Nico Hoerner’s Opening Day Regret
We’re still waiting on the details for Nico Hoerner’s six-year contract extension with the Chicago Cubs, but for a quick moment, let’s talk about his pivotal at-bat on Opening Day against the Washington Nationals.
In the end, it may not have mattered, but with the ABS challenge system now in MLB, it will become another factor fans debate from time to time. The Cubs were trailing 8-4 in the seventh inning after Pete Crow-Armstrong put down a perfect bunt down the third base line that drove in Michael Busch. Hoerner stepped up to the plate with runners at first and second with one out.
Washington reliever Brad Lord was shaky in his relief appearance, having already allowed a run, and then he fell behind 3-0 on Hoerner. A 3-0 fastball dotted in the inside corner for strike one, and then Lord doubled up, going inside on another fastball that was called strike two.
A few pitches later, Hoerner grounded into an inning-ending double that killed off the Cubs’ scoring threat.
The Cubs did not challenge a single pitch in their Opening Day 10-4 loss to the Nationals, and if there was ever a spot that called for one it was that 3-1 pitch from Lord to Hoerner. In the screenshot below you can it’s just off the plate, but it looks a lot more definitive on Baseball Savant’s graphic. The pitch was a ball, which meant if Hoerner would have challenged the call the Cubs would have had the bases loaded with one out, and Carson Kelly up at the plate with Moises Ballesteros on-deck.
It was the seventh inning, and the Cubs were down by four. There was really no reason not to challenge even if Hoerner wasn’t 100% confident. You get two guaranteed challenges to begin the game, and you can keep challenging after the first two if you keep getting them right. In this case, even if Hoerner was wrong the Cubs would have still had one challenge left.
But again, it all comes down to the situation. The Cubs were already trailing by four, and this was going to be their best chance at making the game close.
So, this should be a talking point inside the Cubs’ clubhouse. Whether it’s Craig Counsell or the entire coaching staff, they have to make a point of telling players and making it clear that these are the moments in games when one pitch can make a huge difference. Hopefully, it is a learning experience for all.
There was another call earlier in the game that also led to runs against the Cubs, and it came when Ben Brown came in relief of Matthew Boyd in the fourth inning. A 2-1 sinker that was supposed to be insider, missed it’s mark and forced Carson Kelly to reach across his body to make the grab. At first glance it seemed like an obvious ball, which is what the umpire called, but upon replay it still hit the strike zone.
Jacob Young then hit a two-run home run on the next pitch, taking a 3-1 fastball out to the basket in right field that gave the Nationals a 7-2 lead.
That one is maybe a little more nitpicky, and I guess what we learned on Opening Day is that the ABS challenge system is just another thing for fans to complain about.
Hey, at least Nico Hoerner is signing an extension, so Opening Day wasn’t so bad after all.