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Bryant provides the fireworks in Chicago Cubs victory

Fireworks lit up the sky in many forms Saturday night at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs held their first postgame fireworks show after a 7-2 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Kris Bryant's display during the game elicited as many oohs and aahs from the Fourth of July crowd of 37,898.

Bryant crushed a 2-run homer to left field in the first inning off Jarret Cosart to put the Cubs ahead 2-0. He went that one better in the third, hitting a 3-1 offering from Cosart into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam.

"It was him, that was our offense tonight," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team got only 4 hits all night and none after Bryant's slam. "Without that, this game is entirely different."

The 23-year-old Bryant has 12 home runs and a team-leading 49 RBI. The grand slam was his second of the season, making him the first Cubs rookie with 2 in a season since Billy Williams in 1961. And just for fun, he is the first Cubs player to hit a grand slam on Independence Day since "Wildfire" Schulte did so in 1911.

Bryant's first homer of the night came on the first pitch. The slam came on a 3-1 count after Bryant was given the take sign on 3-0.

"The first at-bat, he threw a first pitch, and I got a good pitch to hit, trying to to be aggressive with a runner in scoring position," he said. "Second one, bases loaded, not trying to do too much. Obviously wasn't thinking home run. Worked the count. Got a 3-1 count. Pretty good count to hit in. Got a pretty good pitch to hit."

Maddon has talked up Bryant since he came up from the minor leagues on April 17, based on a strong spring training. The manager said the home runs would come more consistently.

"I feel that way every time I step up to the plate," Bryant said. "That's a good feeling to have, too. Obviously doing that in spring training gives me the confidence I can do it here. I felt really good today and just looking forward to continuing that tomorrow."

Not only did Bryant upstage the fireworks show, his batting display also overshadowed a feel-good story on the pitcher's mound.

Left-hander Clayton Richard got the win for the Cubs by working 6⅓ innings and giving up 8 hits and 2 runs. The Cubs obtained Richard from the Pirates organization Friday in a trade. The former White Sox lefty has overcome serious shoulder surgeries, and he had not pitched in a major-league game since 2013 while with the Padres.

"It was a lot of fun," the 31-year-old Richard said. "I missed it. So it was a great deal of fun. My family got to be here. You can't beat that."

The only scary moment came in the bottom of the seventh, when the Cubs' Addison Russell hit third-base coach Gary Jones in the elbow with a line-drive foul ball. After lying on the grass and then sitting up, Jones stayed in the game.

"That ball was really scalded," Maddon said. "It hit him square in the elbow. He fell down. He was on his stomach, on his face. And his toothpick never left his mouth. If you're really looking for the incredibly professional moment, the fact that the toothpick never moved …

"The No. 1 star of the game, like in hockey, would have been KB (Bryant). I think Clayton was No. 2. And probably Jonesie was No. 3."

Bryant powers Chicago Cubs past Marlins

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