WATCH: Kyle Schwarber Crushes Opposite Field Grand Slam to Give the Cubs the Win
Yesterday, with the game tied in the 6th inning, one out, and the bases loaded, Cubs manager Joe Maddon elected to pinch hit for Kyle Schwarber against a lefty. Things had gotten to the point where that was not a crazy decision, either.
Today, in the 7th inning, with the Cubs trailing by two runs and two outs, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny elected to stick with his starting pitcher, Mike Leake, who’d loaded the bases ahead of Schwarber. If he goes to a lefty there, does Maddon pinch hit again?
We’ll never know. And boy are we all extremely happy not to know. Because Schwarber did this:
#WeGotSomeRuns pic.twitter.com/2ZqeFPmji3
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 3, 2017
Ah, that had to feel so good. I’m glad he watched it go. It certainly felt good for the rest of us watching.
That was not a terrible pitch from Leake, by the way. And, as a matter of fact, Schwarber had been having significant trouble lately with pitches on the outer third.
But he had no trouble with that one, which he absolutely destroyed:
— Cubs Exit Velocity (@cubsexitvelo) June 3, 2017
Even as he struggles, there’s no questioning Schwarber’s power. He can still really give the ball a ride.
Today’s shot gave the Cubs a comeback win, their second in a row over the Cardinals after a woeful six-game losing streak. With the series locked up, they now have a chance to go for the sweep tomorrow. Hopefully Schwarber enters that one feeling nice and grand.
