YEAH BABY.
I don’t think I’ve been as pumped up as I was during that 6th inning all season. Not only did the Cubs bat around, and then some, turning a 2-1 deficit into a blowout in their favor, but they did it immediately after the insanity of the 5th inning. John Lackey and Willson Contreras were ejected as the Cubs gave up the lead following a terrible call, and the team responded in a big way.
It was also nice to see Justin Wilson come into a mess that inning and get a big strikeout. He has the talent, and the Cubs could stand for him to get the confidence back in time for the postseason.
Offensively, the Cubs took advantage of a couple Cardinals goofs in that 6th inning, but it was mostly just a hit parade. It looked like Carlos Martinez was going to cruise all over the Cubs through five, but that sixth inning was a thing of beauty.
It didn’t take long for Joe Maddon to make good on his conversation with Wade Davis, immediately using him to get four outs in this one. Even with the depleted bullpen, it didn’t seem like a strictly necessary move, but maybe it was something of a test drive for Davis in a safe-ish situation – come into a dirty 8th inning, get out of it, sit down, and then finish the game. I’m fine with that, in principle, because it’s good to get him that feel. But I don’t love that it might make him unavailable tomorrow.
Javy Baez got some trainer attention late after a play in the field, and then was very much grimacing in his next at bat, so hopefully there’s nothing serious going on there. He was the only shortstop left on the roster at that point, for what it’s worth.
Assuming relative health for Baez, that was a freaking fantastic all around win. Huge for the standings, huge for the emotion. Exciting as hell.
Cubs win.