NEWSLETTER
Last night, the flags at Wrigley Field were pieces of plastic, glued to the back sides of their respect poles, pointing intractably out past center field.
That’s how it looked, at least, with the breeze so consistently firm and strong that the flags stayed up like that for almost all of the game. Unlike the few other times the wind has been doing that this year at Wrigley, the Cubs took advantage last night, blasting four homers.
Watch Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ, Addison Russell, and Anthony Rizzo go deep:
Home run happy. #VoteCubs https://t.co/k5PitXIzXc pic.twitter.com/ff75qmtmQq
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 17, 2017
Of the blasts, Schwarber’s was the deepest, at a whopping 462 feet, good for the longest of his career, and the longest by a Cub this season. His 107 mph exit velocity was matched by Rizzo’s, which was more of a line drive, and travelled “only” 407 feet.
Happ’s was the shortest, at 383 feet, and also the softest, at a 93 mph exit velocity. But he get a nice among of elevation – 69 feet – and that was enough to let the Wrigley wind and short power alley do their thing. Sure enough, according to ESPN’s Home Run Tracker, Wrigley Field is the only ballpark that ball would have left.
Russell’s homer was his first in nearly a month, and although it just barely got it, it wasn’t a cheapy, at 100 mph and 406 feet.
All four shots were solo, by the way, a frequent discussion point of ours on Twitter. A helpful BN’er researched the precise number:
@BleacherNation 19 of last 23…. pic.twitter.com/u7H5JpyGed
— Drew O'Neill (@drewoneill2) May 17, 2017
Given that the Cubs haven’t been getting on base at an egregiously low rate (their .326 OBP is middle-of-the-road in the NL right now), it’s just crazy to have so many solo homers. It’s just bad luck sequencing, and given that homers have a disproportionate impact on scoring, the Cubs’ offense is going to suddenly look explosive when this naturally regresses.
Here’s hoping they start that process tonight – but, hey, either way, if they keep the homer party rolling, I’m happy. For what it’s worth, the Cubs face old friend Scott Feldman tonight, and he hasn’t been especially homer prone or homer stingy.
