The already surreal scene of an empty Wrigley Field playing host to summer camp became even more so Tuesday night as the Cubs tested out walk-up music and fake crowd noise during their abbreviated intrasquad scrimmage. The PA system thrummed with manufactured excitement, including a chant of “Javy, Javy” that exhorted the swaggy shortstop to pump his fist to the beat before smacking a double.
Combined with Craig Kimbrel allowing a two-run homer and Dillon Maples walking two batters before getting out of the jam by striking out two more, you could almost fool yourself into thinking it was a normal game.