Top Play (WPA): The Cubs, having failed to plate the tying run in the fifth inning, came to bat in the sixth looking to even the score. You had to feel good about their chances, too, given that the near-lethal combination of Chris Coghlan, Anthony Rizzo, and Kris Bryant were all due up. Coghlan began things by striking out (-.039), but as he so often does, Rizzo took a walk (.045). Then, Kris Bryant doubled to left (.229), which allowed Rizzo to come all the way from first to score, tying the game 3-3. Rizzo and Bryant both were the subjects of intense scrutiny earlier this summer, as they both went on separate slumps. However, they’ve both since come out of them and done so strongly, posting August lines of .317/.421/.619 and .323/.432/.565, respectively.
Bottom Play (WPA): As I previously mentioned, the Cubs had one of their best scoring opportunities in the fifth inning. The team had already plated one run, and they were looking to really break the game open. Kyle Schwarber stepped up to bat with one out and the bases loaded, which led everyone to have visions of sweet, sweet grand slams in their minds. Of course, because this is the Cubs and baseball is often frustrating, Schwarber instead grounded into an inning-ending double play (-.229).
Key Moment: Kyle Hendricks was having a bumpy go of things in the fourth inning, out of very little fault of his own. Hendricks “allowed” an infield hit to Pedro Ciriaco and then induced a groundball from Andrelton Simmons. With Ciriaco’s speed, it appeared the right play was at first, instead of going for the lead runner. Instead, Bryant tried for the risky play at second, and the runner was initially called out. Unfortunately, upon review it became clear that Ciriaco had slid in safely, and the umpires correctly concurred. Nick Markakis would later double in both runners after they had been moved up by a Shelby Miller sacrifice bunt. Hendricks made it out of the inning only allowing those two runs, which was absolutely crucial for the young starter. It’s very easy to come undone when mental errors and bad luck begin to trip you up, but he kept his composure and, in doing so, kept the game in striking distance for the Cubs.
Trend to Watch: Can we talk about Justin Grimm for a second? Ever since returning from injury, the young reliever has become one of the National League’s best. It’d be easy to gloss over what he’s been doing, given how phenomenal back-end guys like Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon have been, but Grimm has been even better. Joe Maddon has pitched Grimm in nearly every situation and in any inning, as he’s used Grimm as the ultimate “iceman” style of reliever. Whenever the Cubs need critical outs, to keep a game close, or to hold on to the tightest of leads, Grimm is their go-to guy. It’s easy to see why, as he’s allowed only five total earned runs in over 36 innings pitched this season, all while racking up 13.13 K/9. Having this type of reliever is a huge boon to this team, and feels very different from Cubs teams of years past.
Coming Next: The Cubs (69-51) will look to win the series against the Braves (53-69), and hopefully gain ground on the Pirates and Cardinals. The Cubs send out trade deadline acquisition Dan Haren (3.63 ERA, 4.94 FIP, 4.50 DRA) to the mound, while the Braves counter with young righty Williams Perez (4.34 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 4.59 DRA).
Lead photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports