Taking care of business. That’s what tonight’s game felt like.
Trevor Williams was fantastic in this one. You can do all the “but” things – but it was just the Pirates, but he ran out of steam in the 6th again, etc. – BUT I’m saying he *looked* really good. Great command, really great movement on his pitches, and almost no traffic. He looked like a guy who really doesn’t want to hear people keep talking about bouncing him from the rotation. Hey, he had two hits, too!
Special shout out to Kris Bryant, who not only had a couple run-scoring hits, but played some fantastic first base. Consider that this is a guy who has mostly been an outfielder the last few weeks, is not a first baseman anyway, and still pulled off this double-play:
Kris Bryant, first baseman!#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/BGrLZu1Cis
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 27, 2021
That is a throw against his body, at an unnatural angle (avoiding the runner AND setting up the shortstop for the turn), and then getting quickly back to first base AND finding the base WHILE locating the ball. For even an established right-handed first baseman, that’s a really tough play. And Bryant just pulls it off with ease.
ONCE AGAIN, the Cubs bullpen was scoreless. Interesting moment in the 9th, after Ben Gamel doubled to open the inning. With two outs, it looked like Craig Kimbrel and Willson Contreras decided to just have Kimbrel intentionally balk so that Gamel would move to third. They were having issues with the signs (remember the cross-up the other night?), and/or maybe Gamel was stealing? In any case, they appeared to just want him to move over. It was Kimbrel’s first ever career balk. Wild.
Meanwhile, back to the pitcher hitter of the night …