoying the game, talking to the guys, feeling things out with the lineup, kind of feel how the game is going. And once the game starts ramping up, that’s when I should start paying attention to the routine and figure out, ‘OK, where am I going to pitch again?’ And be ready. Then you start getting a little nervous, and it happens.

“You have to be able to turn it on and shut it off. Starting, you only have one day of it, so you’re off, off, off, off, all the nerves are gone.”

Wesneski pitched on back-to-back days for the first time last week in the City Series against the White Sox, serving up a home run in both appearances. He has allowed four homers in his last seven outings. Heading into Tuesday’s game at Tampa Bay, he’ll have had five days of rest — basically the typical rest time of a starter.

Wicks threw six innings in his last start with the Cubs on April 23 against the Houston Astros before going on the injured list with the forearm strain. The Cubs could have kept him starting at Iowa until he was needed but opted to bring him back in the bullpen. Wicks allowed one run on three hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Cincinnati Reds, coming on in relief of Brown.

Counsell said Wicks is “obviously a big candidate” for a rotation spot when one is open. With Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Javier Assad, Jameson Taillon and Brown all throwing well, Wicks was being used out of the pen, but Brown’s injury could change that.

It was one year ago that the Cubs bullpen began to jell, helping the team climb out of a big hole and get back into contention. The Big Three of the surge were Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay, the high-leverage trio manager David Ross turned to over and over again with great success until early September, when the heavy workload appeared to catch up.

Counsell hasn’t been able to find the right combination, which is reflected in the numbers. The Cubs bullpen ranked 22nd entering Monday with a 4.33 ERA, and its 13 blown saves were tied for third-worst. It hasn’t been much better than the White Sox bullpen, which led the majors with 17 blown saves through Sunday.

Alzolay’s struggles in the first month forced Counsell to audible, with Héctor Neris taking over as closer. Neris has been scary but effective of late, while Leiter has been solid in a high-leverage role. But the Cubs have yet to locate a suitable replacement for Merryweather, who has been out since April 6 with a stress fracture in a rib.

Wicks and Wesneski will get chances, along with Tyson Miller, to fill the void while Cubs President Jed Hoyer continues to look for relief help before the trade deadline.

Winning while developing young pitchers is never easy, and when you’re trying to do it with a team that’s expected to contend, the degree of difficulty only increases.

Tuesday will be Drew Thorpe’s turn. The Sox are expected to call up the right-hander, a key part of the March 13 trade that sent Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres, to make his major-league debut in the second game of a series against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

Thorpe, 23, is the third-ranked prospect in the Sox organization, according to MLB.com.

In the case of Thorpe, like Nastrini and Cannon before him, manager Pedro Grifol sees calling up the prospects as opportunities for them “to feel this, to compete.”

“It gives them an opportunity to experience this,” Grifol said Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field. “These guys that we brought up, they are really smart guys. Once they are up here for a little bit of time, they understand the difference between the major leagues and minor leagues. If they don’t quite understand it, that’s what you have coaches for, to make sure they understand it.

“There are things that all of them will have to do to be able to become legitimate major-leaguers. For them personally it’s a great opportunity. For us as an organization, it’s paramount for us to know exactly where these guys are.”

Grifol said that look doesn’t always reveal itself in true form during the traditional September call-up period.

“It’s really tough to evaluate an organization in the middle of September — because you are only allowed a limited amount of players to come up,” Grifol said. “It’s not like before where, if you weren’t contending, you could bring in 10 guys to get a chance.

“Even then, that was dangerous. Guys could have a great September and not be exactly who they are or what they would do on a consistent basis in the major leagues. For us it’s an opportunity to evaluate and see where these guys are, and it gives our front office a real clear view and understanding of how to approach an offseason and where we are as a team for 2025 and beyond.”

The 24-year-old Nastrini, the No. 9 prospect in the organization, is 0-5 with a 8.39 ERA in six starts during two stints with the Sox this season. He was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

“I was able to really take what I learned here initially and put into practice there,” Nastrini told reporters Saturday of the benefits of his first MLB experience. “I feel like there’s so much more I need to learn here, and I’m continuously doing that, talking to (pitchers) Garrett (Crochet), (Mike Clevinger), (Erick) Fedde, just trying to pick their brains. Be as present as I can and ask questions and talk to (pitching coach) Ethan (Katz). He’s been a great help for me. Just keep chipping away.”

The 23-year-old Cannon, the No. 11 prospect in the organization, is 0-1 with a 5.94 ERA and one save in four major-league outings (three starts). He’s scheduled to start Wednesday against the Mariners.

“The biggest thing for me to work on was really attacking lefties,” Cannon said Friday of his previous time in the majors. “Coming up with a better game plan and executing that game plan. That was sort of my biggest struggle up here was getting those lefties out. I was able to work on some pitch design stuff, iron some things out. I feel good where I’m at right now.”

Thorpe will join the Sox from Double-A Birmingham, where he was 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA in 11 starts.

One of his strengths is his changeup.

“I’ve seen a lot of pitchers without a Crochet fastball that have had Hall of Fame careers and big-time careers in the major leagues,” Grifol said. “Let’s not forget about the art of pitching and mixing pitches and understanding the game and game management.”

Grifol doesn’t have any reservations about calling up a player from Double A.

“Calling guys up from Double A, as opposed to Triple A, is not that big a deal,” he said. “We have a clear understanding and knowledge of the major leagues. There’s boxes you have to be able to check to get called up here, and he checks those boxes.

“He’s got good command, a plus-plus-plus pitch (in the changeup). He’s a calm personality, got good presence and is mature, so he checks some boxes. What is going to do when he gets here? Nobody knows, but that’s where I think this move is a really good move.”

Injury updates

The Sox sent outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Tommy Pham to the Arizona Complex League White Sox on injury rehab assignments. Benintendi went on the injured list on June 2 with left Achilles tendinitis. Pham went on the IL retroactive to June 3 with a left ankle sprain.

Catcher Max Stassi underwent a season-ending surfacing procedure on his left hip Friday in New York. Stassi, acquired in an offseason trade with the Atlanta Braves, initially went on the IL on March 25 with left hip inflammation.