CHICAGO – Nico Hoerner was already yelling as he hustled around third base with a clear view of his teammates in the Cubs’ dugout on Tuesday night. He had one final sprint to go and finished it off with a head-first slide across the plate to set off the party at Wrigley Field.
The old ballpark shook as the fans reveled in the second walk-off of the year – one delivered by veteran Justin Turner. He was signed by Chicago for these types of moments, but this two-run double to complete a furious comeback and seal a 5-4 win over the Marlins brought relief after his tough start to the season.
“I’m happy for him. It’s a big moment,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s done it so many times. It’s not fun watching a great player struggle, but he got a moment and he did it.”
Turner did his part to downplay any added importance to the game’s final play.
“I just found some grass,” said the veteran. “And Nico’s really fast.”
It is never that simple.
The idea coming into the season was to utilize the 40-year-old Turner as a designated hitter, part-time corner infielder and pinch-hitter due to his extensive big league experience. Coming into the night, he was batting .155 with no extra-base hits, a 26 OPS+ and a .427 OPS in 70 plate appearances this season.
Over the course of 17 years in the big leagues, Turner has been an All-Star, garnered MVP votes, won a World Series and established himself as a clutch performer in high-leverage moments. He also gained a reputation as a great teammate and leader behind the scenes, which has held true with the Cubs even amid his personal struggles at the plate.
“I was even talking to my wife [about it] this morning,” said Cubs starter Ben Brown, who worked 5 1/3 solid innings in the win. “J.T. is probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever had in my life. We’re so thankful for him.”
Brown mentioned the one-on-one conversations he has had with Turner about a daily routine and offering insight into how some of the best pitchers in baseball operate.
“I’m just super, super grateful that he’s even had time for me,” Brown said. “He’s done that with every single guy on the team. His value is crazy for us.”
Hoerner added that Turner’s “gratitude for playing the game” is evident, and he has a way of spreading that feeling to the players around him.
“He’s been incredible,” Hoerner said. “He knows how to create good energy for other people. He gets on the mic in the bus. It seems like he’s got a great pulse for the team and what the group needs to win, but also just have fun on a day to day basis.”
And then there is what Turner can provide with a game on the line.
“There’s no one else I’d rather have up in that situation than him,” Hoerner said.
Facing Marlins late-inning reliever Jesus Tinoco in the ninth, Carson Kelly led off with a sharp grounder that Miami shortstop Xavier Edwards could not corral cleanly. Following that single, Dansby Swanson drew a walk. Rookie Moises Ballesteros, in his MLB debut, then legged out a fielder’s choice grounder to put runners on the corners with one out.
The Cubs were trailing, 4-2, but the remnants of comebacks already mounted this season lingered in the air.
“You have this feeling that you can do it,” Counsell said. “The baserunner in the ninth feels like, ‘All right, here we go.’ And that’s a small feeling, it’s a subtle feeling, but I think the fans feel it.”
Hoerner then roped a pitch from Tinoco into center field, scoring Kelly and sending pinch-runner Vidal Bruján to third base. That set the stage for Turner, who came off the bench earlier in the game and drew a walk in his previous plate appearance.
“I’ve felt close for a while now,” Turner said. “I just haven’t really clicked.”
That changed when he pulled a slider from Tinoco into the left-field corner.
Bruján trotted to the plate, waving his arm to let Hoerner know there was an opening to score from first. Hoerner began howling as he felt the win approaching. And when Turner reached second base, he pumped his arms skyward and welcomed the mob of teammates that swarmed him.
“If you take anything for granted, this game will punish you,” Turner said. “I’ve been going through it. I’m not going to make any excuses – I've got to be better. But at the same time, you've got to show up and put in the work every day. I finally got a good result.”