CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Back in the comfort of home, the Cubs used a familiar recipe to find success Tuesday evening.
The home run ball and good starting pitching.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo hit two solo homers to help back left-hander Cole Hamels' quality start, and the Cubs came up with some timely hitting later to earn a 5-3 win against the Giants in the opener of a six-game homestand. Rizzo hit solo homers in the first and third innings before catcher Jonathan Lucroy broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Rizzo now has three homers in the past two games and four in his past five contests after a recent power drought in which he hit just two homers from June 16 to Aug. 14.
"I hope I am in one of those streaks," Rizzo said. "I hope it can stay right there. It feels good, and it feels good to get this win, most importantly."
Rizzo went 3-for-3 with a walk as he continued his turnaround.
"I try to encourage him and let him understand that power hitters get a little streaky with their power," manager Joe Maddon said. "The difference is he can do the other things. He can sustain good numbers, because he is just a good hitter. On his second home run, he was choked up. That was definitely his B hack. That ball was hit well. On the first one, he just let it fly."
Rizzo has reached the 25-homer mark for the sixth straight season. He's the seventh player in franchise history to have six or more 25-homer seasons, joining Sammy Sosa (12), Billy Williams (10), Ernie Banks (10), Ron Santo (eight), Aramis Ramirez (seven) and Ryne Sandberg (six).
Maddon and hitting coach Anthony Iapoce have been imploring Cubs hitters to use the whole field, have a two-strike approach and choke up on the bat for better control of their swing. Rizzo has long been the embodiment of those ideas.
"That is what a major league hitter is supposed to look like," Maddon said of Rizzo grinding out at-bats. "He works the strike zone. He has an organized strike zone. For the most part, he is able to control the strike zone. Within that, he concedes and makes adaptations in the at-bat. That is something that needs to be nurtured in the minor leagues when you are coming up. If you want to see more batters like Rizzo, it has to begin in the rookie ball."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
