Cubs Sweep

It took 13 innings, but the Cubs get a walk-off home run from Javier Báez for a 4-3 win and Chicago continues to roll. They sweep the Nationals in the four game series and go to 24-6 on the season, thanks to a seven game win streak. The seven games were against the Pirates and the Nationals. Pittsburgh was expected to contend for the NL Central title, while the Nationals came into Chicago in first place in the NL East. If St. Louis, another division contender, is added in, the Cubs are 9-1 against three very good teams.

A strategy that worked for the Cubs today was to put Bryce Harper on base. In seven plate appearances he walked six times and was hit by a pitch once. He did score on a Ryan Zimmerman double after one of those walks, but Zimmerman went one for seven for the day, blowing a number of chances to put the Nationals ahead late. Twice Harper was walked with men on first and second and two out, and Zimmerman ended the inning.

Jake Arrieta does not get a decision, so his undefeated streak remains intact. He allowed three runs today, tied for the most he allowed in any game during the streak.

Update: The Day by Day Database goes back to 1957, but I cannot find a game in which a player record 0 AB with at least seven plate appearances. The most I see is five, done 44 times in that period. The last person to do that was Steven Souza on 6/15/2015. Harper may have set some kind of record today. Barry Bonds had three games in which he had five PA and no at bats, and reached by a walk or HBP in all five appearances. So Harper did something Bonds never did.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1UKX2gh