The Cubs were one play away from this weekend’s three-game series against the Pirates being an unmitigated success. After all, what more could you possibly ask for besides winning each of the three games by football scores?
The answer to that question became perfectly clear in the 3rd inning of Sunday’s series finale. To describe Anthony Rizzo‘s ankle injury as potentially devastating would, in a rare moment for that word’s use in the context of sports, not be hyperbolic. The slugger was quite literally writhing in pain on the infield before being helped to the dugout by Jason Heyward and Cubs trainers.