Sometimes you’re the bug. Sometimes you’re the windshield. Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki experienced both in the second inning of Saturday night’s game at Wrigley Field against the Cincinnati Reds.
The top half of the inning was not kind to Suzuki. With two outs and the bases loaded, Cincinnati’s Luke Maile hit what looked to be an inning-ending flyout to right field. Suzuki trotted over to where the ball was hit, waived off center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, parked himself underneath it — and dropped it. It was the type of dropped fly ball not often seen outside of some of the lowest levels of Little League.
With two outs and the runners going on contact, all three scored on the play.
There’s nothing routine about a routine fly. pic.twitter.com/1A51EbjEzD
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) June 2, 2024
Maile, who ended up at second base on the play, scored when the next hitter, Stuart Fairchild, ripped a single. With that, the Cubs trailed 4-0.
Fortunately for Suzuki, he didn’t have to wait long to get his redemption.
In the bottom half of the inning, Suzuki came up facing the same scenario Maile faced in the previous inning. There were two outs and the bases were loaded. Suzuki worked a full count against Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, then sent the 3-2 pitch over the wall for a grand slam.
Reverse that.
Suzuki dropped the ball in the top of the second.
He hit the grand slam in the bottom half.
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) June 2, 2024
With that, the three runs that scored directly off of his error and the fourth that came across indirectly because of it, were a complete wash.
