OSS: It’s better to be lucky and good.
Three Six up:
Too many great performances to fit into the usual format today.
- Addison Russell had a huge day at the plate, posting a .431 WPA thanks to an RBI single in the sixth that sent Nats starter Gio Gonzalez to the showers and a two-run double in the seventh that gave the Cubs the lead. He got a bit of an assist from Bryce Harper and the first base line wall, as the ball came down in just a tough enough spot that the wall spooked Harper and caused him to clank the ball off his glove just on the edge of foul territory.
- Despite all the crazy offense on the day, the key play of the game may have been on defense. The Nats were adding on to their lead in the sixth and had a runner on third with one out and pitcher Gio Gonzalez at the plate. Gonzalez bunted (probably a safety squeeze?) and the Cubs managed to both get the runner on third out on a run down, but also caught Gonzalez trying to sneak over to second for the inning ending double play.
- Pedro Strop was unstoppable Pedro Strop today, striking out the side in the eighth inning on the strength of his teleporting slider. Adam Brown noted on twitter that his slider had ten inches of vertical break, just one inch less than Adam Wainwright’s curveball.
- Kris Bryant hit a home run into the teeth of the wind in the third inning. On a day with weather conditions like yesterday that ball might have quantum tunneled clear through the video board.
- Ryan Kalish of all people had the biggest single WPA play of the game with his bases clogged bloop single in the sixth that gave the Cubs their first lead of the day. The Cubs bench has been so on fire that it feels like Joe could send Jason Hammel up to bat in a key situation and get runs. Er…
- The Cubs have gone 6-0 against two of the best, if not the two best, teams in the NL (not counting the Cubs), and Jake Arrieta is on the hill tomorrow.
Three Down
- Not a great debut for Spencer Patton, who had a great spring and a great April in Iowa. He was probably amped up a bit.
- Jason Hammel was all over the place today, and it felt kind of lucky that the Nats only managed to get two runs off of him. Also, it drives me nuts when umpires squeeze guys with bad control. Bleh. It looked like he was having similar mechanical issues (opening up, fastballs sailing) that he had in a start earlier this year, so hopefully Bosio locks that back down this week. Bonus WTF for Joe leaving him in to bunt in the bottom of the fifth inning. Too many Bunts.
- Another rough day at the plate for Jason Heyward, but I’m still not worried. It’s a good thing the Cubs are playing historically well, given how things tend to go in this town for guys with big contracts who struggle early.
Next up: Arrieta vs Roark, 1:20 PM CT