Kyle Schwarber was hitting balls onto Sheffield Avenue in batting practice so Anthony Rizzo took it a step further and did it when it counted. His 3 run bomb in the bottom of 3 may have gone through a first floor window of one of the rooftop buildings on Sheffield if not for the Budweiser sign on top of the right field scoreboard. It was mini HR derby for the Cubs. Rizzo's 3 run shot, Albert Almora Jr's first career grand slam & a Javier Baez solo bomb got the job done as they took care of the Phillies 8-4 in front of 39,246 at Wrigley Field.
Final Score- Cubs 8 Phillies 4
Summary- Phillies catcher JT Realmuto kicked it off for them in the top of 1 as Andrew McCutchen scored on his rbi double to give Philly a 1-0 lead. They picked up 2 more in the top of 3 behind rbi singles from Rhys Hoskins & Cesar Hernandez to make it 3-0. The Cubs came right back in the bottom of the inning with a 3 piece spicy of their own. After back 2 back singles by #BamBam Kyle Schwarber & #TheNatural Kris Bryant, #BigFOLKS Anthony Rizzo hit a MAMMOTH 3 run BOMB (437 ft) off of the d in the Budweiser sign on top of the right field scoreboard to tie the game at 3! The Cubs busted the lead wide open in the bottom of 5. A 1 out double by Bryant & walks to Rizzo & #ILLWILL Willson Contreras loaded the bases & #JR Albert Almora Jr cleared them with his first career "GRANNY" to give them a 7-3 lead. The guys added one more in the bottom of 7 as #RAKINGSEASON continued for #ELMago Javier Baez! His solo HR (#12 on the year) made it 8-3. The Phillies got one back in the top of 8 on a McCutchen solo HR to cut it to 8-4 and that was all she wrote.
#ColeWORLD Cole Hamels didn't have his best stuff tonight going 4 innings giving up 9 hits & 3runs while walking 2 & striking out 6. Tyler Chatwood had another nice appearance out of the pen with 4 innings 3 hits 1 run 1 walk & 3 strikeouts. #Stevo Steve Cishek came in and finished the job in the 9th.
Player of the game- Albert Almora Jr- his #GRANNY in the bottom of 5 gave the Cubs a 7-3 lead
Play of the game- Anthony Rizzo's 3 run 437 ft MONSTER blast off of the Budweiser sign tied the game at 3
Quote of the game- "The place was happy for Riz but they really erupted for Albert. It's nice for our guys to come through like that but we still have a long way to go." - Joe Maddon on the Rizzo HR to tie the game & Almora grand slam to take the lead
Next game- 5/23 first pitch 1:20 pm...#TheACE Jon Lester (CHI) v Aaron Nola (PHI)
*Kris Bryant has reached safely in 29 of his last 31 games & his 107 HRS entering the 2019 season is the most by any Cub in their 4 first major league seasons.