Chicago Cubs shortstop joined fans by giving Cincinnati Reds reliever an ovation after he was pulled from Saturday’s game.
It is no secret that Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez and Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett are not exactly fans of one another. That was evident earlier this year during a heated exchange between the two, resulting in the benches clearing. Baez further fanned the flames of their rivalry on Saturday.
Garrett entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning in relief of starter Luis Castillo. After issuing a strikeout to Rafael Ortega, Garrett walked Patrick Wisdom and Eric Sogard, the latter of which walked in a run to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Reds manager David Bell pulled Garrett from the game, which earned him an ovation from the Cubs faithful at Wrigley Field and Baez from the dugout.
Cubs: Javier Baez gives Amir Garrett an ovation after he was pulled from game
In case you were curious, yes, that ovation was completely sarcastic from Baez.
After being pulled, the floodgates officially opened up for the Cubs, as outfielder Joc Pederson hit a two-RBI single and third baseman Kris Bryant recorded an RBI single to give Chicago a 6-2 lead exiting the sixth frame. The Cubs ultimately won 10-2.
Garrett only secured one out, where he was credited for two earned runs. With this latest outing, the Reds reliever’s ERA has increased to 8.36.
Back on May 1, Garrett irked Baez after letting first baseman Anthony Rizzo hear it after striking him out, causing the Cubs shortstop to run out of the dugout to confront the reliever. The benches cleared to prevent a potential fight. Days later, Garrett was assessed a seven-game suspension by MLB for “inciting a benches-clearing incident,” while Baez earned a fine.
In their latest interaction, Baez decided to give Garrett a round of applause for his outing, and it was far from genuine.