Hi there!
As you know, Thomas Smith is away on vacation.
To keep this feature going, I’m going to post simply the WPA numbers and plays of the game, and a poll so you can vote on your choice for Player of the Game. Thomas will update the Rizzo Award standings when he returns.
Game 108, July 29: Cardinals 3, Cubs 2 (61-47)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
- Superhero: Matthew Boyd (.438). 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K
- Hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.302), 1-5, HR
- Sidekick: Caleb Thielbar (.135). 1 IP, 2 K
THREE GOATS:
- Billy Goat: Trent Thornton (-.806). 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER)
- Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.259). 0-4, R
- Kid: Ian Happ (-.136). 0-4, 2 K
I’ll let Thomas weigh in when he returns from vacation, but I’d guess that
-.806 WPA score for Thornton is not only the worst of the year for a Cub, but one of the worst in the history of our Heroes and Goats feature.
WPA Play of the Game: Ivan Herrera’s game-winning two-run double in the 10th (.670).
Cubs Play of the Game: PCA’s two-run homer in the top of the 10th (.415).
The two plays above were the top two WPA plays of the entire game.
Up next: The series finale, with Javier Assad facing Andre Pallante. The Cubs still have a chance to win the series.
As Thomas would say: Keep stacking wins.
