OSS: Hammel matches Harvey, and Coghlan walks it off, literally.
Three Up
1. Jason Hammel, ladies and gentlemen!!! He matched Harvey pretty much pitch-for-pitch, allowing 8 baserunners over 8 innings. He left with a 1-0 deficit and so would have earned the loss. What a shitty stat. The Cubs made up the run in the 8th and won in the 9th.
2. Miguel Montero has been the best off-season pickup this season. He’s up to the holy trinity line (.301/.418/.507), and added 2 walks and a hit to this season. He almost has more walks this year than strikeouts. #heisgood
3. Chris Coghlan walked us off by not swinging at a pitch that almost hit him in the foot. I’ll take it!!!
Three Down
1. Soler probably needs a day off. He looked rough at the plate yesterday. He can’t hit in cold weather.
2. Zac Rosscup faced one batter. The batter got a hit.
3. Lucas Duda probably doesn’t feel very well, being plunked twice by Hammel.
How Awesome is Anthony Rizzo?
Incredibly awesome. He made a heads-up drop on a bunt from Matt Harvey, turning it into a double-play. He was also hit by another pitch (leads the league), recorded another hit, and a walk. He added .13 to his WPA, and now leads all of baseball in that stat (2.75 wins added).
How Awesome is Addison Russell?
Incredibly awesome. He recorded two hits in the game, and just generally looks like a 5-year veteran out there. He’s at 101 in wRC+, and is a huge plus at 2B. He’s on pace for 3 WAR this year, which probably isn’t going to happen, but a man can dream. He’s wildly exceeded my expectations for him, and I’m happy to be wrong.
How Awesome is Kris Bryant?
Incredibly awesome. He beat out ANOTHER grounder to 3B. Murphy hustled for this one after getting shown up yesterday, but it was no use. Bryant is a solid 50 on the 20-80 scale, and he hustles every second he’s on the field. Even when he isn’t hitting for power, he’s getting on base and making the opposing team earn it all. Bryant is on pace for 6 WAR this year, and he’s solidly in the number 2 slot for Rookie of the Year (Joc Pederson is currently 4th in the majors in WAR at 2.1).
What’s the average age of those 3 incredibly awesome players?
23. The three are under team control for 6 more years each. Have fun, NL Central.
Next Game
2:20 PM CT, Wood vs Niese