I flipped over to the Cubs game a few times while watching the Blackhawks game, and I am that glad I missed that one. The Nats also had a rough time since we saw them last week, getting swept by the execrable Reds and losing a series at home to the Blue Jays.
Team Leaders
Cubs
- WAR: Rizzo (2.4)
- OBP: Rizzo (.439)
- SLG: Rizzo (.572)
- R+RBI: Bryant (61)
- BSR: Bryant (2.6)
- Defense: Russell (3.7)
- SP ERA: Hammel (2.82)
- SP FIP: Hammel (2.66)
- SP K/9: Arrieta (9.28)
- SP BB/9: Hammel (0.94)
- RP ERA: Grimm (1.00)
- RP FIP: Grimm (2.78)
- RP K/9: Grimm (17.00)
- RP BB/9: Rondon (2.01)
Nats
- WAR: Harper (3.9)
- OBP: Harper (.470)
- SLG: Harper (.718) (!!!!)
- R+RBI: Harper (87)
- BSR: Span (1.6)
- Defense: Taylor (2.9)
- SP ERA: Scherzer (1.80)
- SP FIP: Scherzer (2.17)
- SP K/9: Scherzer (10.43)
- SP BB/9: Scherzer (1.39)
- RP ERA: Storen (0.81)
- RP FIP: Storen (1.27)
- RP K/9: Barrett (12.46)
- RP BB/9: Storen (1.21)
Transactions/injuries
Jorge Soler hit the DL with an ankle sprain. I’ve seen estimates everywhere from two to six weeks for when he could be back. It looks like Junior Lake will pick up most of his PAs. Mike Baxter is also back, so :|. I forgot that Christian Villanueva is having a great year at AAA, maybe he would have been a better option, especially since Bryant played LF yesterday and Baez played some 3b today, because reasons.
Pitching matchups
ERA, FIP, K/9, BB/9 listed for each pitcher
Thursday: Jay Carrieta, RHP (3.18, 2.90, 9.28, 1.94) vs Gio Gonzalez, LHP (4.73, 3.04, 8.54, 3.20), 6:05 PM CT
BABIP problems have plagued Gonzalez this year, mostly because he is giving up a nearly 25% line drive rate.
Friday: Tsuyoshi Wada, LHP (2.30, 3.49, 10.91, 2.87) vs Tanner Roark, RHP (2.59, 5.34, 3.16, 2.30), 6:05 PM CT
Wada has defied expectations and impressed a lot of people so far this year, but I am not one of them yet. He has been getting a lot of strikeouts, but I still expect the pen to be warming up around the fifth inning whenever he makes a start.
Saturday: Jason Hammel, RHP (2.82, 2.66, 9.27, 0.94) vs Jordan Zimmermann, RHP (2.88, 3.11, 5.90, 1.97) 11:05 AM CT
I’m looking forward to breakfast and baseball with this game. I’m sure SK is happy with the start time too.
Zimmermann has never been the big strikeout guy that he is in my head, but his strikeout rate is way down this year. Not surprisingly, so is his fastball velocity, especially his sinker.
Sunday: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (3.99, 3.45, 7.36, 1.99) vs Max Scherzer, probably, (1.85, 2.17, 10.43, 1.39), 3:05 PM CT
The Nats rotation is in flux due to the Strasburg injury and a doubleheader played on Tuesday, but this would be normal rest for Scherzer.
Hendricks found his changeup in a big way in his last start. He got tagged for a big inning, but I am a lot less worried about him than I was two weeks ago. I really hope the WGN/CSN/UPN/UHF cameras catch someone in the stands wearing a Team Hendrix Hendricks t-shirt during one of his starts.