This is just not a combination of walk-off-er and walk-off-ee I would’ve predicted based on their most recent time spent with the Chicago Cubs last year, but baseball is weird.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, and the teams were tied at two heading into extra innings. The Dodgers scored their free runner in the top of the 10th, and old friend Craig Kimbrel was summoned to close out the win.
A few batters later, another old friend came to the plate, and that’s when Sergio Alcántara walked the dang thing off against Kimbrel:
Alcántara, who did have five homers last year for the Cubs, has seemingly found a nice place with the Diamondbacks, where he’s hitting exactly league average (.252/.293/.439/100 wRC+), and playing above-average infield defense. Good for him. The guy is still only 26, and I always wished the Cubs could have figured out a way to keep him, but the lack of options was obviously an issue.
As for Kimbrel, well, you know that it’s been a rough year. The results have been slightly below league average by ERA- (not what you need from a back-end reliever), and although some of the peripherals look decent, he’s not striking anyone out for the first time in his career (just 27.9%, compared to his career mark of 40.1%). Dodgers fans have not been kind about his struggles in the biggest moments.
At 34, you always worry about legitimate decline, rather than some kind of blip – and the Dodgers aren’t known for failing to get pitchers over a mechanical hump.
Kimbrel will be a free agent after the season, and some team will take a chance on reclaiming him. I wouldn’t hate it for the Cubs, given their success in doing that in general, and their success with Kimbrel before the Trade Deadline last year.
Just don’t let him face Sergio Alcántara, I guess.