Happ channels El Mago on slick double steal

CHICAGO -- Cubs fans have grown accustomed to seeing wizardry on the basepaths in recent years, but a lot of tricks were packed up and brought to New York when Javier Báez was traded to the Mets.

Ian Happ found his inner El Mago on Wednesday night.

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To cap off a five-run outburst in the second inning, Happ bolted for second base with Rafael Ortega standing on third. As Happ neared the bag and Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers received the throw from catcher Elias Díaz, the Cubs outfielder stopped in his tracks.

With Happ out of reach, Rodgers took a few steps forward and turned his attention to Ortega, who hustled home on the play as soon as the ball left Díaz's hand. That move by Rodgers gave Happ a lane and he quickly ran and dove safely into second, avoiding the tag attempt.

In the Cubs' dugout, a smiling Willson Contreras jumped up and down with delight with both arms raised high.

Colorado starter Germán Márquez followed with a strikeout of Patrick Wisdom to end the inning, but Happ and Ortega's double steal pushed the Cubs to a 5-2 lead in the seven-inning nightcap of a split doubleheader.

Ortega became the first Cubs player to steal home as part of a double steal since Billy Hamilton did so on Sept. 27 last year against the White Sox. Prior to that, Alfonso Soriano was the previous Cub to swipe home (as part of a double theft), on Aug. 22, 2008, vs. Washington.

Naturally, the last Cubs player to pull off a straight steal of home was Javier Báez, who did so against the Tigers on July 4, 2018. Báez actually achieved that feat twice in '18. He also had a straight steal of home on June 3 that season against the Mets.

Jordan Bastian covers the Cubs for MLB.com. He previously covered the Indians from 2011-18 and the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, Major League Bastian and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian.