Anthony Rizzo’s long been an oddity among MVP-caliber hitters not named David Eckstein, what with his propensity for choking up with two strikes. That humility, the whatever-it-takes mentality, has served him well throughout his career, but it was being put to the test Wednesday night in LA as Rizzo came in with just two hits in his last 26 postseason at-bats. And when he struck out in his first two trips to the plate against Dodgers lefty Julio Urias, things were looking rather dire.
Rizzo’s teammates had put a four-spot on the board in the 4th, perhaps allowing the slumping slugger to relax.