Six Pack of Stats: Astros 2, White Sox 1

In a competitive game tonight, the Houston Astros notched a bases-loaded, RBI walk in the fifth and a walk-off double in the ninth to slight the Chicago White Sox by a 2-1 score. In another playoff-like series, the two clubs were sizing each other up in June in preparation for October. I’m itching for Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert to return.

For now, this team is competing.

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The Starters

Carlos Rodón continuously proves why he should be in the AL Cy Young conversation, with yet another brilliant outing on Friday. In seven innings, Los only gave up three hits, one run, and three walks. He fanned eight batters and simply stunned MLB’s No. 1 offense.

His 106-pitch evening breaks down like so:

Baseball Savant

Luis Garcia, after a shaky first inning, found his rhythm for his seven-inning outing. He gave up one run on seven hits, and walked two, but he did strike out eight.

His 96 pitches looked like this:

Baseball Savant

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Pressure Play

Martin Maldonaldo’s bases-loaded walk in the fifth, which tied the game 1-1, came on a 4.49 LI.

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Pressure Cooker

Myles Straw, leaving five on base and striking out twice, cooked under pressure with a 2.62 pLI.

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Top Play

With a tight ball game, the walk-off hit earns tonight’s top play with Yordan Alvarez’s .370 WPA, RBI double.

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Top Performer

Going 3-for-4, breaking up the no-hitter, snagging the game-winning hit, Yordan Alvarez’s .447 WPA guaranteed a dub for his team.

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Smackdown

Hardest hit: To open the second inning, Zack Collins smoked a 106.7 mph single, which reigned supreme throughout the night as the game’s hardest hit.

Weakest contact: José Altuve’s 56.0 mph line out off of Codi Heuer in the eighth went for tonight’s weakest contact.

Luckiest hit: Yordan Alvarez broke up Los’s no-hitter with a 65.6 mph, .060 xBA single in the fifth.

Toughest out: Andrew Vaughn’s .560 xBA line out in the third was just that, an out.

Longest hit: Had he had been more underneath the ball, Michael Brantley’s 322-foot fly out to right field would have earned a few more feet for a home run.

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Magic Number: 4

This is only the fourth time all season where the Sox have lost two games in a row.

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Glossary

Hard-hit is any ball off the bat at 95 mph or more
LI measures pressure per play
pLI measures total pressure faced in game
Whiff a swing-and-miss
WPA win probability added measures contributions to the win
xBA expected batting average

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South Side Sox Roll Call

Tonight’s gamethread ran 238 comments, with KP winning out.

Mr. R came back to visit us, and promptly dropped this gem, which earned the only green of the night: