{"id":32363,"date":"2017-06-15T10:24:18","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T10:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=32363"},"modified":"2017-06-15T10:24:18","modified_gmt":"2017-06-15T10:24:18","slug":"rizzo-hits-another-leadoff-homer-cubs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/mlb\/rizzo-hits-another-leadoff-homer-cubs.html","title":{"rendered":"Rizzo hits another leadoff homer for Cubs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rizzo hits another leadoff homer for Cubs<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Anthony Rizzo has taken quite a liking to the leadoff spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

One night after hitting a leadoff homer in his first career start atop the batting order, the Chicago Cubs’ 240-pound first baseman did it again. Rizzo drove Matt Harvey’s first pitch over the left-center fence at Citi Field for his 15th home run of the season Wednesday, prompting excited high-fives from giddy teammates in the dugout.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I am statistically the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time,” Rizzo said after the game. “I would like to retire there just to talk smack to everyone that tries to do it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Chicago rookie Ian Happ followed with his seventh homer for a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets, who later rallied for a 9-4 victory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rizzo was asked about television broadcasters mentioning that he predicted his leadoff homer against Harvey before the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I think that’s kind of bogus that they bring out what we talk about in the dugout a lot. That’s between me and my teammates and they’re putting that on TV,” he said. “We talk all the time here, just saying, ‘Hey, it’s going to be 1-0, it’s going to be 1-0 again. But you can’t ever predict a home run off a pitcher, especially Matt Harvey, so to put it out there, I’m not too thrilled with all that. But I was saying it before the game, messing around, being loose.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The previous night, Rizzo launched Zack Wheeler’s second pitch a projected 462 feet to center, sparking a 14-3 rout of the Mets. Happ hit a grand slam off Wheeler in the second inning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking to energize his slumping team, manager Joe Maddon batted Rizzo first on Tuesday \u2014 making the All-Star slugger the seventh Chicago player to hit at the top of the lineup this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

The defending World Series champions entered Tuesday with a .306 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot, which ranked 24th in the majors.<\/span><\/p>\n

“You just go with it. It’s fun,” Rizzo said Wednesday. “Obviously you go back-to-back there, it gets the clubhouse really loose. Just statistically, by the books, to lead off the game, I’m the best there ever was. Right now.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mlb\/2017\/06\/14\/twice-is-nice-rizzo-hits-another-leadoff-homer-for-cubs\/102869072\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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