Detroit Tigers are where Chicago Cubs were five years ago

Anthony Fenech | Detroit Free Press

CHICAGO — The game will be remembered for two plays at home plate, both of which went against the Detroit Tigers, the most memorable provided by Javier Baez, who turned in perhaps the best head-first slide you will see all season.

But the circumstances which surrounded those two plays — the one where Baez scored and the one where Jose Iglesias was thrown out later as the tying run — highlighted the Tigers’ quick trip to the not-so-friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

The Tigers lost both games to the Chicago Cubs this week, which is not surprising: They are what the Cubs were five years ago, a rebuilding team, on any given day appearing to spin their wheels. A team often unable to compete with the best.

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The Cubs, winners of the World Series two seasons ago and considered one of the top teams in the National League, ultimately pulled away late in Wednesday's game, rendering those two plays at home plate somewhat meaningless.

But when Baez scored in the bottom of the fourth inning and Iglesias didn’t score in the top of the seventh, the finale was every bit of a competition. And for as mismatched as the two teams may be, the Tigers offered plenty of push-back during these two games.

Still, the disparity in talent was obvious. Perhaps never more than in the fourth inning, when Baez — a true firework of a player — was picked off first base. It was an easy out, though he did what young Tigers failed to do on occasion this season: He forced the issue by sprinting toward second base.

That pressure was evident on John Hicks’ throw to second base, and in Niko Goodrum’s interception of it: Hicks’ throw should have went to Iglesias at shortstop, who was in better position to make the tag. Both Hicks, a catcher by trade, and Goodrum, better in the outfield, are playing out of their best positions.

The ball trickled into left field and Mikie Mahtook air-mailed the throw to third base, nearly allowing Baez to score uncontested on a ball out of play. He would take home one batter later, when Francisco Liriano attempted a pick-off at first base. Baez broke for home immediately when Liriano lifted his right leg. A few feet in front of home plate, catcher James McCann reached for the ball, instead of allowing it to travel closer to the plate. Baez, in a feat of incredible athleticism, avoided the tag for the run.

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close. pic.twitter.com/4TX69tUZ7l — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 4, 2018

“We made a mistake on the pick-off that wound up giving them the go-ahead run,” Tigers bench coach Steve Liddle said. “And I’m not talking about the one where we threw to first.

“We had the guy picked off and we had a miscommunication on the coverage at second base and that allowed the runner to go to third. Anytime you give any team more than three outs in an inning, you’re asking for trouble.”

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Liddle didn’t need to say it, but that's especially true against the Cubs.

Three innings later, with the Tigers down, 3-2, Iglesias doubled with one out in the seventh. Victor Martinez came off the bench as a pinch-hitter and lined a pitch to center.

Albert Almora, considered one of the better defensive center fielders in baseball, had the ball with Iglesias a couple steps away from round third base. But Iglesias got a good jump, runs well, and third base coach Dave Clark sent him home.

Though the decision was questionable, the motive was not: With how little the Tigers have been hitting as of late, now was not the time to cede the aggressiveness manager Ron Gardenhire has preached all season.

Given all the variables, Almora still needed to make a great throw and catcher Willson Contreras needed to corral it. To the Tigers’ chagrin, both happened, and Iglesias was thrown out.

“The thing is, when I coached third, (Gardenhire) used to tell me, ‘If you’re not getting them thrown out, you’re not doing your job,’ ” Liddle said. “We’re not scoring a lot of runs and that puts a lot of pressure on the third base coach and it took a perfect throw to get him. “

They were two plays which played a big part in the outcome but certainly didn’t decide the game: Contreras put the game out of reach against journeyman right-hander Louis Coleman with a two-run double in the seventh inning.

But the execution of those plays and the reason why Clark needed to send Iglesias — and the starting lineups, too — showed a stark contrast between the two teams. The Cubs have a bevy of young, impact position players. The Tigers can only look toward the future when they hope they can get the talent requisite for long-term contention.

“Four or five years ago, this Cubs team is right where we are right now,” Liddle said. “And you see these guys that are playing right now making those plays that we talked about earlier on the bases. Their young catcher has now grown into a man and that’s what we want our guys to do, to learn how to play the game the right way and that’s just part of the process. It’s where we are today.”

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Contact Anthony Fenech: afenech@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech.

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