Greg Fiume/Getty
WASHINGTON – As soon as Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner completed the tag on the Nationals’ Robert Hassell III, his right hand shot up. He popped up and pointed to left fielder Ian Happ, who slapped his glove in celebration.
In the Cubs’ 7-1 win, that sequence from Happ to Hoerner in the third inning marked the second time Thursday the Cubs had thrown out a Nationals hitter trying to stretch a single into a double in the game.
“We talk about tagging a lot,” manager Craig Counsell said. “[Bench coach] Ryan Flaherty brings it up a lot, we show plays on it to the guys.