Members of the media gathered around Javier Báez’s locker Thursday following the Chicago Cubs 5-1 win over the New York Mets. Of course, reporters appearing in locker rooms is a common sight, but this occasion was different.
No, Báez did not record a game-winning hit; he did not make a game-saving play defensively. What he did do, though, is snap a streak of 183 plate appearances without an unintentional walk.
Long drought over at last
Yes, you read that correctly—Báez had gone almost two months without a “regular” walk. His last unintentional walk came on April 7, a 5-2 Cubs win over the Milwaukee Brewers.