Missing Soriano, Rizzo looks to get rolling

SAN FRANCISCO -- With the departure of Alfonso Soriano, the Cubs are in need of someone to pick up the slack and drive in runs. Anthony Rizzo is the obvious one, but he's just trying to get back on track at the plate.

"It's more trying to get to where I want to be," Rizzo said Saturday. "It's not doing any more, it's just putting good swings on the ball, which I've been doing, but I haven't been getting it to fall."

Entering Saturday, Rizzo was batting .177 (14-for-79) in his last 21 games with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

What will be tough is returning to Wrigley Field and not having Soriano lockered next to him. Soriano was traded to the Yankees on Friday for Class A pitcher Corey Black.

"I can't even tell you how much I miss Sori," Rizzo said. "When we do get things rolling, I'll never forget to give him credit."

It's not just about hitting, either.

"It's the way that every day, coming to the field, he's happy," Rizzo said. "I never met anyone who genuinely loves the game as much as he does. He's made all the money and he's played for 13, 15 years and he genuinely loves playing baseball. He's a good person, a good friend."