Center fielder Ian Happ has a foolproof game plan, as the Chicago Cubs continue fighting through the toughest month of their 2021 schedule.
“If we can just get it to (Patrick) Wisdom with guys on base, we’ll be alright,” Happ said after the Cubs’ 4-3 win Sunday at San Francisco.
How did they win that game? Well, Wisdom hit an early solo home run. Then, Happ got on base for him to launch a game-tying two-run blast. After that, all the Cubs had to do was take advantage of a Giants error to claim victory.
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In short, what Happ said.
“It’s incredible, he hits a homer every time,” Happ continued, exaggerating, but only slightly.
Wisdom, 29, etched his name in the record books Sunday with those two home runs. He became the third player in MLB history to hit seven homers in his first eight starts with a team, according to Elias Sports Bureau, joining Aristides Aquino and Trevor Story.
“He's come in and filled it really nicely,” Cubs manager David Ross said of Wisdom, “and almost carried us here for a little while.”
The Cubs called up Wisdom from Triple-A Iowa less than two weeks ago, when infielder Matt Duffy (lower back strain) landed on the IL.
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Sunday was his second multi-homer game since his call-up. Prior to this season, he only had four career home runs, after stints with the Cardinals in 2018 and the Rangers the year after.
“I’ve played the game for a long time, at the Triple-A level and getting spurts in the big leagues here and there,” Wisdom said Sunday. “It's definitely helped me ease my mind in terms of not being bigger than the moment, just playing the game.
“It's the same game. It's 60 feet, six inches (to the mound), the bases are all the same. There's another deck on the stadium, and there's more cameras … but it’s the same game.”
Wisdom said he isn’t thinking about what happens when the players on the Cubs’ extensive injured list return.
“If you try to play that game, it kind of drives you nuts mentally,” Wisdom said, “and you're always looking over your shoulder. And it's just not a fun way to play or to come to the ball field.”
Besides, playing the way he has been, why would Wisdom worry about a demotion?
“A guy with his type of power,” Ross said, “the way he hits the ball in the air, what he's been doing lately, it's hard not to put him in the lineup.”
On Sunday, Wisdom’s homers wiped away a rough early going for Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks. After allowing three runs in the first two innings, Hendricks turned his outing into a quality start. The Giants didn’t score again.
“Wow, what a huge lift,” Hendricks said Sunday of Wisdom, “not only today, but what he's been doing every time he plays.”