Anthony Rizzo had some cocky comments after delivering the game-winning hit to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in Game 3 of the NLDS on Monday.
Rizzo blooped an RBI single into shallow left-center in the bottom of the 8th inning to score Leonys Martin and break a 1-1 tie. There were two outs in the inning and a runner on second, so the Nats could have walked Rizzo to bring up Willson Contreras. Instead they chose to face him.
Rizzo said after the game that that was a big mistake:
Reporter: What are you thinking in that moment? (facing Perez)
Rizzo: I'm thinking don't pitch to me right there to be honest.
#Cubs pic.twitter.com/9pLtLHnvap— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) October 9, 2017
Video also seemed to show Rizzo yelling, “respect me!” after the Nats pitched to him instead of walking him.
"RESPECT ME" "RESPECT ME" ANTHONY RIZZO pic.twitter.com/ZQ6dfNKPrj
— Richard (@RichardLopez67) October 9, 2017
“Those big situations, I want to be up there. I take it personally when there’s a base open and two outs and they pitch to me. That’s just the way my mentality is,” Rizzo said during a postgame interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.
Nats manager Dusty Baker wasn’t all that impressed with Rizzo, noting after the game that the Cubs first baseman blooped in a hit rather than crushed a ball.
Dusty Baker on Rizzo turning it on in playoffs: "It's not really turning it on when you bloop one in there."
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) October 9, 2017
Sure, that was a bloop hit, but maybe you take your chances with someone other than Rizzo in that situation considering the guy has driven in five of the Cubs’ 8 runs in the series.
