Watch: Heyward involved in anti-Bartman play
Call it the anti-Bartman.
In a play that could be considered the complete opposite of the infamous Steve Bartman incident, Jason Heyward chased down Trevor Bauer's pop fly during the third inning of Sunday's Game 5 at Wrigley and scaled the wall in foul territory for a very impressive catch.
As is the case with most fly balls in foul territory at Wrigley during the postseason, the play was quickly compared to Bartman's ill-advised interference in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS.
Here are some reasons why the two plays couldn't be any different:
| 2003 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Field | Left | Right |
| Score | 3-0 Cubs | 1-0 Indians |
| Foul ball | Stands | Field |
| Fan action | Attempted catch | Pulled hands away |
| Result | No catch | Catch |
| What's next | Cubs allow 8 runs | Cubs score 3 runs |
Unlike the Cubs' epic collapse 13 years ago, when they blew their lead and eventually lost the series in seven games, Chicago rallied around Heyward's catch by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead in the potential elimination game.