Ben Zobrist got some good karma for his selfless move on Sunday.
Zobrist had a day off on Saturday and was set to start for the Chicago Cubs in their Sunday game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But David Bote had homered twice on Saturday, and some Cubs players apparently thought he should remain in the lineup the following day. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Zobrist gave approval for Bote to be in the lineup rather than him, and all worked out well.
Though Bote did not reprise his 2-homer performance from a day earlier, Zobrist turned out to be the hero. He entered the game as a substitute and delivered. Zobrist went 2-for-2 with a walk, including a 2-run double in the 15th inning to make it a 5-3 game, providing the first runs of the contest since the sixth.
After a slow start to the season, the Cubs are now 14-12 and have returned to two games over .500 for only the second time all season. Sometimes a little selflessness is all it takes to bring out the best in a team.
