The Pittsburgh Pirates are among the worst teams in baseball, and after watching Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, that should come as a surprise to no one.
Baseball fans were basically in a state of shock after Pirates first baseman Will Craig got baited by the Cubs’ Javy Baez into a virtually unheard of first-to-home rundown with two outs and a runner on second. Craig, for some unknown reason, decided to chase after Baez on the way to home after a routine grounder to third instead of simply stepping on first and ending the inning.
Again, the baserunner was irrelevant in a two-out, force play situation here. So had Craig just tagged Baez even after Willson Contreras slid into home, the run still would not have counted. All the Pirates had to do was keep Baez from reaching first safely. Instead, they put together perhaps the worst baseball sequence you’ll see in a LONG time.
El Mago magic!
Have you ever seen anything like this?! pic.twitter.com/aHQs6eAxCG
— MLB (@MLB) May 27, 2021
Fans understandably roasted Craig for the blunder because, well, he — a Major League Baseball player — made a mistake that you wouldn’t even see in tee-ball.
Is this the best way to describe the Javy Baez, Will Craig, Cubs and Pirates play? pic.twitter.com/riWhaLNN3G
— Alex Plinck 🏳️🌈 (@aplinckTX) May 27, 2021
Will Craig showing up to PNC Park tomorrow pic.twitter.com/QpOOMfNGQ6
— Free Zach Green (@SaladinoWRLD) May 27, 2021
I'm never going to get over Will Craig being baited into this. All he had to do was ignore Javy, turn around, walk back to first, touch the bag and the frame is over. Just absolutely bonkers. https://t.co/Cng8ADZTNp
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) May 27, 2021
What Javier Baéz did is an example of why you should never give up on a play. Because you never know. You might just be playing the Pirates.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) May 27, 2021
there are so many ludicrous things about this
1) 1B not stepping on the bag right next to him, resulting in
2) possibly the first first-to-home rundown in baseball history
3) there were two outs!!! the runner is irrelevant if you step on the bag
4) everything else that follows https://t.co/jU65sHT0hj— Pete Volk (@Pete_Volk) May 27, 2021
Will Craig soon. pic.twitter.com/AUbV5wHlRC
— Brendan (@bglinhart) May 27, 2021
Some please ask Will Craig after the game if he is aware that you are legally allowed to step on first base as a first basemen in a baseball contest.
— Pirates of the Allegheny (@OfTheAllegheny) May 27, 2021
Will Craig step on first base, a question to ask each inning now
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) May 27, 2021
The entire Pirates organization to Will Craig right now pic.twitter.com/gtu1Cqijuv
— y – IPlayToWin (@_IPlayToWin_) May 27, 2021
Orioles: We've lost 9 straight games and are the most embarrassing team in baseball
Pirates 1st baseman Will Craig: hold my beer
— Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer) May 27, 2021
The Cubs dugout pic.twitter.com/34y7FcNpKC
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) May 27, 2021
That’s going to be a tough one to bounce back from. And to make matters worse: The runs scored as a result of that mishap were the difference in the Cubs’ 5-3 win.
