CHICAGO -- He’s been doing it all spring.
But now Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell flashed his newfound power in his biggest moment of the young season, hitting Cincinnati Reds reliever Jumbo Diaz's first pitch into the left-center field bleachers for a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 5-3 victory Monday.
It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has watched Russell since mid-February. He hit everything in Cubs camp, carried that over to the Cactus League and has taken a professional approach now that the season has started. Russell wasn’t always the patient type at the plate, but patience brings good pitches, and maybe his four walks over the first seven games led to this moment. He hammered a fastball out of the park and then tipped his cap to the crowd when they called him out for a curtain call.
The Cubs walked seven times, which kept them in the game, as they didn’t have a hit until two outs in the seventh inning. They scored five times over the next two innings, winning for the sixth time in seven games.
