Before I begin, I just want to apologize to all you Pirates fans (if there are any reading this article on a Cubs blog?) and let you know that perhaps one day your team won't look so stupid...
Anyway, I really enjoyed what happened, and since it involved El Mago, or Javier Baez, which was my favorite player on the Cubs (now it's Schwindel), I really would like to share this past moment with you again.
I got a big laugh about that when it happened, and it also appears that Rizzo did too (holding his chest he was laughing so hard). Here's what happened:
- Baez hits a groundball to third base. The Pirates' third baseman throws the ball to the pitcher, who was covering first at the moment. The throw wasn't straight on, and the pitcher caught the ball a little in front of the base, with Baez still in the baseline to first.
- Instead of simply stepping on the bag and getting the out (there was two outs already, so stepping on the base would have ended the inning), Baez gets the pitcher to run after him as he backtracks down the baseline.
- But the pitcher doesn't aggressively run after Baez and tag him out, instead it's merely a jog down the baseline, and Contreras, who was at third when Baez hit the ball, starts running to home.
- As the pitcher and Baez are right at home plate, the pitcher sees Contreras ready to score, so he tosses the ball to the catcher who attempts to tag Contreras out but doesn't get the out.
- Baez pauses long enough to throw his arms out in a safe position and then starts running full speed to first. The catcher, who has the ball now, throws it to first to try to get Baez out, but the first baseman, who was running to first to cover the base, misses the throw and the ball goes into the outfield.
- So, Baez takes off for second and makes it safely, with the second baseman missing the throw as well. In recap, with two outs Baez makes it safely to second and a run scores on a groundball that should have been an out.
Absolutely insane play on Baez's part, and an absolutely stupid play on the Pirates' part. Oh well, I still enjoyed it, and I hope you did too!
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