Chicago Cubs’ Javy Báez stole a run with his amazing running to (and from) first base
With two outs, a base runner can’t score a run when the batter is called out at first base.
That seemingly simple rule was forgotten by the Pittsburgh Pirates during their game Thursday against the Chicago Cubs.
Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was on second base with two outs in the third inning when shortstop Javy Báez hit a grounder to Pirates third baseman Erick Gonzalez. The throw to Gonzalez pulled first baseman Will Craig off the bag and that’s when the fun began.
Craig chased Báez nearly all the way back to the plate before throwing home too late to get Contreras. Catcher Michael Perez threw back to first base but no one was covering and the ball skipped away to allow Baez to take second base.
You likely have never seen this before in the majors:
“Let’s say I improvise,” Báez said, per the Cubs website. “At the moment, I can react pretty fast to things like contact and stuff like that. But I’m pretty good at tagging and not letting people tag me.”
Two things the Pirates could have done:
1. Craig simply could have been more aggressive as he tried to tag Báez
2. Another Pirates player could have been at first base to get the out
Instead it turned into a weird and wonderful play, unless you’re a Pirates fan.
“We’ve got a ton of years of experience in our dugout,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, per the team’s website “I asked (coache Joey Cora and Glenn Sherlock), ‘Have you ever seen that before?’ And they said no.”
Shelton added: “We have to make sure we get the force. That’s just where it’s at. I mean, (even) if Báez runs all the way back or runs into their dugout or runs down to the Strip District, we can walk down and touch first.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 12:52 PM.
