Moments That Mattered: A Good Ole Country Beatdown
By Andrew Flax
Source:
All you need to know about his game you can discern from the graph above. All I’ll say is: you know a loss is bad if you need a player pep talk afterwards.
Most Important Nationals Hit: Bryce Harper‘s walk (+1.6%)
Apr 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) holds the bag on a wide throw to complete a double play against Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper (34) during the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
It’s hard for any offense to be consequential when your team doesn’t get a hit until the fifth inning, by which time you trail 5-0. Harper was the Nats’ second baserunner of the game, behind Gio Gonzalez, who walked with two outs in the third. All night long, the Nats stood no chance against a dominant Tim Hudson, who steamrolled for seven innings en route to his 200th career win.
Most Important Nationals Pitch: Andrelton Simmons‘ home run (-10.5%)
Say it with me, everyone! Early runs! Once again, a Nats pitcher (this time Gio Gonzalez) allowed quick runs and runs after that, putting the Nationals in a hole too deep to climb out of. Although disappointing, this should be somewhat welcome news for Nationals fans. It indicates that these struggles are mental, and should soon be overcome. The ride certainly isn’t fun in the meantime, however.
Champ of the Game: Tyler Moore (+1.3%) earned it mathematically, but it was not a good day for anyone. Moore also misplayed at least one ball in left, and since he was the only player with a Win Probability Added over +1%, it was a pretty bad day for everyone. For Atlanta, Hudson (+23.2%) was great on both sides of the ball, allowing one run on three hits in seven innings, and going 2-3 at the plate with a home run.
Chump of the Game: Gonzalez (-27.9%) struggled mightily, allowing five runs on seven hits and five walks (!) in just four innings. However, of the 12 outs he recorded, nine were strikeouts. Reed Johnson (-5.7%) was 0-4 with two strikeouts for the Braves.