In what proved to be a very tight game throughout, there was a huge moment in the first inning that may well have changed the course of the night.
With two outs in the first, and Matt Carpenter on first base, Jedd Gyorko ripped a ball into the left center gap, and it reached the wall. Carpenter probably should have been able to score relatively easily on the play – it certainly looked that way as the ball rolled. But Kyle Schwarber tracked it down quickly, and fired a perfect, hard throw to the cut-off man, Addison Russell, who wheeled and threw his own perfect laser to Willson Contreras at the plate.
A firm tag to the face later, and the inning was over (there is no embeddable video of the play available right now, but you can watch here):
From Section 430: @WContreras40 erases Matt Carpenter. @Cubs take 2 of 3 from #Cardinals. #ThatsCub #Wrigley #FlyTheW @BleacherNation pic.twitter.com/fr8bD0K1Ja
— MBDChicago (@MBDChicago) July 24, 2017
Learning the hard way. pic.twitter.com/0amYYxcXFx
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 24, 2017
"You're sure you're OK? Still out, but OK?" #ThatsCub #FlyTheW @Cubs @BleacherNation pic.twitter.com/5nNxC9XRaB
— MBDChicago (@MBDChicago) July 24, 2017
If the play struck you as vaguely familiar, it should have:
2017 @Cubs #Cardinals vs 2016 Cubs/Cardinals: History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes… #ThatsCub #FlyTheW @BleacherNation pic.twitter.com/9JQIaxEsRR
— MBDChicago (@MBDChicago) July 24, 2017
The beautiful David Ross tag to the face also came on a relay throw from Addison Russell on a ball hit to left center, and it was part of that INSANE win over the Cardinals (the Chris Coghlan no-look hit, the Anthony Rizzo walk-off walk, the David Ross bunt).
Well done, defense. And if you’re Matt Carpenter, it’s probably time to start wearing a face mask against the Cubs when you reach base.