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Cubs Star Anthony Rizzo Slugs His Way to History

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been tearing the cover off the ball in recent weeks, and he made some history on Saturday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The slugging first baseman cracked a pair of home runs against the Phillies at Citizen’s Bank Park, giving him 30 home runs on the season. That milestone by itself is remarkable for a Cubs player, as only seven lefties have hit 30 or more homers for the Cubs in a single year, but Rizzo did something that none of the other six ever did.

According to Baseball Reference’s Play Index, Rizzo is the only Cubs lefty to ever hit 30 or more home runs in four consecutive seasons. He hit 32 in the 2014 and 2016 campaigns, and hit 31 long balls in 2015.

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Rizzo’s four seasons with 30 or more long balls trails only Billy Williams, who had five such seasons in his career on the North Side.

In case you’re curious, Rizzo has a long way to go to break the longest streak every by a Cubs hitter. Sammy Sosa slugged 30 or more home runs in an astonishing 10 consecutive seasons for the Cubs, and he hit 30 or more in 11 total campaigns with the team. 

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