Baez adds crafty double play to highlight reel

CHICAGO — Hours before Kyle Hendricks delivered the first pitch in the Cubs’ eventual 1-0 loss in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at Wrigley Field, manager Joe Maddon turned to analogies when asked to describe the remarkable instincts that have been on display by 23-year-old infielder Javier Baez this postseason.

It’s akin to Magic Johnson on a basketball court, Maddon explained, or a great running back who sees a play develop before anyone else around him.

Game Date Time Matchup TV/Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 15   CHC 8, LAD 4 Gm 2 Oct. 16   LAD 1, CHC 0 Gm 3 Oct. 18 8 p.m. CHC @ LAD FS1 Gm 4 Oct. 19 8 p.m. CHC @ LAD FS1 Gm 5 Oct. 20 8 p.m. CHC @ LAD FS1 *Gm 6 Oct. 22 TBD LAD @ CHC FS1 *Gm 7 Oct. 23 TBD LAD @ CHC FS1 * If necessary | All times listed ET  • NLCS coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Dodgers

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“They just have this vision,” Maddon marveled. “They see things. He sees things. It’s so hard to teach how quickly his mind works.”

On Sunday night, everyone watched it work in 2.62 seconds, the time Baez had to determine whether to snare a ball on the fly or to let it bounce. And in listening to the second baseman dissect the play, that’s all the time he needed to read the situation, glance at a pair of runners and make the decision he thought offered the optimal outcome.

“That’s just the way he …

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