Bleed Cubbie Blue · Apr 21, 2022
Rays 8, Cubs 2: The importance of defense
Photo by David Banks/Getty ImagesI noted this in the recap to Tuesday’s loss to the Rays:
Watching the Rays for two days, what I have seen is one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the game. They are defensively air-tight and do not beat themselves.
Many don’t realize how important this sort of thing is to winning baseball. The Cubs lost 8-2 to the Rays in the rain-shortened series finale Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field, and it wasn’t all because of defensive miscues, but they did play a role.
Here, let me explain.
Marcus Stroman walked the first hitter he faced, who then advanced to second on an infield out.