Anthony Rizzo faced Trevor Richards three times and came in clearly looking for the changeup. Richards fed him a steady mix of pitches, but started each at-bat challenging with fastballs. In the first plate appearance, Rizzo watched two fastballs go by and struck out without offering at one. Not happy, he walked away knowing he’d let one go. In his second at-bat, he showed signs of adjusting but still struck out, swinging through a changeup after again seeing fastballs early.
By the third at-bat, Rizzo had seen enough. Richards went back to the changeup, and this time Rizzo didn’t miss. He dropped to a knee, connected, and crushed it to center for a go-ahead two-run homer. It was the exact pitch he’d been tracking all game. The previous strikeouts helped him lock in on what he wanted. Side-by-side replays made it clear: the pitch he missed earlier was nearly identical to the one he hit out. The difference was timing and recognition. Rizzo got his pitch and capitalized.