The headline is what baseball folks will tell you. Walks are going to happen, but leadoff walks almost always lead to bad things.
That’s what happened to the Cubs in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game, after yet another brilliant outing from Matthew Boyd. Ryan Brasier issued a leadoff walk — on four pitches — and then a hit. Two outs were recorded with a run scoring, but the usually-reliable Caleb Thielbar then allowed another hit and a three-run homer and the Cubs could not come back, losing 4-3 to the Orioles on yet another gorgeous Chicago afternoon.