clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Game 21 WPA: 13.5 million dollar man! Nats win 13-12

It ain't over 'til it's over, kids, and that's how long it took until it was over tonight. Finally, sloppy baseball was winning baseball!

By Doghouse
The Braves are paying him $13.5M to do this. Also, he got 5 RBI today and basically won the game single handedly.
The Braves are paying him $13.5M to do this. Also, he got 5 RBI today and basically won the game single handedly.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

150428-21a WPA

Via Fangraphs (click to embiggen)

(What do these graphs mean?)

  • Inauspicious debut: A.J. Cole (-51.6%) does not have the night he was hoping for, giving up 9 runs (included 5 unearned runs due to his own error) in only 2 IP with 1 K, 1 walk, and 9 hits. Keep practicing, kid.
  • Early illusions of victory: Bryce Harper (+13.5%) is 1-4 with a walk and a first-inning RBI double for an early (all-too-brief) lead in the first (+12.8%).
  • Fierce off the bench: Jose Lobaton (+14.5%) makes the most of an occasional start, going 3-4 with a walk and a two-out, three-run dinger to get the Nats within 4 in the 5th (+4.2%).
  • Long relief: Tanner Roark (-3.8%) lets in 1 run during 3+ IP, but Blake Treinen (-7.1%) cashes in one of Roark's runners plus one of his own in 2 IP to earn a meltdown.
  • Underappreciated by WPA: Denard Span (+3.7%) is 5-6 with 4 runs scored, three doubles, and a two-out solo shot in the 6th to get the Nats within 3 (+3.6%).
  • Table-setter: Danny Espinosa (+12.1%) is 1-3 with a questionable 9th-inning walk to put two on with one out (+7.4%).
  • [Rizzo points to head]: Dan Uggla (+72.0%) shows off his limited range at second, but starts heating up at the plate, going 3-5 with a two-out, two-RBI triple (his second in two games!) to get the Nats within two in the 7th (+8.3%) and a monstrous, three-run jack to deep left to put the Nats ahead in the 9th (+70.9%).
  • Anticlimax (thank you): Drew Storen (+16.2%) walks one but throws a scoreless 9th to earn a shutdown and close out the win.

Tonight's WPA brought to you by Dan Uggla (before inflation):

More From Federal Baseball