Defense gets job done for Chicago Cubs
ST. LOUIS - With the Chicago Cubs, the defense never rests.
What's equally true is that manager Joe Maddon never rests in talking about his team's defense.
It was all brilliantly illustrated during Tuesday night's 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The victory evened the Cubs' record to 1-1.
• There was right fielder Jason Heyward making a running catch on Matt Carpenter's line drive in the sixth.
• There was youngster Albert Almora Jr. going to the center-field wall with all poise of a veteran to make a leaping catch of Matt Adams sure home run ball in the seventh.
• And there was second baseman Javier Baez, atoning for an earlier pair of errors on one play by keeping his poise after knocking down Kolten Wong's grounder in the ninth and throwing to first to record the final out of the game. The call was confirmed by replay, causing a few tense seconds.
In the winter and in spring training, Maddon talked about a "D-peat," meaning that if the Cubs are to repeat as world champions, it might be because of their glove work.
"How about it?" Maddon said after the game. "It was all about defense tonight. Both teams pitched really well. We made plays. We go over the wall for a play. Javy had a couple great plays at second base. Willson (Contreras) did a great job behind home plate. KB (Kris Bryant) had a nice game at third base. I could go on and on. The catch by Jason in right-central.
"That's why we win the game."
Perhaps the most fun was listening to the soon-to-be-23-year-old Almora talk about his play.
"Yesterday was my mother's birthday," he said. "I told her, 'I'm going to hit you a homer.' When I did that I said, 'I didn't hit you one. I robbed you one.' She thought it was pretty funny, and she loved it.
"I love playing defense. I love helping out my team. The moment of the night was when I came in and Jake (starting pitcher Arrieta) gave me a big hug. That's awesome."
Arrieta went 6 innings of 4-hit, 1-run (unearned) ball to earn the victory. Koji Uehara was on the mound when Almora made his catch. Pedro Strop and Wade Davis (first save) finished for the Cubs.
The offense scored a pair of runs in the fourth on an RBI dunk single by Heyward and a squeeze bunt by Baez.
The Cardinals got their run in the fifth on a fielding and throwing error by Baez, allowing Stephen Piscotty to score. It was a rough inning for Piscotty, who was hit by a pitch, hit by a thrown ball at second base and hit on the helmet by Baez's throw. That knocked him out of the game with a head contusion.
"Hopefully he's OK," said Arrieta, who pitched perfect ball through 3 innings with good stuff. "That was a rough sequence for him. I send him my best."