The Cubs were routing the Reds, so Cincinnati brought in infielder Kyle Farmer to pitch in garbage time. As expected, it was chaotic. Farmer’s pitches were slow and erratic, barely tracking on the radar gun. One of his better pitches ended up being a rare strike that didn’t fly over a batter’s head. The Cubs took advantage, with one hitter launching a ball into left field and others stepping in with relaxed swings. Willson Contreras came up and took a Happy Gilmore-style stride into the box. Then Javier Báez tried something new by batting lefty, even though he’s a righty, popping up to center on a big hack. It was pure exhibition.
During all this, the camera caught some goofy moments in the stands. A Cubs fan flashed a good-luck sign, unnoticed in the moment. A group of kids in the upper deck wrestled with each other. One kid stretched his shirt so much it nearly tore. It was the kind of weird mess you only get during a blowout with a position player on the mound and both teams just trying to get through the inning. The broadcast and breakdowns focused less on the actual score and more on the random fun that broke out with the game already out of hand.