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Chicago Cubs: Injured Javier Baez delivers walk-off single off the bench
Javier Baez brought the magic to Wrigley Field Tuesday night, coming off the bench to give the Chicago Cubs a walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
On Sunday night, Javier Baez injured his heel making another highlight-reel play at shortstop. He stayed in the game for a few more innings before departing. That same injury cost him the start on Monday and once again Tuesday, with the Chicago Cubs taking all possible precautions with their standout infielder.
With Baez out of the starting lineup, Chicago managed a measly one run heading to the ninth, trailing 2-1. Then, the team’s big boppers put together a rally that made everyone quickly forget how dismal the offense looked the rest of the night.
Kris Bryant, who has absolutely torched the Phillies in his career, led off the ninth with a walk. Anthony Rizzo followed up with a double to put men at second and third with nobody out. After Willson Contreras flew out, Juan Nicasio walked Jason Heyward, setting up the double play and force at any base.
Albert Almora hit into a fielder’s choice, which allowed Bryant to score the tying run. Then, Joe Maddon went to Baez as a pinch-hitter for the struggling Daniel Descalso. El Mago rocketed a ball down the first base line, scoring Rizzo and giving the Cubs a much-needed win after the bullpen blew a lead for the second time in as many days.
“He (Baez) is not going to wait around,” Maddon told MLB.com. “He hadn’t played in a couple days, but he didn’t miss it — he shot it down the right-field line. It was fitting.”
Chicago Cubs: What stood out in the win?
The Cubs came away with the win, but it wasn’t a pretty showing for the first-place club. The bats went just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position – and that lone tally came via the Baez walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
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The club scattered 10 hits – and struck out only two times, drawing seven walks, but they’ll need to come through with runners on with more regularity if they want to keep finding success.
As a team, the Cubs rank 11th in the National League with a .251 average with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, three NL Central foes – the Cardinals, Reds and Brewers – all rank in the top four in the Senior Circuit.
Jose Quintana turned in another dominant start for Chicago (28-18), tossing six innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just a pair of hits on the night. That marks the fourth time this season the southpaw did not allow an earned run – and he’s allowed three earned or fewer in all but one of his outings this year, culminating in a sterling 3.30 earned run average.
This is what the Cubs hoped for when they acquired Quintana in the summer of 2017 – a dependable lefty presence capable of shutting down the most potent lineups in the league. But his effort was overshadowed by another shoddy showing by the bullpen.
Chicago Cubs: More struggles for the bullpen
Quintana gave way to Edwards in the top of the seventh inning, with the Cubs hanging to a narrow 1-0 edge, looking to even the series up at one game apiece. The right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Cesar Hernandez before retiring Hernandez on a ground ball to short.
Maikel Franco doubled to left, moving Scott Kingery, who hit that aforementioned grounder to shortstop, to third with only one away. Edwards retired pinch-hitter Odubel Herrera on a comebacker to the mound before giving way to Brandon Kintzler with two down.
The sinker-baller worked to a 2-2 count against first-year Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen before the 2013 NL MVP grounded a ball up the middle, giving Philadelphia a 2-1 lead that, thankfully, Baez and the club erased in the ninth.
Next. Maddon backed into a corner with the bullpen?. dark
The early season storyline surrounding the Cubs’ bullpen needs has re-emerged of late, with the club struggling in each of the first two games of this series. Time will tell what Theo Epstein will do to address the team’s woes, but they should get reinforcements soon in the form of Pedro Strop and, hopefully at some point, Brandon Morrow.