Rocky Mountain Heat: Cubs beat Rockies 10-1 to avoid sweep in bruise-filled series

Seven players total were hit by pitches in the three games, four on Wednesday. Kris Bryant got the day off after getting hit twice Tuesday.

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Chicago Cubs v Colorado Rockies

Javy Baez after rounding the bases on his statement home run Wednesday four pitches after teammate Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

DENVER — If the Cubs play the Rockies again this season, it will be in October, with the stakes significantly raised.

In their final meeting of the regular season Wednesday, the teams settled for raising the temperatures with a series of hit batters, bench warnings and one well-timed, expertly pimped home run by Javy Baez.

On a day when four players were hit by pitches — at least two with apparent purpose — the Cubs’ 10-1 victory provided an emotional boost as they head to Los Angeles for a four-game series against the Dodgers, the top team in the National League.

“I thought we had good energy before the game, and that’s what it takes,” said Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who was hit by a pitch by Phillip Diehl in the eighth, drawing bench warnings.

Four pitches later, Baez drove a 460-foot homer to left field, then paused to stare down Diehl before slowly making his way around the bases for a 10-0 lead.

“I would say he watched that one a little extra there, which is nice,” Rizzo said. “As a team, the whole team, [when] you think something is intentional and you get them back like that, it feels a little better.”

Baez apparently didn’t want to talk about it after the game, making himself scarce when reporters arrived.

But his performance and intent on the field spoke volumes during the game — including in the bottom of the ninth, when, with one out and a runner at third, he fielded a routine grounder and actually looked to the plate before throwing to first for the out.

Catcher Victor Caratini, who surmised Baez was trying to preserve the shutout — “or try to scare us” — was prepared for a throw. 

“Because I know Javy,” he said.

Talk about sending a message.

As it was, tempers stayed cool enough to avoid any bench-clearing incidents, even after the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado jawed at starter Cole Hamels and the Cubs’ bench when Hamels hit him on the forearm in the third.

“People yell at me all the time, good and bad,” said Hamels, who wound up getting hit on the ankle in the seventh — an apparent mistake by Bryan Shaw — and was limping slightly after the game. Hamels (6-2) pitched a seventh scoreless inning after getting hit. He said the ankle was sore but didn’t think it would affect his ability to make his next scheduled start.

Players were hit by pitches seven times overall during the three-game series, which the Rockies won 2-1. Cubs manager Joe Maddon and players alluded to the need to pitch inside at Coors Field, but there was enough perceived intent on enough pitches that long memories could be in play if these teams meet again in October.

With Cubs star Kris Bryant getting an unexpected day off after he was hit three times in a week by the Rockies — twice on Tuesday — Arenado said, “I kind of had a feeling it was going to happen.”

Rockies pitcher German Marquez hit two Cubs in a loss at Wrigley Field last week.

“I don’t have to explain what’s going on,” said Arenado, who left the game with a bruise on his forearm an inning after he was hit. “You saw the games in Chicago. You saw them here. It’s baseball.”

Maddon doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for other teams when it comes this issue or Arenado’s response on the field.

“Right now, we lead the league in getting hit by pitches, and our guys go to first base,” Maddon said.

As a longtime coach, he taught his hitters they have two options: “Go to the mound or go to first base. But don’t sit there and jabber. Either one’s fine, but you have two choices.”

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