CHICAGO — Matthew Boyd gave a small pump of his fist and a quick pound of his glove as he started walking off the field in the fifth inning.
Dansby Swanson had just caught a one-out, bases-loaded line drive up the middle and dove to tag the runner sliding back into second. The initial call was safe, but Swanson immediately signaled to the dugout to challenge it. Cubs manager Craig Counsell asked to go to replay and the call was overturned, stranding the Royals’ baserunners.
Perhaps the need for a review took some of the wind out of the celebration in that instance. Maybe that’s why Boyd had a more reserved reaction when the double play became official. Nonetheless, in arguably the biggest moment of Chicago’s 6-0 win over Kansas City at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, Boyd was clearly excited to escape the only jam he faced all night.
Coming off his first All-Star nod in his 11th season, the 34-year-old Boyd seemed to pick up right where he left off to begin the second half, retiring the first 11 hitters he faced on just 45 pitches. He walked the Royals’ 12th hitter to allow his first baserunner, but he only needed one more pitch to get out of the fourth unscathed.
Boyd pitched to a stellar 2.34 ERA before the All-Star break and has been a model of consistency for the Cubs this season. However, he constantly praises the people around him as big contributors to his success.
It’s a good thing that group includes Swanson, whose heads-up double play helped Boyd keep Kansas City off the board in the fifth. Boyd rolled on for the rest of his night, completing seven scoreless innings to pick up his 11th win of the year — fittingly finishing with a more demonstrative fist pump as he jumped off the mound.
