Cubs' Maddon gives Rizzo much-needed start off
Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave first baseman Anthony Rizzo a much-needed start off Friday. That, coupled with right fielder Jason Heyward also not starting, gave the Cubs an interesting look defensively for the series opener against the Phillies at Wrigley Field.
Kris Bryant moved to first base in place of Rizzo. Javier Baez started at third base, and Matt Szczur played right field.
Rizzo was 3-for-35 (. 086) on the three-city road trip, and Maddon said he wanted to use Thursday's off-day to give Rizzo essentially two days off. Rizzo did enter Friday's 6-2 victory over the Phillies in the ninth inning, with Bryant moving to left field.
"This was something I was looking forward to doing," Maddon said. "When I was with Tampa Bay, I used to do this with Carl (Crawford) all the time to try to take advantage of either the front or the back side of the day off to give him two days off. I think it's great.
"The way it all played out today with the left-hander today, Morgan (Phillies pitcher Adam), and then we play consecutively after this, barring any rainouts. It was just a good time to give him like his little, mini all-star break and then just have him come back fresh tomorrow."
Rizzo had started all 45 previous games at first this year, but Bryant expressed eagerness to play.
"I've played some first before," he said. "I played my freshman year at college, I actually worked out mostly at first base my whole fall leading up to the season, and I played third base the whole year there. I've had a lot of experience there, working around the bag, turning double plays and throwing from a different arm slot over there. I feel comfortable with it. I like to be a baseball player, and this is another one of those situations where I get to show that."
Bryant appeared in one game at first base for the Cubs last year.
Good to be home:
The Cubs returned home Friday from a tough three-city road trip on which they went 4-5, winning the last two games in St. Louis.
Included was a Sunday night in San Francisco followed by a game Monday in St. Louis.
"We could have won all three, easily," Joe Maddon said of the series against the Cardinals. "It says a lot, I thought. It's a tough trip, going from this time zone to San Francisco, playing well out there, losing a tough one to come back to St. Louis and then losing another tough one in St. Louis and then coming back twice.
"The last game there, when we had the nice lead, Jake (Arrieta) is pitching. All of a sudden, the Cardinals stuck in there really well and then we had to hold on. It speaks really loudly about the group, I think, in regards to our competitive nature. I thought we were able to fight through baseball adversity even though a lot of them are young. They're young. They're inexperienced and they're still doing this stuff. As they become more seasoned veteran major-league baseball players, I keep thinking of those things."