Rizzo drops to a knee and takes Richards deep, a breakdown (CORRECTIONS IN INFO)
What Happened
Anthony Rizzo steps to the plate in the late innings, with his Chicago Cubs trailing the Miami Marlins 4-2. In his previous two at-bats, the veteran first baseman has struck out twice against Marlins pitcher Trevor Richards. Rizzo appears frustrated, shaking his head after each strikeout. As Richards winds up again, Rizzo is ready. He watches a fastball go by for strike one, then fouls off another heater. On the next pitch, Rizzo recognizes Richards' lethal changeup and lays off, evening the count at 1-1. Richards tries to sneak another fastball past Rizzo, but the Cubs slugger is dialed in. He takes a mighty swing and crushes the offering, dropping to one knee as he watches the ball sail over the center field wall. Rizzo's go-ahead, two-run homer puts the Cubs in front 5-4. As he rounds the bases, the 32-year-old can't hide his excitement, flashing a wide grin. In the Cubs' dugout, Rizzo's teammates leap to their feet, applauding the game-changing blast. "I think he was hunting that changeup all game," says the television announcer. "The two strikeouts set this up perfectly." Indeed, Rizzo's patience and adjustments paid off, as he waited for the right pitch to drive. "That's the one I wanted," Rizzo says afterward, still beaming. "I got exactly what I was looking for." The late-inning heroics cap a hard-fought contest between the NL Central rivals. The Cubs entered the series trailing the first-place Brewers, so this victory keeps them within striking distance in the division race. For Rizzo, it's a signature moment in a stellar career, showcasing his renowned plate discipline and clutch hitting ability. As the Cubs celebrate on the field, the cameras capture the team's excitement, including a shot of Rizzo pointing out an attractive fan in the stands. It's a lighthearted coda to a dramatic, momentum-swinging home run that could prove pivotal in the Cubs' playoff push.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentRizzo had three at-bats where's Trevor
Richards Rizzo VORs Richards three
at-bats today and to me it looks like
Rizzo went up hunting off speed Richards
has a really nice changeup takes the
breaking ball strike one
spikes that one next pitch fastball
right down the middle takes it now he's
got two strikes on them fastball gets
the call again Rizzo did an offer at any
fast balls get struck out not happy
about it like damn it
okay all right I see it next that bat
opens him up fastball again he still
doesn't look like he's wants to swing
that fastball gets the change swings and
misses puts it in his memory breaks his
damn that's what I want it that's the
one I want it comes back in 1 & 2 now
back to the fastball another fastball
he's protecting strikes out lets out a
nice [ __ ] Oh four to two strikeouts his
next at-bat what happens he gets the
change-up drops down to an e smokes it
to centerfield for the go-ahead 2-run
home run should have stuck to the
fastball as they're clapping show the
most attractive girl and ken the
cameraman good job he points out yes you
are pretty okay here we go gonna score
looked like he was hunting that changeup
all game the two strikeouts set this up
here it is yep his eyes lit up drop to a
knee smile because he got exactly what
he wanted coming up let's see I put
together a side-by-side Bryant got on
base before him walked before him
they're excited I think he says some
here about you know dropping down
curveball changeup I don't know what it
was I think it's a changeup he's got a
Richards a changeup picture here's the
side-by-side this is the one he swung
and missed through and then the one he
had a home run pretty similar I would
say Rizzo went into this game hunting
this pitch and he got it in his third
at-bat