Javier Báez’s ground ball to third base should have been the final out of the top of the third inning for the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park.
Then El Mago struck again.
With Willson Contreras on second base, Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Erik Gonzalez fielded Báez’s grounder and threw to first, but Will Craig caught the ball off the bag. Craig, instead of just trotting back and touching the base, advanced to tag Báez — and then Baez’s baserunning savvy kicked in.
As Contreras raced around third, Báez darted back toward the plate in spurts as if playing tag. Craig still hadn’t tagged Báez as Contreras dived toward the plate, and Craig’s toss to catcher Michael Perez was too late. After signaling Contreras should be safe, Báez then raced back to first. When Perez’s throw to first was off the mark and bounced into short right field, Báez made it to second.
The scoring determination: fielder’s choice, RBI, E2. The public’s determination: a truly remarkable play in the Cubs’ 5-3 victory.
The Cubs swept the three-game series and won for the eighth time in 10 games, moving a season-high five games above .500 at 27-22.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo, who sat out the game with lower back tightness, was doubled over the dugout fence because he was laughing so hard.
When Báez scored on Ian Happ’s single to center field in the next at-bat, he turned a sure out into two third-inning runs and a 3-0 Cubs lead.
Kris Bryant homered off Pirates left-hander Tyler Anderson for the fourth time in his career to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first. Patrick Wisdom, whom the Cubs called up from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, hit his first homer with the Cubs for a 4-0 lead in the fourth.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks gave up three earned runs over seven innings, all on solo home runs. Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco went back-to-back in the fourth, and Michael Perez added a homer to center field in the seventh to cut the Cubs lead to 4-3. Hendricks gave up six hits, walked none and struck out five.
Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera got Erik Gonzalez to hit into a bases-loaded force out to second base to end the eighth.
Earlier in the inning, Cubs reliever Dan Winkler issued a leadoff walk to Wilmer Difo. Adam Frazier then hit a grounder past second base that Baez knocked down. Baez made a poor throw to first, allowing Difo to advance to third, but the Cubs got Frazier out trying to make it back to first after breaking for second.
Winkler hit Bryan Reynolds with a pitch and walked Gregory Polanco to load the bases with two outs before manager David Ross turned to Tepera.
The Cubs added an insurance run in the ninth when Eric Sogard singled, advanced on Contreras’ double and scored when Bryant grounded into a double play.
Craig reached base on a Baez error to open the bottom of the ninth when Baez’s throw to first was wide of the base, forcing Bryant to pull his foot off when he extended for the catch. But Tepera retired the next three batters to seal it.
