Cubs’ Risky Decision Backfires as Desperation Reaches New Heights
The Chicago Cubs lost 4-3 to the San Francisco Giants Wednesday night and during the eighth inning Cubs fans were losing their collective mind after Ian Happ was tagged out at third base. At first it seemed like a boneheaded decision from Happ, but the risky double steal call came from the dugout and it backfired spectacularly.
This is what happens when you have little confidence in your team to string together a few more hits late in a game because the Cubs already had Happ in scoring position and with two outs in the inning he would have scored on basically any hit to the outfield to tie the game. However, the Cubs are so desperate right now that Craig Counsell thought it was worth risking the final out in the eighth and ending the scoring threat by calling for a double steal to also get Christopher Morel in scoring position.
It’s annoying as hell, but I honestly can’t get too hysterical about the decision either. Fans have been asking for different things, get risky, be bold and well this was bold and it backfired.
After the game Counsell confirmed that it was indeed a call from the dugout, as the Cubs wanted to get the go-ahead runner in scoring position with two outs.
Dansby Swanson, who was at the plate when Happ was thrown out at third, has been much better during the past month. Since May 30, the Cubs shortstop had a slash line of .250/.326/.488, with 4 home runs and 7 doubles in 96 plate appearances heading into Wednesday night’s game. Swanson singled to left field on the second pitch he saw from Giants closer Camilo Doval to leadoff the ninth inning.
I mean, it sucks, it fucking sucks. It’s infuriating, but also you have to look at where the Cubs were in the batting order. After Swanson, rookie outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was due up and despite his RBI-single and walk earlier in the game, PCA is barely eclipsing a .200 batting average, while having a a sub-600 OPS. After him there was Miguel Amaya, who was pinch hit for by Miles Mastrobuoni in the ninth.
So yeah, I understand Counsell’s desperation.
What’s more maddening is probably the two times Morel was out on the bases, first when he was tagged out at second when his hand came off the bag after hitting a ball down the left field line and then he was picked off with two outs in the sixth inning.
That call is another level of frustration for Cubs fans because you can definitely argue that Thairo Estrada pushed Morel’s hand off second base when he went attempted to tag Morel. A fielder can’t just push a base runner off the bag.
Morel probably should have been called safe regardless of the replay and standing at second base to begin the fourth inning. PCA walked and Amaya singled later on in the inning.
This is sad. Bad, unlucky and now a desperate team looking for any answer to get back on track and nothing seems to be working.