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This one did not go as the White Sox planned, as a couple of sloppy plays were too much to overcome. As a result, the Pirates won this one by a score of 5-4. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup.
Play of the game
In terms of win probability added (WPA), the RBI double by Jacob Stallings in the eighth inning was the biggest play of the game. That double, which occurred with no outs, brought the Pirates within one, and they went on to tie the game later that inning. The double had a WPA of +.207 for Pittsburgh.
Getting things under control
In five innings of work, Dylan Cease did not issue any walks. It is still very early, but control has been a problem for Cease throughout his young career. Cease had a BB/9 rate of 4.3 last year, and it was 4.4 heading into tonight. Those are number that Cease is looking to decrease, and tonight was a step in the right direction.
The road to another batting title continues
The show goes on for Tim Anderson, as he went 2-for-5 with a double to boost his batting average to .353. Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu sits at .355, holding a paper-thin lead in the American League rankings. Anderson has had another productive year at the plate, as his 167 wRC+ is excellent at any position, especially shortstop.
When it rains, it pours
While Madrigal’s baserunning is among the largest storylines from this game, it is important to remember what he did at the plate prior to his baserunning errors. The second baseman entered this game with zero extra base hits in 44 plate appearances, but he hit two doubles tonight.
Heuer and Foster remain reliable
Though the bullpen as a whole had a rough performance, Codi Heuer and Matt Foster continued to perform very well. The duo both delivered a scoreless inning of relief, and neither allowed a baserunner. As a result, Heuer’s ERA dropped to 2.30, while Foster’s ERA is only 1.45.
MVP
With a WPA of +.260, Kevin Newman is today’s MVP. Newman went 2-for-4, and he managed to end this game with his soft tapper that the White Sox failed to get the force out at home on.