CHICAGO -- After officially retiring as a member of the Cubs, Anthony Rizzo had some plans for his day at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. He wanted to eat a hot dog and drink a few cold ones with fans in the old ballpark’s famous bleachers. He joked that he might toss a baseball to left fielder Ian Happ.
“I have one day to really live it up,” Rizzo said.
The Cubs icon should have brought his glove.
In the second inning of a 5-4 loss to the Rays, Cubs rookie Moisés Ballesteros slashed a pitch from Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen high over the left-field wall. It arced and tailed right to where Rizzo was sitting among fans. The former Cubs first baseman’s eyes went wide and he scrambled to his feet as the baseball arrived.
The ball bounced off Rizzo’s outstretched right hand and dropped into the row behind him. Rizzo threw his head back in laughter and then raised both arms skyward, celebrating with the fan who secured the ball. It was also a milestone blast -- the first career home run in the big leagues for Ballesteros.
“He said that’s why he’s retired,” Happ said with a smirk. “He can’t catch them anymore."
Michael Busch, the Cubs’ current first baseman, added a go-ahead solo blast in the seventh to put Chicago ahead, 4-3, but the lead did not hold. Homers by Junior Caminero and Nick Fortes in the final two frames sent the North Siders to a loss -- the only negative to an otherwise celebratory day for Rizzo.
For Ballesteros, it was a milestone moment he will always remember.
“It was exciting. I’m super happy to have accomplished that,” said Ballesteros, who is MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Cubs prospect and No. 50 on the Top 100 list, via interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. “It definitely was amazing to be able to hit that home run. I’m really happy.”
Rizzo was able to help secure the baseball for Ballesteros, who stashed it in his locker with plans to give it to his dad.
The Cubs have enjoyed seeing Ballesteros look more comfortable with each trip back to the Major Leagues.
Right now, Ballesteros has earned some playing time as a designated hitter while Kyle Tucker (left calf strain) is on the injured list and Seiya Suzuki (illness) has missed a few games. The 21-year-old rookie went 2-for-4 with a triple on Friday, then had the home run and an intentional walk on Saturday.
“He’s becoming what we know,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s an offensive threat. There’s no question about it. He’s a talented, talented young hitter getting a chance to play in some big moments. And kind of with the status of our roster right now, he’s going to continue to get some chances here. That’s important and he’s making the most of them.”
In 114 games for Triple-A Iowa this season, Ballesteros hit .316 with 13 homers, 29 doubles, 76 RBIs and an .858 OPS. He went 3-for-16 in his first taste of the big leagues in May, but has since gone 4-for-9 in his last two stints with Chicago.
“I definitely feel more comfortable up there,” Ballesteros said. “I don’t feel as much pressure as I did before.”
The Cubs rookie noted that he is also planning on giving Rizzo one of his bats as a thank you for the baseball, even if the first baseman did not make the catch.
“He’s a beloved player,” Ballesteros said. “It’s incredible to see … the way Cubs fans received him and the love that they give him. It’s exciting for me to see that.”