Cubs 8, Padres 2: Willson Contreras has himself a night

[DeSclafani]

MESA, Arizona ? Willson Contreras might just be setting himself up to have that monster, MVP-type season we?ve all dreamed he could have. Contreras went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs Wednesday evening and the Cubs crushed the Padres 8-2.The game went into the bottom of the second with the Cubs up 1-0 Anthony Rizzo Jersey. Ian Happ walked leading off the first, went to third on a Contreras single and scored on a wild pitch.With two out in the second, this happened [VIDEO].Your browser does not support HTML5 video.I?m sorry, but this play is the final, FINAL straw for me. As you know, I?ve been in favor of the universal DH for some time now. This play, THIS PLAY, is exactly why.Kyle Hendricks looked like he had singled to right. But wait, Padres right fielder Wil Mywers is going to try to throw him out at first! And a better throw would probably have gotten Hendricks out. But the throw was offline, and first baseman Jake Cronenworth was in a position that forced Hendricks to make an awkward step on the base and tumble down https://www.ccfanstore.com/Javier_Baez_Jersey-53.Seriously. Is this how you want to lose the Cubs? Opening Day starter? To a possible injury running the bases in a spring training game?Not me, nope nope nope, not ever. There?s going to be more of this during the season, outfielders trying to throw out pitchers running to first after apparent hits. Most pitchers won?t want to hurt themselves running the bases, and they shouldn?t, because there is a solution, the universal DH.It?s not too late for MLB and its players to come to an agreement on this for the 2021 season. I know they?ve said no, but...For those of you who insist that pitchers batting is some form of lyrical art or some sort of thing brought on stone tablets from Mount Sinai that belongs in the sport forever, I acknowledge some little bit of strategy will be lost when we have the universal DH. I wouldn?t be opposed to one tweak in the DH rule that could bring some strategy, and that?s to have it used only until the starting pitcher leaves, then you have to use pinch-hitters. This would probably push teams to leave starters in games longer and it would pretty much eliminate ?openers Kyle Ryan Jersey.? I could live with that if that were done, pitchers would only bat in extreme situations.I cringed when I watched that ?hit.? No more, please. Fortunately, Hendricks was not injured on that play and it didn?t seem to affect his pitching. And if you think Hendricks is against the universal DH, think again:Kyle Hendricks on his single: "Three steps before the base, it's either I'm out, or I'm running into him. So, the competitiveness took over. I was like, 'I'm not getting thrown out from right field.'" He thinks he helped the case for the universal DH tonight.
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Jenkins