The Isaac Paredes Game? New third baseman breaks out at Wrigley Field
It won’t go down in Cubs lore the same way “The Sandberg Game” has, but Isaac Paredes certainly had his signature game at Wrigley Field in a 7-3 victory Tuesday night.
With classic “Windy City” conditions sweeping over the Lakeview area (an overcast, chilly night that felt more like a late-September game), Paredes didn’t mind one bit.
He hammered a ball into the teeth of 19 mph winds to left field that barely snuck out of the park, landing in the basket in left field for a 3-run homer in the 1st inning. Paredes hit that ball 101.1 mph at a 33-degree launch angle and on a normal night it may have landed on Waveland Ave.
“I knew it could go out,” Paredes said. “When I saw the outfielder start to slow down, I began to have some doubts and I began to run a bit harder. But yeah, I did feel like that swing had a chance.”
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That swing gave the Cubs and starter Shota Imanaga a big cushion early on in the game after the team was shut out Monday night.
“The way the wind was blowing today, you’re not thinking a 3-run homer in the 1st inning,” said manager Craig Counsell. “And just for Isaac to get a big hit on the board absolutely made everybody feel good.”
[WATCH: Paredes reacts to his big game, Wrigley atmosphere]
Paredes then added on to his big day with an RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd inning, looping a ball into shallow right field that scored Michael Busch – who was running on the pitch – from first base.
He later walked and in a fitting moment, recorded the final out of the game with a slick running play to retire Twins star Royce Lewis.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Paredes had been hitting just .111 with 0 RBI for the Cubs in 7 games since coming over to Chicago in the deal that sent Christopher Morel to Tampa Bay.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel good [in the first few games with Cubs],” Paredes said through interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. “I wanted to do too much. I wanted to impress my teammates. Day by day, I’m preparing myself mentally to give it my best and always give it my 100% and for the results to come on their own.
“I feel really good. I was looking for a game like that to gain confidence.”