PHOENIX – Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner was due for a clutch hit.
Hoerner had been on the wrong side of luck the first two weeks of the season, highlighted by a .216 Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) despite quality at-bats. A game-defining moment found him during extra innings Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field as he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the 11th of a tied game.
Hoerner, known for his bat-to-ball skills, somehow made contact with reliever Bryce Jarvis’ two-strike 95 mph fastball at eye level, shooting the ball to right field for the go-ahead RBI single and the only run the Cubs scored in the inning. Right-hander Keegan Thompson took care of business in the bottom half, his second inning of work, as the Cubs outlasted the Diamondbacks 3-2.
Hoerner’s game-winning hit came off a pitch 4.23 feet above the ground, the third-highest pitch a Cubs player has recorded a base hit on since Statcast began in 2015, according to MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs.
“I haven’t been up in some really big, exciting spots like that and this game is so interesting how you can’t force those situations and you only can do what the game presents you,” Hoerner said. “Maybe not a recommended pitch selection, but we’ll take it.”
Hoerner’s key hit wouldn’t have come to fruition without his heads-up baserunning in the top of the ninth. Hoerner scored from second on Diamondbacks closer Kevin Ginkel’s wild pitch with two outs, capitalizing when catcher Gabriel Moreno couldn’t immediately locate the baseball as it caromed toward the Cubs dugout.
Third base coach Willie Harris emphatically screamed and pointed at home plate for Hoerner to keep going as he approached third with Moreno still searching for the ball. Hoerner’s head-first dive into home plate easily beat the throw, tying the game.
Harris’ demonstrative instruction during the sequence is an image Hoerner won’t forget anytime soon.
“I like to think I would have gone anyways, but that definitely gave me the extra confidence I needed,” Hoerner said. “I saw the passed ball kick the opposite direction of where (Moreno) saw it go and was definitely thinking with two outs about scoring immediately after that. I was going to run until something stopped me pretty much in that situation.”
The wild finish nearly overshadowed Michael Busch tying the franchise record by hitting a home run in his fifth consecutive game, joining Christopher Morel (2023), Sammy Sosa (1998), Ryne Sandberg (1989) and Hack Wilson (1928) to accomplish the feat.
“It’s been an incredible hot streak, but it comes from a very even keel, just super consistent person, which is why I believe in him so much,” Hoerner said. “I love that he was able to have a start (to the season) that he wasn’t getting results even though he was swinging really well and just nothing changed. You can’t tell any difference with him. This guy has fun playing.”
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Busch’s home-run stretch has been particularly timely as the offense has struggled to score runs the last four games during which Busch has been responsible for driving in five of their 12 runs. Those four games were all decided by two runs or less with the Cubs winning three of them.
“You don’t take it for granted,” manager Craig Counsell said of Busch’s streak. “We’re grateful to have him for sure.”
Perhaps a win like Monday’s exorcised some demons from September’s nightmarish visit when the Cubs’ playoff hopes vanished during a three-game sweep that included an extra-inning heartbreak. A stellar performance Monday by the pitching staff set up Hoerner’s heroics.
Led by starter Ben Brown holding the Diamondbacks to one hit and one run in six innings, four relievers – Luke Little, Drew Smyly, Hector Neris and Thompson – combined for one run and two hits allowed over the final five innings.
“We just pitched super well today,” Counsell said. “I’m glad Nico was in that spot, that’s the at-bat where the ball needs to be in play and he’s going to put it in play.”
Neris pitched a third consecutive day while Thompson was challenged by the extra-innings rules, which add pressure with a runner starting on second base in the 10th and 11th innings.
“It’s big time for our pitching staff,” Thompson said. “We’re all throwing really well right now and it’s showing.”
The win came on the heels of right fielder Seiya Suzuki landing on the injured list with a right oblique strain before the game, a big blow to an offense that had been relying on his production in the No. 2 spot. But the Cubs didn’t let another key injury derail them Monday night, as they try to finish strong on their three-city West Coast trip, part of a challenging first month of their schedule.
