Javier Báez didn’t make the cut for the Masters this year, but his golf swing looked as good as ever on Thursday.
Trailing the Cubs with a run in the top of the seventh, Báez reached out for a low substitution of Pirates-starter Tyler Anderson and hit a two-run homerun over the wall of leftfield. Báez’s second homer of the season was the culmination of a recovery run by the Chicago line-up, which scored 11 hits in a 4-2 win over the Pirates in PNC Park.
Along with Báez, third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo added solo shots in the first and eighth inning respectively, marking the first time the trio homered in the same game since August 14, 2017, which accounted for three of the Cubs ’11 hits when the club registered a double-digit number of hits for the first time this season.
It was the kind of victory common in the Theo Epstein era, with Chicago’s main bats leading the way.
“You expect these to be three of the guys contributing to a pretty high clip,” said Cubs starter Jake Arrieta. “I think it is just a testament to the competitive nature of the three. The skill level is high, and when the situation calls for it, guys like that come on the board and produce. “
The game was a nice change from the pace of struggles the lineup experienced in the home stand with six games to start the year. The Cubs’ .124-team batting average en route to Thursday was the second-worst in six games since 1900, with only the Pirates (.119) of 2013 getting off to a worse start.
Bryant led the Chicago regular starters with an average of .200. Báez got stuck at .136. Rizzo hadn’t had a hit since the second game of the season. They weren’t the only hitters struggling to start the season, but as the stars of the team, their troubles were prime examples of the club’s malaise.
The trio finally got things going, triggering the assault in Game 1 of the six-game road trip. Bryant, Báez and Rizzo each hit two hits, with four other Cubs contributing at least one to the hit total.
“I thought we looked really good today, offensive, and it’s nice to get the big boys going,” said manager David Ross. “If they have a good day, we have a very good attack and a good chance of winning that day.”
The most important start to Arrieta’s career was undoubtedly at PNC Park, when he helped the Cubs win 97 to eliminate the 98-win Pirates in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game. Six seasons later, 35-year-old Arrieta saw Thursday in Pittsburgh. not as sharp as on that day in ’15. He allowed a runner in each of the first five frames – including a runner on third base in the second, third and fourth innings – and advanced to the top of the sixth with the Pirates leading, 2-1.
“I struggled to find the multi-pitch command,” said Arrieta. “It was a struggle from the start. I had to find a way to make pitches and get the job done. “
Arrieta grinded to get through sixth, limiting the damage to just two points. And luckily for him, his World Series teammates gave him the support he needed to get the win.
It was a throwback game led by stars of yore, one that the Cubs desperately needed as they hope to wake up from a tough first week on the record.
“We have fun even when we lose games,” said Báez. “Of course we try not to lose games, but we give everything we have, so at the end of the game we try to stay together and be a family in the clubhouse.”