PITTSBURGH — The Cubs’ defense is so good, replete with Gold Glovers making highlight-reel plays, that you almost have to expect this kind of thing by now, right?
‘‘I don’t expect it,’’ veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd said, not wanting to anger the baseball gods, ‘‘but it’s amazing.’’
Boyd’s on-field reaction said a lot more. He screamed with excitement after left fielder Ian Happ delivered an on-the-money throw to nail the would-be go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh inning of the Cubs’ 3-2, 10-inning victory Friday against the Pirates.
And it wasn’t even the only game-saver. Four innings earlier, second baseman Nico Hoerner kept the score tied by making a spectacular stop on a ball ticketed for the outfield. He then immediately threw to third to nab the runner, who had rounded the base too far, ending a scoring chance.
‘‘Both plays were the difference in the game,’’ manager Craig Counsell said. ‘‘That’s something we have the ability to do, and it showed up in the biggest moments tonight.’’
Yes, such plays are commonplace for these Cubs, who statistically have the best defensive squad in the majors.
But their importance can’t be overstated, especially with the Cubs trying to chase down the National League Central-leading Brewers. They gained a game Friday and sit six games back as the regular season comes down to its final couple of months.
‘‘I haven’t played in front of a defense this good ever,’’ Boyd said. ‘‘It’s really special when you see the guys flying around and doing stuff like that.
‘‘We’re at that point. We know what’s ahead of us, and our best baseball is ahead of us. We’re excited about the task that’s in front of us. Every game matters. . . . Wins count the same in April as they do right now, but it’s really exciting to see the opportunity that we have in front of us.’’
The Cubs were built on a foundation of great defense — see the team Gold Glove they won last season — and it’s the sort of thing that can make the difference, not just in a game in late July but also deep into October.
‘‘That was just a great example of what we’re capable of on the defensive side of the ball,’’ Happ said. ‘‘There’s a couple of really big plays that saved runs there, but [it’s also] the consistency of the boring plays. . . . [The infielders are] constantly making the routine plays look easy. And they’re not.
‘‘Just doing that over and over and giving our pitchers the confidence to go and throw strikes and that we’re going to take care of the balls in play? It was a good day.’’