The Cubs lost Game 2 of the NLCS 1-0 to the Dodgers, but the score might have been worse if second baseman Javier Baez didn’t have such good game awareness.
The Dodgers had their 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning with runners on first and second and one out against Cubs reliever Carl Edwards, Jr., who had just relieved starter Kyle Hendricks. Joc Pederson hit a weak liner to Baez, who could have easily caught the ball in the air. But he didn’t. Baez let the ball hit the ground right in front of him. He scooped up the ball and threw to shortstop Addison Russell for the force out at second base. He then instructed Russell to pay attention to Adrian Gonzalez, who was between second and third base. Russell fired the ball to third baseman Kris Bryant, Bryant threw back to Russell, and Russell ran him down to apply the tag, completing the double play and ending the inning.
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Baez also likely hit what was likely the Cubs’ hardest-hit ball of the night. He laced a Clayton Kershaw fastball out to deep center field in the bottom of the seventh, but it was caught on the warning track by Pederson.
