Photo courtesy David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): This game was billed as an exciting match-up between Jon Lester and Max Scherzer, two of the best pitchers in the National League. The game lived up to expectation, with both Scherzer and Lester going seven innings and dominating the opposing lineup. There were several big […]
Tag: Recap
Game 45 Recap: Cubs 3 Nationals 2
Photo courtesy of David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): Going into the final frame, the Cubs were hitless with runners on base, but a sinker-happy Kyle Hendricks, some sterling defense, and a couple of solo home runs managed to keep the game tied. The BABIP gods stopped picking on Chris Coughlan for once and his […]
Game 44 Recap: Nationals 2 Cubs 1
Photo courtesy of Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): It’s always a shame when you have to start a recap by noting the performance of an opposing player, but the cold hard numbers here leave us no choice. When Wilson Ramos came to the plate against Justin Grimm in the sixth inning, the game was tied […]
Game 42 Recap: Cubs 9 Diamondbacks 6
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports The below recap is written by BP-Wrigleyville contributor Leo Martinic Top Play (WPA): A back and forth game led to a 6-6 tie in the top of the ninth inning. After Dexter Fowler’s sharp single and a Yasmany Tomas error on a hard hit Kris Bryant groundball, Anthony […]
Game 41 Recap: Diamondbacks 5 Cubs 4
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): This game was full of high drama and the 10th inning was no exception. The Cubs, having gone up 4-2 in the top of the inning, sent closer Hector Rondon to the mound to finish things off. It would be safe to say that most […]
Game Recap 39: Cubs 3 Padres 2
Photo courtesy of Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): Tsuyoshi Wada cruised through the first three innings of his 2015 debut, striking out eight of the first ten batters he faced while working quickly and efficiently. In the fourth, he served up a one out single to Derek Norris (.035), and the Padres’ most […]
Game 38 Recap: Padres 4 Cubs 3
Photo courtesy of Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): Although it wasn’t the play that handed the Padres the lead, the straw that broke the camel’s back was a Will Venable single to center that scored Yangervis Solarte from second to knot the game at two (.261). Solarte was the second Padres’ baserunner to […]
Game 36 Recap: Cubs 4 Pirates 1
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): While this game certainly had its fair share of important moments, there was little payoff on situations that could have dramatically altered the outcome. All three of the top plays by WPA came with the Pirates on offense and none of them topped .130. The […]
Game 34 Recap: Cubs 6 Mets 5
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): A series of events in the bottom of the seventh saw Dexter Fowler single to center (.040), Anthony Rizzo get hit by a pitch for the second time (.056), and Kris Bryant fly out to advance Fowler to third (-.056). This brought up Starlin Castro […]
Game 33 Recap: Cubs 2 Mets 1
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): In the bottom of the ninth, nobody out, and Matt Szczur on first, Starlin Castro singled to left field to move Szczur to third, who pinch-ran for Anthony Rizzo and was running on the play (.235). Immediately after Castro’s single, the Cubs’ win expectancy jumped […]