CHICAGO -- Cubs starter Matthew Boyd watched plenty of video of Joshua Báez before the Cardinals rookie stepped into the batter’s box at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. Boyd studied his strengths and weak spots, coming up with a game plan for facing the highly touted slugger.
Boyd will now be studying up on what just happened.
“He just, he got the better of me,” Boyd said.
On Saturday afternoon, Báez put on a power display for the ages in an 8-4 loss for the Cubs. Boyd was on the wrong end of all three home runs launched by the Cardinals prospect, who became the first player in Major League history to belt three shots in a big league debut.
Boyd knew what he was up against going into the game.
The 23-year-old Báez is highly ranked (No. 59 on Pipeline’s Top 100 list) and has been enjoying a standout season for Triple-A Memphis. The right-handed-hitting outfielder had 34 homers, 90 RBIs and a .573 slugging percentage in 103 games at that level this year before being called up to the Cardinals.
“He’s a good player,” Boyd said. “There’s a reason why he’s called up. I know he had some recognition coming up, too, in terms of his status and whatnot. And he’s had a great year and hit a lot of home runs in Triple-A. I mean, he’s talented. He’s a good hitter.
“My mentality, you don’t attack anybody any differently.”
Boyd had been on a tremendous run of late for the Cubs, too. Over his previous nine turns for Chicago’s rotation, the veteran left-hander turned in a 2.43 ERA across 55 2/3 innings. Boyd had allowed three homers total within 112 batters faced in his previous four outings combined. Limiting damage is one of the lefty’s specialties.
In the first inning, though, Boyd ran into trouble out of the chute, issuing a walk to JJ Wetherholt to lead things off after a nine-pitch battle. That created a trickle-down effect on the rest of the frame, leading to a one-on, two-out situation when Báez walked to the plate for the first time as a big leaguer.
“Wetherholt, I think, worked a really good at-bat against him,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “In the first inning, you walk a guy -- a nine- or 10-pitch at-bat -- it puts you behind the eight-ball immediately as a starting pitcher, in my eyes.”
In their first meeting, Boyd fired a fastball to Báez that was elevated, but still found the outer part of the strike zone. With a large contingent of family and friends making plenty of noise in Wrigley Field’s stands, the Cardinals rookie seized the moment. He launched the pitch a Statcast-projected 449 feet to center, where it fell into a group of fans standing beyond the bleachers for a two-run blast.
“Missed with the first heater,” Boyd said. “And he was ready for it.”
In the fourth inning, Boyd and Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya stashed his fastball away, opting to attack Báez with an array of other offerings. A first-pitch changeup was fouled off and a curveball was taken for a strike, putting the rookie in an 0-2 hole. Báez then watched a changeup, slider and curve miss to run the count full.
Boyd went back to his changeup, sending it to the bottom of the zone. This time, Báez pulled it over the left-field line for a solo shot.
“It probably could’ve been a little more away,” Boyd said. “He put a good swing on it.”
Boyd stuck with his breaking balls against Báez in their third meeting in the sixth inning. Once again, the lefty had gotten into a bit of a jam with a leadoff walk -- this time to Alec Burleson. After missing with a curveball, Boyd fired a slider to the outer edge of the zone. Báez went with the pitch, launching it the opposite way for a two-run shot into the right-field bleachers.
“Hats off to him,” Boyd said. “That was the difference in the game. That was five runs from those three at-bats.”
Boyd will spend the next few days going over this outing, but the lefty also knows this is one of those games where two things can be true: He could not solve Báez, but he pitched well against the rest of the St. Louis lineup, holding everyone else to a 2-for-17 showing.
So, when it comes to Báez, Boyd now has some more homework to do.
“I’ve got something to learn,” Boyd said. “Lord willing, we’ll be competing against him again at another point.”