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SAN FRANCISCO — Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw reacted so quickly that it was nearly impossible in real time to understand what he had done to snag the line drive Angels hitter Bryce Teodosio had sent screaming up the line.
One moment, Shaw was facing the plate in a ready position. The next, he was pushing himself up from the ground with the ball in his glove for the last out of the fifth inning of the Cubs’ eventual 4-3 victory Sunday, which completed a three-game sweep.
In between, Shaw turned to his backhand side and launched himself up and toward the line in a move that already looked entirely natural for someone who used to be a middle infielder.