Rizzo provides spark at top as Cubs rout Mets 14-3
NEW YORK - Anthony Rizzo could end up finding this leadoff thing to his liking.
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon went with a new lineup Tuesday night, putting his first baseman at the top of the batting order.
Rizzo responded, and then some.
He hit the second pitch of the game over the wall in center field for his 14th home run of the season. He walked to force in a run during the Cubs' 7-run second inning. And he had an RBI double in the third.
It was a pretty good night all around for the revamped lineup as the Cubs routed the New York Mets 14-3 at Citi Field.
Asked before the game what happens if Rizzo hitting leadoff works, Maddon responded: "You'll see it tomorrow."
Pressed on it after the game, Maddon said: "Yeah. He'll hit first again tomorrow and I'll figure out the rest of it after that."
So tune in for Game 3 of this series Wednesday night to see Rizzo starting at leadoff for the second time in his career.
A combination of things forced Maddon's hand. The Cubs have struggled to generate offense, and Maddon wanted to give veteran Ben Zobrist the night off as Zobrist has been nursing a sore wrist.
Jon Jay started in Monday night's lackluster 6-1 loss to the Mets. Kyle Schwarber started 36 games in the top spot, but he struggled.
"I wanted to give it a roll," Maddon said. "We did it in spring training. The fact that we're not hitting right now, we can. Just see if he gets up there and provides a spark somehow. I know he likes to do it."
Rizzo was all for it.
"It's a spark," he said. "I'm always mess around, saying, I'll lead off. I'll lead off.' I also mess around saying I can pitch and play the outfield, too.
"Do we need a shake-up? We need to start winning. We need to start winning baseball games and get a really good feeling here again. Whatever it takes, I think, anyone's willing to do. We just need to win. Winning cures all.
"Hopefully this can be the start of something. This is one game."
The rout got the Cubs back to .500 at 32-32. The Mets scored a run in the bottom of the first to tie the game. The Cubs then sent 11 men to the plate in the second to chase Mets starting pitcher Zach Wheeler. The highlight was a grand slam by rookie Ian Happ.
Jason Heyward, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez later homered for the Cubs. Starting pitcher Jon Lester improved to 4-4 by working 7 innings and giving up 5 hits. It was Lester's 150th career victory.
"It means I'm old," he said.
But seriously, he agreed the win was bigger for the team than it was for himself.
"I think team-wise more than anything," he said. "Personal stuff is always cool, whatever. At the end of the day, you play for the Cubs and want to win for the Cubs. That was a big win for us tonight on a lot of levels - pitching, offense, baserunning, the whole deal. It was a good night for us."
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