The Chicago Cubs gave us one of the more bizarre baseball games in recent memory Tuesday night, eventually beating the Cincinnati Reds 7-2 in 15 innings on a RBI single by Kris Bryant and then a grand slam from Javier Baez, and making plenty of history along the way. The particularly unconventional part of the game saw Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon use six different players in left field, including three pitchers. That’s quite historic on a number of fronts:
https://twitter.com/Kazuto_Yamazaki/status/748004415458652162
The Yankees have used two players in left field all year. The #Cubs used three pitchers in left field tonight.
— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) June 29, 2016
How rare is it to see three pitchers play the outfield in a single game? According to Play Index, it hasn’t happened since at least 1913 (as far as their data goes back):
couldn't find any with 3 back to 1913 on Play Index.
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) June 29, 2016
Pitchers Travis Wood and Spencer Patton also went back and forth between the mound and left field, which hasn’t been seen in 30 years:
The #Cubs are the first team to alternate pitchers between the mound and the field since the #Mets did it on July 22, 1986.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) June 29, 2016
Reliever Pedro Strop, who finished the game in left field, had some great quotes after the game:
Maddon gave all the credit to Wood. Wasn't supposed to play/pitch. Strop said he was ready to "pimp the last out if it came to me"
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 29, 2016
Strop: "Yeah I play outfield. When we play softball in the winter."
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 29, 2016
Not to let the defense have all the credit, the Cubs also made some history on the offensive side:
#Cubs Javier Baez: grand slam with 2 out in the t-15th.
First grand slam at least that deep into a game since Clyde Vollmer, July 28, 1951.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) June 29, 2016
https://twitter.com/BBTN/status/748005084827623424
So, just another baseball game, right? Maddon’s been known for plenty of unconventional managerial moves in the past, but some of the ones he made here were odd even by that standard. But they certainly worked out for the Cubs. Now, we’ll just have to see if he can find a way to top this later in the season.
