Starting to get a little stir crazy without a Cubs game tonight? Getting addicted to the feeling of ending your day with a Cubs win and attendant dancing/fist-pumping/disco-balling?
Well, I can’t schedule an impromptu Cubs game tonight, but I can share the video of Hector Rondon wriggling his way out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam yesterday to preserve the Cubs’ 2-0 win:
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There are so many things I love about this video. Of course, there’s the obvious nastiness of Rondon’s slider. And there’s the overall joy associated with seeing three straight critical strikeouts.
But I am all about the unbridled celebrations. Hector Rondon is PUMPED. The crowd is PUMPED. Tom Ricketts is PUMPED. Joe Maddon is PUMPED. And Miguel Montero was so pumped, I’m not entirely sure he actually heard “strike three” before he unleashed his excitement at receiving the game-ending pitch. Seriously: I’ve watched the replay several times to try and see if I can detect the ump beginning his call before Montero starts celebrating. He knew it was a perfect pitch.
Just how intense was that inning? I think the Win Expectancy chart at FanGraphs tells you all you need to know (and don’t miss the Leverage Index at the bottom):
Source: FanGraphs