MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 12: Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs waits in the on deck circle in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 12, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Javier Baez nearly started a conflict Thursday afternoon.
The Chicago Cubs had an afternoon to forget Thursday in Pittsburgh. The team fell 7-0 to a last-place Pirates team and were out-hit by a margin of 14-2.
Frustrations clearly boiled over in the game and Javier Baez nearly started a conflict on his own. He did this in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch thrown by Pirates reliever Chad Kuhl.
Javier Baez not happy about being hit
The pitch ran in on Baez and did not appear to be intentional at all. That is why his reaction was so bizarre. Kuhl seemed to be more confused than anything at Baez’s anger. There was already a runner on and the game was far from over at 6-0 in the seventh inning.
Baez is having himself a difficult season. His batting average is now down to .196 and his on-base percentage is not much better at .234. The entire offense is struggling and a 7-0 loss against the Pirates less than a week before the playoffs start is a bad sign. Chicago lost three straight games to lowly Pittsburgh.
The Cubs enter Thursday night with a three-game lead over both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. While the division is not officially clinched, the Cubs have still clinched a playoff spot in general.
But lackluster play from a key player like Baez’s is a major concern. Perhaps being beaned in the midst of a terrible slump was enough for Baez to be pushed over the edge. Luckily, he was prevented from charging the mound, which is a whole other issue in the time of COVID-19.