The cheers spilled onto Waveland Avenue and into the early morning after Javier Baez had turned a tense, scoreless game into a raucous Wrigleyville party. Earlier, the 23-year-old infielder had defied Mother Nature by smacking an eighth-inning home run into a stiff wind for the lone run in the Cubs' playoff-opening victory over the Giants.
It was a magical moment _ the ball was a home run by the barest of measures, landing in the protective basket on top of the left-field wall _ but only the first act in a performance that has made Baez the breakout star of the Cubs' 2016 postseason run.
Grown men and women, many of whom had given Baez a standing ovation inside Wrigley Field after the home run, pressed their faces against the cold, metal fence on Waveland, just outside the stadium, to steal a glimpse of Baez and his teammates as they exited.
"Javy! Javy! Javy!" they screamed. One onlooker proposed marriage.
But Baez had a few other tricks up his sleeve.
