Kyle Schwarber's brutal errors in left field cost Cubs

Kevin Kaduk

CHICAGO — In an era before the Chicago Cubs won last year’s World Series, Kyle Schwarber’s sixth-inning error would have been labeled as a case of the billy goat rearing its cursed head.

In 2017, it’s just labeled as an awful defensive play that comes with the territory of putting Schwarber’s massive bat — but subpar glove — into a National League lineup.

Warning: This play should not be viewed by children.

Schwarber badly misplayed a fly ball from Daniel Murphy in the top of the sixth inning in Monday’s Game 3 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. How bad? Schwarber was not only credited with one error but two as he let the ball bounce off his glove near the wall, then kicked it toward the warning track.

Kyle Schwarber makes an error in Game 3 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Kyle Schwarber makes an error in Game 3 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Schwarber’s two errors allowed Murphy to reach third, which prompted Cubs manager Joe Maddon to pull starter Jose Quintana from the game. Ryan Zimmerman then promptly doubled off reliever Pedro Strop, giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead in a tightly-pitched duel between Quintana and Max Scherzer.

Scherzer did not allow a hit until the seventh inning.

Ultimately, Schwarber would be taken off the hook. The Cubs battled back, tying the game in the seventh before taking the lead in the eighth. They went on to win 2-1. With the win, the team took a 2-1 lead in the series.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!