What Cubs rookie Michael Busch's 'heads-up' play on a controversial call at the plate Thursday says about him

ARLINGTON, Texas — For a brief while, it looked as though a controversial play might decide the Opening Day game
between the Cubs and Rangers.

For the Rangers, it was a case of a lapse in judgment. For the Cubs, it was an early example of rookie Michael Busch’s baseball smarts.

‘‘Just heads-up baserunning, taking advantage of a little confusion on the field,’’ manager Craig Counsell said after the Cubs’ 4-3 loss Thursday. ‘‘We kind of stole the run right there.’’

Let’s back up.

The Cubs and Rangers were knotted in a 2-2 tie in the ninth inning. Busch had drawn a six-pitch walk, then advanced to second base when Nico Hoerner walked behind him.

Pinch hitter Miles Mastrobuoni stepped up to the plate with two outs. On the second pitch of the at-bat, he swung at a changeup that was diving below the strike zone.

A slow-motion replay on the broadcast showed Mastrobuoni tipped the pitch. But the change of direction was slight, and plate
umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t see it in real time. And the crowd at Globe Life Field was loud enough to drown out the sound of contact.

Fairchild called it a swinging strike as Busch raced to third. But as the ball rolled away, Rangers catcher Jonah Heim took issue with the call.

A foul ball would have sent Busch back to second, but it wasn’t a reviewable play. Heim stood up and argued with Fairchild, motioning with his glove and free hand.

‘‘I just saw a separation between the catcher and the ball, and I saw him talking to the umpire,’’ Busch said. ‘‘And I didn’t know if it was a foul ball or not or what they called it. It sounded like the umpire wasn’t doing much. So I just went for it. If it was a foul ball, I just had to go back.’’

He rounded third base and picked up speed down the line, sliding headfirst across the plate after Heim eventually scrambled after the ball and made an off-line toss to home.

‘‘That play, it just never really happens,’’ Busch said. ‘‘But you just follow the ball, and sometimes you just trust your instincts, in a sense, and just go with that.’’

At the time, Busch’s baserunning put the Cubs ahead 3-2. But Heim would get his redemption with a walk-off single in the 10th inning.

The Cubs still are getting to know Busch after trading for him during the offseason. But they saw a lot of promise in the former Dodgers prospect.

Busch, 26, was one of six Cubs who made the Opening Day roster for the first time in their careers. The former utility player is now the Cubs’ starting first baseman.

Veteran first baseman Garrett Cooper said he talked with Busch leading up to his first Opening Day start.

‘‘Trying to make light of [the situation],’’ Cooper told the Sun-Times before the game. ‘‘[I told him to] just be happy. Whatever happens, the first game doesn’t dictate the whole year. You just try to take it all on, try to take it day-by-day and pitch-by-pitch, because the first day is always jittery.’’

Busch got on base three times in four plate appearances. He drew a four-pitch walk his first time up against Ranger starter Nathan Eovaldi, then struck out in his second. Then against reliever Josh Sborz, Busch drove a line-drive single into right field for his first hit with the Cubs.

His walk in the ninth against Jose Leclerc — and his aggressive mentality on the bases thereafter — gave the Cubs a chance to win, but they fell just short in extra innings.