NEWSLETTER
I’m not sure I’ve seen a crazier first at bat. Ever. Or a crazier first inning. That was all just nuts.
Tonight, new Chicago Cubs leadoff man Anthony Rizzo did something absolutely unbelievable: he homered to lead off his THIRD STRAIGHT game.
… except, after he rounded the bases, the umpires conferenced, and decided the ball was foul. Rizzo and Joe Maddon lost their minds, and Maddon was eventually tossed:
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So Maddon was ejected before the first plate appearance of the game was even complete. Rizzo had to be held back or he would have been booted, too.
On the replays, although it’s hard to tell – from a depth perspective – where the ball is and when, it looks like it may have been foul. But it was an odd way to do this one, and it really stunk to see something SO INSANE as a third straight leadoff homer taken off the board.
Rizzo ultimately walked in the plate appearance, reaching second on an Ian Happ single, and then – unfreakingbelievably – was thrown out at third base when Kyle Schwarber hit a would-be single to left thereafter. Rizzo looked safe, but the Cubs did not challenge in time (or maybe didn’t have a challenge left or didn’t think they had a challenge left after the fair/foul homer thing – it was not entirely clear).
Then after Rizzo was out, Addison Russell grounded into a force out, and then Jason Heyward walked, and then the Pirates threw a wild pitch – finally scoring the Cubs a run after all that – and then Willson Contreras hit a two-run double … and was thrown out at third base to end the inning.
So the first six batters in the inning reached base, but the inning ended. An inning that started with an overturned would-be third straight leadoff homer and a manager ejection.
Madness. Just madness.
UPDATE: And then the 9th inning was almost equally mad! And the Cubs won!
