MILWAUKEE -- Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross called it one of the “crazier” games he has ever played in, while infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant and pitcher Travis Wood both said they would remember Wednesday’s 2-1, 13-inning victory over the Milwaukee Brewers for a long, long time.
This one had a little bit everything, as Joe Maddon used his entire roster, save four starting pitchers, as the game finally came to its conclusion, thanks to a memorable outing -- both on the mound and at the plate -- for the left-handed Wood.
The drama began when Wood helped load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 12th inning in a 1-1 game, only to induce three popups and get out of the jam.
“Throw strikes because there’s no place for anyone to go,” Wood recalled thinking after the game. “It’s either going to be your night or his. Fortunately, it went our way.”
When Maddon came to the mound to discuss strategy, he told Wood that if he got out of the jam, he would get a chance to bat. Wood obliged.
“I was pretty jacked up for that,” he said.
He was up at the plate a few minutes later, with the bases loaded and two outs and the game still tied 1-1. After a big hack, he took the next four pitches, all balls, to finally bring in the Cubs' second run of the night with a slow jog to first.
Kris Bryant
Bryant thinks he might have made history, as he played three different positions using three different gloves, all in one inning. As Maddon brought the infield in with the bases loaded in the 12th, Bryant came in from left field, grabbed his infielder’s glove and played third base. One out later he traded positions -- and gloves -- with Javier Baez, who was at first after running for Anthony Rizzo earlier in the game.
“That was his [glove],” Bryant said. “I didn’t bring mine. Mine isn’t broken in yet. Community first baseman’s glove for now.”
After the second out was made, Bryant gave the glove back to Baez, grabbed his outfield glove again and headed back to left.
“It would have been cool if I got the ball at every position,” he said smiling. “I think I made history. I’m not sure there are many people that have done that. I enjoyed that. I’ll enjoy this game for a very long time.”
David Ross
Ross threw out four runners on the basepaths. Two came via attempted steals of second base, and two were actually picked off second. Ross ran from behind the plate all the way out to the baseline between second and third on one of the pickoff plays.
“I was out of breath when [the rundown] got done,” Ross said.
He couldn’t remember if he has ever assisted on four outs that weren’t straight fielding plays, but he knows, along with his teammates, that he’ll remember this Cubs win for a long time.
“That’s one of the crazier ones I’ve been a part of,” Ross stated. “Pretty cool to get out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam on the road. That was pretty impressive.
"And for the same guy to get the winning RBI. Pretty neat game.”
Joe Maddon
Maddon’s fingerprints were all over this game, from his pinch-hitting and pinch-running decisions to a curious bunt in the second inning by Addison Russell with men on second and third and one out in a scoreless game. (Russell popped up.)
“There is an opportunity there to score a run,” Maddon explained. “If we can take a run right there I would have taken a run. Don’t blame Addison, blame me.”
Maddon intimated there was some strategy to his madness that was directly related to Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson, but plays like that get shoved in the background when you win a game the way the Cubs did. From bases loaded with nobody out to the pitcher that got out of that jam walking with the bases loaded to bring home the go-ahead run, everyone will remember this one.
“Whenever you win a game like that on the road, that really says a lot about your group,” Maddon said. “The whole team participated in that victory. When everybody has part ownership, that makes everything a little better.”
As Wood added, simply, “If any game was a team victory, today was.”
And they’ll do it all again in a few hours.