The Chicago Cubs have proven to be a fundamentally strong baseball team. It’s one of the reasons this squad has earned three consecutive playoff appearances and won the World Series back in 2016.
But for some reason, these fundamentals were not on full display Tuesday night against the Brewers in Milwaukee.
With the Cubs down 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Lorenzo Cain hit a weak ground ball to Cubs second baseman Javier Baez. That’s when everything went awry for the artists formerly known as the lovable losers.
Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was caught in a pickle between second and third. Unfortunately, the Cubs brain-farted in the worst possible way. Check it out below.
Heads up baserunning by the @Brewers or a brain fart by the @Cubs?
You be the judge. pic.twitter.com/bH2OcvlJ3U
— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 13, 2018
As Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood ran the ball back to second base with the thought that Cain had touched the bag, Cain made it back to first safely with Yelich finding himself safe at second. It was brilliant thinking from Cain, who had not touched second base.
From a Cubs perspective, this was disastrous on so many levels. Milwaukee would go on to score two in the third to take a 4-0 lead. With a win Tuesday night, the Brewers will overtake Chicago for first in the NL Central.
One has to wonder how much of an impact this might have in the division race once the calendar goes from the summer to the fall.