Wednesday night was not a good night for the Chicago Cubs. The Atlanta Braves rocked Kyle Hendricks for seven runs and three homers in 3 2/3 innings — Hendricks has already allowed as many home runs this season as all last season (10) — and the bullpen didn’t fare much better. Chicago has lost five straight games (ATL 10, CHC 0).
Reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman contributed to the onslaught with a two-run double in the second inning. He also hit a home run later in the game, and had four hits in his first four at-bats. The Cubs waved the white flag in the seventh inning and put first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the mound. Naturally, Rizzo struck Freeman out.
Here’s the video. Freeman was a good sport about it.
“Rizz said he wanted Freeman,” Cubs manager David Ross jokingly told reporters, including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, after the game.
So, just to recap, Freeman went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run against actual Cubs pitchers Wednesday, then struck out again Rizzo. Baseball. You can’t predict it.
“That’s one strikeout I’m okay with,” Freeman told reporters, including From The Diamond’s Grant McAuley, following the game. “That’s what baseball is, that’s what sports is, it’s to put smiles on people’s faces. I was on the wrong side of it tonight, but I’m okay with it. I’m sure a lot of people got some good smiles and laughs, cause that’s what sports is about”
Rizzo, by the way, is still sporting a career 0.00 ERA. Wednesday was his second career pitching appearance. He retired the only batter he faced in a 2018 mop-up appearance, then retired two of the three batters he faced Wednesday. Maybe he should audition for a rotation spot?
