Báez fined, Reds’ Garrett suspended for bench-clearing melee originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Cubs shortstop Javy Báez’s three-error day didn’t get any better after his worst game in the field Tuesday.
Between games of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers, Major League Baseball announced it has fined Báez for leaving the dugout to go after Reds pitcher Amir Garrett Saturday after Garrett made an aggressive move and yelled toward Cubs teammate Anthony Rizzo after a strikeout.
Báez was held back by Reds third baseman Mike Moustakas as he shouted and flipped off Garrett, while both teams’ benches and bullpens emptied.
“I’m not going to let him or anyone disrespect my teammates, or my team,” Báez —who has history with Garrett going back more than three years — said after the game in Cincinnati on Saturday.
MLB’s response could have been worse for Báez. Garrett was fined and suspended for seven games; Báez was not suspended
More than anything, Baez’s clunky play on at least four routine plays in the doubleheader opener was the head-scratcher of Tuesday.
Báez, who was out of the lineup for the nightcap, opened the game by bobbling a Mookie Betts grounder for an error, then after starting a double play, bobbled a routine Justin Turner grounder — but recovered in time to throw out Turner. He also threw wide of first on a play in the fifth, with Rizzo making the play to avoid the error.
And in the seventh, he committed two errors on one play that should have been a game-ending double play — a bobble to allow the batter to reach for the first error and then an inexplicable flip to nobody at second for another error that allowed the runner already on base to advance to third.
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It’s the first time a Cub had three errors in a game since Starlin Castro in 2015.
The Cubs won 7-1.
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