Things got weird in the Marlins' 17-inning win against the Cubs
It took only one day in the Major League season to get us to #WeirdBaseball -- that magical time when a ballgame goes past midnight local time and everyone can eat ice cream (You can thank then-writer and podcaster and current Astros director of pro scouting Kevin Goldstein for that one).
When the Marlins started their 2-1 victory over the Cubs, it was Friday ... but when it was all over 17 innings later, it was Saturday. So let's break down this extra-inning madness.
The defense
Wondering why no one could score after the two clubs traded runs in the third? Look no further than the excellent defense. After
And in the 17th, when everyone's legs were probably exhausted,
Relief ace
But they were outdone by the relievers that helped push this game deep into the night.
Unfortunately for Butler, that lone run was charged to him in the 17th, so he took the loss, even if after pitching was the longest relief appearance by a Cubs pitcher since 1989.
Eddie Butler (7.0 IP): longest #Cubs relief appearance since Scott Sanderson (8.0 IP) on 8/6/1989
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) March 31, 2018
Full dream logic
Of course, the fullest sign that we had reached the peak of midnight madness were the oddities on display. Derek Jeter became the latest former Yankees infielder to be captured eating popcorn:
And Billy the Marlin appeared in pajamas. This is what happens when you fall asleep after eating chili too close to bedtime:
The wiggle
While this game was going on,
The celebration
When
You can almost hear
#Walkoff hugs are the best kind of hugs.#JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/SZmxPUxJ38
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) March 31, 2018