Addison Russell’s Winner, Anthony Rizzo’s Castro Tribute, and Other Bullets

wrigley crowd win flagWhile Brett’s still basking in the glow of last night’s come from behind win, I’m here to deliver the Bullets for the very first time!

And, in my opening thoughts, I was prepared to lead with some version of “What a game, that was!” but I don’t think that does it justice.

Not only were the Cubs losing late into the evening, they were being no-hit by a 22-year-old lefty who posted a 4.80 FIP in 2015. But, after some late game heroics and timely hitting from Jason Heyward and Addison Russell, the Cubs pulled one out of nowhere and improved to 6-1 on the year.

And that’s just type of year it’s been so far, hasn’t it? Already, the Cubs have gotten off to a great start while scoring a ton of runs, lost a key player for the season, almost got no-hit, and came from behind for a win in dramatic fashion. Maybe the fun in 2016 won’t match last year, but the insanity is well on its way.[adinserter block=”1″]

  • And Addison Russell’s big hit was just the beginning. After the game the Cubs celebrated in their big, brand new clubhouse party room. Indeed, there is an actual room inside the Cubs clubhouse with a disco ball, fog machine and “who knows what else” for post win celebrations. Last night, I suspect, it was put to good use. “I try to stay out of that,” Maddon said, smiling, via ESPN Chicago. “It [the party room] was heating up … which is a good thing.” You can read more comments about the post game celebration here.
  • And, on the at-bat and game itself, Russell shared some interesting, poignant thoughts with Jesse Rogers. “If you take your walks it’s going to help you out in the long run …. You’re going to see more pitches.” Which is certainly true. Consider that, despite being no-hit, the Cubs drew 5 walks and pushed the opposing Reds starter out the game after 6.2 IP (111 pitches). Had he thrown fewer pitches, he may have remained in the game a while longer and continued to dominate (even without a no-hitter). But, instead, he lost his command rather seriously, was up over 110 pitches and was taken out. The, Cubs, then, were able to take advantage of the Reds bullpen and put up 5(!) runs in under two innings. Relentless is this team’s motto.
  • (For what it’s worth, Russell said he knew it was gone right away, and despite not normally pimping home runs, was excited because of the situation. I say, enjoy it, young man, you earned that pimping.)[adinserter block=”2″]
  • What may be brushed over because of just how much happened yesterday was Anthony Rizzo’s tribute to former teammate Starlin Castro. In his first at bat, Rizzo surprised those at Wrigley (including his teammates) when he approached the plate with “Ando En La Versace” the clap-along walk up music used by Starlin Castro. Rizzo said that the plan was to do it just the one time – to recognize all that Castro did for both him and the Cubs – but that he may reevaluate given the extraordinary response. If Castro was okay with it, I wouldn’t mind hearing it once a game.
  • At CSN Chicago, Tony Andracki spoke with Theo Epstein on the “grieving” process that occurred alongside the news that Kyle Schwarber would be out for the season. The team, obviously, was bummed. They were bummed for the season, bummed for themselves, but, most importantly, bummed for Schwarber, who will miss out on what still projects to be quite an exciting season. For his part, Schwarber plans to be around as much as he possibly can, and I, for one, hope he’s able to join the team a lot. It’s hard to describe how one guy with less than 300 MLB PAs can be so important to a team (both on the field and in spirit), but Kyle Schwarber has somehow managed to become that guy.
  • At CSN Chicago, Patrick Mooney discusses the less obvious, but equally important aspects of Jason Heyward’s game (contact, defense, base running, etc.), and how it has already made a huge impact on the team, as well as the actual results on the field. Just off the top of my head, I can remember two runs scored by Heyward that were directly related to his own heads up base running on the play before. Additionally, his ability to put the bat on the ball became apparent last night when he scored two with a two-out, two-strike single. That hit put the Cubs on the board and brought them back into the game. Heyward is just such a perfect fit for this team in so many ways.
  • At the Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon and Jake Arrieta discuss the tremendous depth of the Cubs, with special recognition of Jorge Soler and Tommy La Stella. In the wake of the Schwarber news, those two (in addition to someone like Javier Baez) will be expected to step up and take on a bigger role than they were otherwise expecting.[adinserter block=”3″]
  • Speaking of Javier Baez, in the first game of his rehab assignment in AAA Iowa yesterday, Baez, playing third base, went 1-3 with a home run, and was, by all accounts, working deep in each of his three at-bats. The good news is that if Baez has a few good games in Iowa and looks healthy/ready, he might be back by the weekend. (Just no head first slides, please).
  • And also some bad news from Iowa: Cubs top pitching prospect Pierce Johnson was struck in the arm by a ball hit back to the mound and is awaiting results from an X-ray today. With some luck, the injury could be nothing more than a bruise and perhaps a missed start or two, but something more serious is always possible. After an injury cost Johnson the first half of 2015, a quick recovery is something we’re all pulling for.
  • An incredible in-crowd video of Addison Russell’s homer thanks to Brian and Ryan:
  • Lastly, before yesterday’s game, Brett and I took a walk around Wrigley, while discussing a variety of Cubs related topics. As we dip our toes into video more and more, we’ll be trying out a number of new, fun ways to deliver this content. Unfortunately, for this one, we made a rookie mistake by taking the video in portrait mode (instead of landscape). Still, the walk was great, the talk was fun and we still really enjoyed this one. So, check it out:
  • written by

    Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Braves vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Atlanta Braves start their season as road favorites (-125) in a matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSSO from Citizens Bank Park.Spencer Strider will get the ball for Atlanta while Philadelphia will...

    Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

    Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

    Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Milwaukee Brewers open their season as -110 favorites in a road matchup with the New York Mets on Friday at 1:40 PM ET, live on SNY.Freddy Peralta gets the starting nod for Milwaukee while Jose Quintana is New York's...

    Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) host the Atlanta Braves (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.The Braves will call on Spencer Strider against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs. Phillies Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

    Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

    Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) and the New York Mets (0-0) face off on Friday at Citi Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 1:40 PM ET.The Brewers will look to Freddy Peralta versus the Mets and Jose Quintana.Brewers vs....

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

    Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

    more cubs news