Geting up close with the ivy
CHICAGO — Kevin Pillar certainly got full value for his Wrigley Field experience this weekend.
In his first career visit to the baseball shrine on Chicago’s North Side, Pillar had six hits and a face full of ivy on one of his trademark circus catches Sunday afternoon.
And he almost had the game-winning RBI with a clutch single in the top of the 10th before the closer cave-in from teammate Roberto Osuna.
“You’ve just got all the faith in the world in the guy on the mound and everyone that’s on the field,” Pillar said of the stunning collapse. “It’s no easy task for our catcher (Raffy Lopez) to be in that situation. He doesn’t have a whole lot of experience catching Osuna, a guy that’s got some of the best stuff in the league.
“To be at this venue in that situation with our closer throwing his nasty stuff it’s a tough thing for him. It’s unfortunate but he’s going to be better off for it.”
After three days roaming centre field, Pillar certainly seemed comfortable with the Friendly Confines, as he made what at the time seemed a potentially gamesaving catch in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Kris Bryant rocked one to deep centre, forcing Pillar to get a face full of ivy and a shoulder full of brick.
“I think it’s just something that I’ve learned over time by playing other sports, just how to brace for contact,” Pillar said. “That’s just something you learn playing other sports. When you know you’re about to hit something that’s not going to move, you know how to just let your body go and absorb the blow as opposed to trying to tense up and take all of the impact on your shoulder.
“You just make the play and whatever happens after that happens.”