Any time a position player is set to take the mound in a MLB game, fans across the globe get excited. When two position players pitch in a game, it becomes a memorable moment. On Friday, the Chicago Cubs took things to a whole new level.
Behind Matt Carpenter’s three home runs and two doubles, the St. Louis Cardinals obliterated the Cubs and took a 12-1 lead after four innings. After St. Louis took a 16-1 lead, Chicago decided to change strategy to save its bullpen.
In the seventh inning, third baseman Tommy La Stella took the mound for Chicago. Needless to say, La Stella didn’t give the team any reason to think pitching was in his future.
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Across 1.1 innings, the righty gave up three hits and allowed one earned run. Once he was finished and walked off the mound with an 18.00 ERA, Chicago went for a new strategy on the mound.
In came backup catcher Victor Caratini, throwing to starting catcher Willson Contreras in what was probably the oddest game of catch they’ve ever had. What made the moment even stranger was it came against Matt Bowman, a relief pitcher for the Cardinals.
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Chicago gave Caratini a full inning and he turned in an even worse line than La Stella with two runs allowed thanks to a two-run home run. Fortunately, he was able to get out of the inning.
Once the 9th inning rolled around, that’s when manager Joe Maddon took things to a whole new level. Ian Happy took the mound and became the third position player to pitch for Chicago on Friday.
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The 23-year-old provided Chicago with its best pitching line of the day. In one inning, Happ allowed a leadoff hit then retired the next three batters he faced.
Of the seven players who pitched for the Cubs on Friday, Happ was the only one to pitch a shutout inning.
It really is true, you just never know what you’ll see happen when you watch a baseball game. On Friday, we saw something remarkable, historic and insane.