Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Marlins 4 – June 24, 2016
When the Cubs put up a four spot in the first inning, ripping the ball immediately against Marlins starter Tom Koehler, I can imagine most fans felt relief more than they felt joy. It had been a while since it felt like the offense was going to be THE OFFENSE, and this was going to be one of those nights.
Except it quickly became one of those other nights. An error, a walk, a walk, and one really bad pitch later, and the game was tied on a Justin Bour grand slam just like that.
And then it became still another kind of night. The kind of night that baseball – the living embodiment of baseball – seems to love. One where the teams combined for eight runs in the first inning … and then just a single run the rest of the way. Thankfully that run came off of the bat of Willson Contreras, who’d also homered in that first inning, and the Cubs won the game.
It was a bizarre, not altogether terrible outing for Kyle Hendricks, who allowed just that one hit in his five innings of work. In another life, Bour’s ball travels 10 feet less, and Hendricks throws maybe six scoreless innings.
Javy Baez made another magically ridiculous play.
Ben Zobrist left the game after being hit in the shin/ankle area by a bouncing pitch, though he did first run the bases. Hopefully there’s nothing serious there, because the Cubs are already absurdly banged up.
At least they thankfully managed a win in this one, and kudos to the bullpen (and Hendricks) for shutting things down after that first inning.
Also, this guy:
