Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman was the hero on Thursday night as he delivered a walk-off double in a 5-4 comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals. If you ask Tauchman, however, the walk-off might have been pre-ordained.
Tauchman’s RBI double capped a three-run ninth against Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. It was also his second walk-off of the season, as he delivered a walk-off home run against the Chicago White Sox on June 5. Beyond both hits being walk-offs delivered by the same player, there is apparently another coincidence: Tauchman’s wife had an appointment with her OBGYN on both days.
“Shoutout women’s health care.”
Mike Tauchman has hit a walk-off both times his wife has had an OBGYN appointment. pic.twitter.com/lmxnMeGmfS
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 2, 2024
“My wife had an OBGYN appointment this morning, and she told me that the last walk-off was also when we had an appointment that morning, so I’m going to start taking her to the doctor,” Tauchman told reporters. “We’re going to get a lot of appointments in. Shoutout women’s health care.
“She made sure that was the first message I had from her, so I wanted to put that out there. She OK’d me sharing it, too.”
Baseball players are a superstitious bunch, and if something works once, they’ll probably keep trying it. This one would be a lot more difficult to pull off than some other superstitions, though.
The Cubs certainly needed the win. It marked their third in a row, and while their playoff odds are low, they aren’t completely out of it. Tauchman might have to save the appointments for big occasions, but at least he knows what the secret is now.
