CHICAGO — When asked about the identity of the Pirates in 2018 on Thursday morning, Clint Hurdle described a roster where players hold each other accountable and several veterans fill different leadership roles. Then, unprovoked, Hurdle voiced displeasure with the actions of Cubs second baseman Javier Baez and catcher Willson Contreras the night before.
Baez, who had hit three home runs the first two games of the series, flipped his bat in the air in the seventh inning when he hit a pop fly to Jordy Mercer at shortstop, and Contreras argued a called third strike in the sixth inning. Baez hit a solo home run in the eighth to cap the Cubs' 13-5 victory over the Pirates at Wrigley Field.
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