Javier Báez did not make the cut for the Masters this year, but his golf swing looked as good as ever on Thursday.
With the Cubs following a run in the top seven, Báez reached for a low change from Pirates starter Tyler Anderson and threw a two-run home run over the wall in the left field. The second homer of Báez’s season highlighted a recovery effort from the Chicago range, which achieved a maximum score of 11 successes in a 4-2 victory over the Pirates of PNC Park.
Together with Báez, third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo added solo photos in the first and eighth halves, respectively, marking the first time the trio entered the same game as of August 14, 2017. They represented three of the Cubs’ 11 hits, while the club recorded a double-digit season for the first time.
It was the kind of gain that was common in Theo Epstein’s time, with the most important bats in Chicago being in the lead.
“You expect them to be three of the guys who contribute to a pretty high clip,” said Cubs head coach Jake Arrieta. “I think it’s just a proof of the competitive nature of the three. The level of skill is high and, when the situation demands it, boys like them go to the plate and produce.
The game was a nice change of pace from the battles the line of six-game games faced to start the year. The Cubs’ .124 average heading into Thursday was the second-worst mark in six games since 1900, with only the 2013 Pirates (.119) starting worse.
Bryant led the regular Chicago beginners with an average of .200. Báez was stuck at .136. Rizzo had not been successful since the second game of the season. They were not the only ones who struggled to start the season, but as team stars, their problems were the main examples of the club’s downfall.
However, the trio put things into action, but caused offense in the first game of the six-game journey. Bryant, Báez and Rizzo each had two hits, with four other Cubs contributing at least to the total number of hits.
“We thought we looked great today, offensive, and it’s nice to take the big boys,” said manager David Ross. “When they have a good day, we have a very good offense and a good chance of winning that day.”
Probably the most important start to Arrieta’s career came at PNC Park, when she helped the 97-win chickens eliminate 98-win pirates in the 2015 National League wild card game. Six seasons later, Arrieta The 35-year-old didn’t look as sharp in Pittsburgh on Thursday as he did that day in ’15. He allowed a baserunner in each of the first five frames – including a runner in the third in the second, third and fourth innings – and entered the top of the sixth with the Pirates up, 2-1.
“I tried to find the order with more pitches,” said Arrieta. “It was a battle from the start. I had to find a way to pitch and get the job done. ”
Arrieta grinded to go through the sixth, limiting the damage to only two races. And fortunately for him, his World Series colleagues gave him the support he needed to win.
It was a return game run by stars from ancient times, a game that the chicks needed a lot, because they hope to wake up from a hard first week on the set.
“We have fun, even when we lose games,” Báez said. “Obviously, we don’t try to lose the games, but we offer everything we have, so at the end of the game, we try to stay together and be a family in the club.”