Chicago Cubs rookie Matt Shaw let his bat do the talking on Wednesday after he faced criticism from New York Mets broadcasters for attending Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.

Shaw was 3-for-4 with a solo home run and scored three times in Chicago’s 10-3 rout of New York. He helped put the Mets into a perilous position in the National League Wildcard standings as well. New York only holds a one-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds for the final spot with only four games remaining in the regular season.

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The third baseman didn’t appear to talk to reporters after the game. The Cubs-Mets matchup was broadcast on ESPN, which meant Gary Cohen and Todd Zeile, who work for SNY, had the night off.

Cohen called Shaw’s decision to leave the team to attend Kirk’s funeral at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday “weird.”

“I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird,” Cohen said.

Fellow Mets broadcaster Todd Zeile called Shaw’s absence “unprecedented.” 

“It’s unusual, I think it’s unprecedented at least from my experience as a player, and I think it made it a little more unusual that it was not revealed until after it came to issue because he was thought to be in the dugout and maybe available, and was not, and that’s how it was revealed,” Zeile said.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) singles against the New York Mets during the third inning at Wrigley Field on Sept. 24, 2025. (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)

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Shaw and Kirk were friends and the 31-year-old conservative influencer, who was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event earlier this month, was a Cubs fan.

Shaw explained Tuesday why he made it a point to attend the memorial despite his team’s schedule.

“My connection with Charlie was through our [Christian] faith,” Shaw said before the Cubs opened a new series with the New York Mets on Tuesday, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “And that’s something that drives me every day, the reason why I’m able to do what I do every day, and that’s something I’m extremely thankful for. 

“I know without my faith and without the many blessings I’ve been given in my life, that I wouldn’t be here, be able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships.

“That’s something I feel really, really blessed about, so whatever backlash comes is OK. I feel strong about my faith and that what was meant to be happened.”

Kyle Rittenhouse, right, is introduced to a cheering crowd by Charlie Kirk, middle, founder of Turning Point USA, as Jack Posobiec, left, host of Once America News Network, joins them on stage at a panel discussion at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin/The Associated Press)

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The Cubs clinched a spot in the postseason already and moved to 89-69 with the win.

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