The second Nelson Velázquez’ bat connected with Chris Flexen’s 92-mph fastball, he knew he had a his first career grand slam.

His emotions were everywhere.

“It was something super marvelous, amazing,” Velázquez said.

Goodnight @Cubs fans! pic.twitter.com/NypWxIxBEB

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 12, 2023

But that sentiment could only be surpassed by one — the emotion that that home run had given the Cubs an improbable and shocking lead; one that seemed so unlikely even just an inning earlier, when his team was down 7-0.

“It was a different feeling, not just the home run, but to be able to have that at-bat so that my team could have the lead in the game,” Velázquez said. “It felt like an extreme love from family.”

The grand slam capped an 8-run 3^rd inning, where the Cubs turned a 7-1 deficit into a 9-7 lead and later converted that into a seemingly impossible 14-9 win over the Seattle Mariners at Wrigley Field.

The grand slam that sent Wrigley Field into pandemonium came from a player that just two days ago wasn’t on the roster.

Velázquez was optioned to minor league camp in Iowa — a move he didn’t argue or question.

“I thanked them and went to do my job,” Velázquez said Monday after being recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

Instead of griping, he put his head down and went to work — and he was buoyed by a confidence that came from playing for team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

“The WBC helped me a lot,” Velázquez said. “Being able to get advice from the ballplayers that have some time playing this sport. They have a ton of players that have played World Series, they have rings and to know what they think when they’re hitting and all that, for me it was a really good experience.”

Nelson Velázquez is the new sheriff in town now. pic.twitter.com/4EgHHdy4bb

— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) April 12, 2023

He showed that confidence when he reported to Triple-A Iowa. He was 12-for-33 with 3 home runs, 7 RBI and a stolen base across 8 games. The Cubs decided to recall him Monday and planned to use him as outfield depth, especially in right field with Seiya Suzuki out due to injury.

Tuesday night, in an environment that he said was matched by those WBC games in Miami, Velázquez showed where his poise sits and how he could provide more than just solid defense in right field.

“I can tell you that my confidence is at 1000%. 1000%,” he said. “I hope it keeps like that.”

The Cubs hope that, too.

It’s what it takes to have success over the course of a full season. Injuries, poor performances and the unexpected happen over the course of the 6-month season. Being able to dip into their depth and having players like Velázquez step up is crucial if the Cubs hope to sustain success.

“It was huge. He was a huge spark for us tonight, obviously. What a night for him. That’s how it is,” Trey Mancini said. “It’s more than 26 guys. The team, we’re gonna have different guys come up throughout the year and we know that. That’s why Spring Training is so important, getting to know everybody. Just getting comfortable at this level. That’s our MO. Somebody like Nelson comes up and contributes right away. It was really cool to see.”

And Velázquez knows that, too.

“I mean, the team in Iowa right now is really good,” Velázquez said. “They can be here anytime in the year … I trust there will be guys that will be coming up because they’re doing really good down there. It’s something that right here, the feeling I feel right here right now, it’s the same feeling that was in Iowa. It’s good.”