In a tied game between the Cubs and Marlins, Chicago pulled off a heads-up defensive play that turned a bad bunt into two quick outs. With a runner on and the Marlins trying to move him over, the batter laid down a poor bunt that popped up too high. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo saw an opportunity. Instead of catching the ball, he let it drop on purpose, hoping to start a double play. The ball bounced, Rizzo grabbed it, and threw it right to shortstop Javier Báez.
Báez chased down the confused baserunner, who hesitated between bases with nowhere to go. The ump called it right away. Double play. The Marlins had no answer after that. The booth showed Rizzo saying the decision was all his. He read the situation and made the play without anyone signaling it. It was smart, quick thinking, and it turned the momentum in the Cubs’ favor.