One of the Dumber Plays you'll ever see, a breakdown

May 27, 2021 2.8M views 3:24
MLB 2021

What Happened

In a 2021 Cubs-Pirates game, with the Cubs up 1-0 in the top of the third, Javier Baez turned a routine groundout into chaos that ended up scoring two runs. Baez hit a grounder to third with two outs and a force play available at first, but instead of stepping on the bag the Pirates' first baseman chased Baez back toward home, kicking off a rundown nobody on Pittsburgh understood. Baez stayed alive on purpose, throws sailed past defenders who weren't covering, and a baserunner crossed the plate. Then a wild throw on the next play scored Baez himself, all before the inning finally ended on a pop fly to left.

Why This Matters

The key wrinkle here is the force-out rule. Baez was forced at first, so any run that scores on a force-out at first doesn't count regardless of timing. Baez seemed to bet the Pirates didn't know that, and he was right. All Pittsburgh had to do was tag him once or beat him to the bag, and the inning was over with zero damage. Instead a sequence of mental errors let two runs cross. The play became a signature Baez moment, the kind of heads-up baserunning chaos that defined his Cubs tenure before he was traded to the Mets that same July. It also captured the Pirates' rough 2021 season, when fundamentals like covering a base could disappear at the worst time.

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Key Moments

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Who / What Is Involved

Players: Bell, Rap.

BellRap

Full Transcript

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cubs versus pirates top of the third

two outs runner on first cubs are up one

nothing

strap in one of the dumber plays you'll

ever see happen on the baseball field