Cubs Infielder Javy Báez's Magical Slides

Baez with a steal, I think a delayed steal, and he's saved! He got around the Anderson tag, even though the throw beat him. Houdini does it again. This is his preferred method, the Cubs don't do a lot of stealing, but this is a textbook delayed steal technique. Not for the slight of hand, he's out. You can see if the Cubs try to pull off the double steal. And now Baez is going to try to score the throw to the plate, and he is safe! He is safe! As soon as the pick-off throw went to first, Baez came flying down the line at third. The throw by Hicks to the catcher McCann was late. An incredible slide and home plate by Baez running full speed to score another run. Wow! There he goes. Hitch is a strike, the throw is a strike. And Baez thinks he got in. The throw beat him, but it looked like he was trying to dance around the tag. He does a little swim move here. The left hand takes it away, reaches around the back corner. I think he's safe. This is a nice little twister move here. Right hand green, right foot yellow. I think he's safe. He's safe. Went too far and took off. He got aggressive and then said, well, I'm done. And the only way I can make something happen is to not stop whatsoever. Aggression and a run for the Cubs. It's a steal of home for Javier Baez, who's doing everything right. Very tough play. No fear. He sees a loose ball and off he goes. This is great base running. How about an RBI single on a ball that went, what, 75 feet? You don't need to speak fluent Spanish to know that Javi's asking for a crew chief challenge here. He's convinced he was in there safely. He did the old swim move, and it's whether or not he was able to tag him as he avoids the tag. He is part contortionist, part power lifter. Yeah, I think he's safe, though. Now that it's going to have to be conclusive because of the call. But see, he goes to tag him there, and he completely misses. And then he tries to get him back, and by the time he gets him back, the hand's on the base. And the runner goes, the pick-off throw. And now the throw to second, and Baez is tagged out. Baez thought he got in there safely, and he's motioning to the Cubs' third base dugout. He was called out by umpire Ramon De Jesus. And I think he might have been in there safely. Great swim move where he takes up the arm. Now he's just trying to hang in there, grip that bag with his toe as much as he can. I saw the spikes on the bag, so this one might go in the Cubs' favor. Baez will line one into right center field. There's a clutch hit. That ball goes all the way to the wall. Addison Russell scores standing up, racing around second, going to third. Baez, the relay, the headfirst slide. He's got a triple. The ball bounces away. Baez comes in to score to tie the game. His helmet pops off halfway to third base. But the throw from Sogar hits Javi in the back of the head, without his helmet. And he'll come around to score. Cubs sweep the Blue Jays. It was close. At home plate. What a ballgame. Man, oh man. Love the reaction by Baez. Cubs run the ball, hit the runner, catcher Hecher's shot. The ball is too high. The ball is sent to the center yard. Steal and miss. Oh no, he loses the ball. That's a headshot. Safe at home. Safe at home. That's what makes Boricua so fast and aggressive. And he's going to make it. The throw gets into center. And he's going to head to third. Thomas showing one. It is a suicide squeeze to throw to third. And Baez scores! Baez scores. first game tied at two. We've got Stewart to throw to third and then at that point it was all over. Javier drives one in the air deep right center field back goes Montree still going still going still going that balls off the wall and bouncing away Javier might round the bases. Hayward has scored by his rounding third. He's trying for an inside the Parker the throw to the plate. He slides. He's safe inside the park home run Javier Baez Cubs lead two to nothing. Why was that fun to watch. They are fired up diving back to apply the tag but Harvey sneaking in the back door.