In the 9th inning of the Diamondbacks series opener against the Cubs, with Chicago trailing by one run, Nico Hoerner came around to score all the way from 2nd base on a wild pitch that ricocheted off Gabriel Moreno.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Cubs eventually won in the 11th inning, but the consequences of the wild pitch extended beyond a single game. Moreno was subsequently scratched from Tuesday’s lineup with a right thumb contusion.
Over the past year, Moreno has distinguished himself as one of the National League’s top catchers. Since 2022, he boasts a 39.7% caught stealing rate, the highest among all catchers. This season, he has limited opponents to just two stolen bases, leading the majors.
Given his track record, Monday’s incident was particularly unexpected. Postgame, Ginkel acknowledged the rarity of the event and half-joked that he might take matters into his own hands next time, saying, “maybe next time if I see that I might go f***** ‘ run — I might go running for it and grab it.”
With Moreno out, Tucker Barnhart has stepped in as catcher. Signed this offseason, Barnhart had appeared in five games prior to the matchup with the Cubs.
Moreno is listed as day-to-day. Stay tuned for further updates.
