Cubs Heroes and Goats: NLDS Game 1

(11:45pm)

(Checks heart rate)

(Still over 100)

(Is that normal?)

(It's the playoffs, so... yes.)

World, meet Javy Baez. @Cubs Game 1 hero. #NLDS #postseason pic.twitter.com/qwmAAyRBO9

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) October 8, 2016

Graphs for NLDS Game 1 (courtesy of Fangraphs):

Stats for NLDS Game 1:

Writer's Note: The daily selections of the three Heroes and three Goats are based solely on the top three and bottom three WPA scores for the game. The selections are not based on my subjective opinion.

The Ramirez Catalyst of NLDS Game 1: With a full count and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Javier Baez crushes a fastball into the wind in left field with enough oomph to get the ball into the basket and put the Cubs ahead 1-0. WPA impact: +.302.

THE THREE HEROES:

• Superhero - Jon Lester (.535 / .490). He had a decent amount of traffic to navigate in the first four innings of the game, including the first three innings in which he allowed the lead runner to reach base, but he got a good amount of help from David Ross on a caught stealing and a pickoff to end two threats and then got out of a second-and-third jam in the fourth with a routine grounder to short. After that, he then proceeded to retire the next 12 batters in order. That's called bringing your A-game right there. Maybe even your A-plus-plus-game.
• Hero - Javier Baez (.294). I'm pretty sure that people within a five-mile radius of Wrigley Field heard the ballpark erupt as soon as Baez made contact on that pitch in the eighth. Even Matt Vasgersian was going crazy for it. Thankfully he didn't break out a "Santa Maria" on it because that would have been a tad too much.
• Sidekick - Aroldis Chapman (.155). It wasn't without its tense moments, including two straight 3-2 counts that ended in a check-swing strikeout and a jam-shot grounder to second, topped off by a smash first-pitch double by Buster Posey to up the collective heart rate a few notches, but in the end he got it done on a grounder to second with another nice play by Baez in the field.

THE THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat - Ben Zobrist (-.097). Got a bit of a visit from the BABIP overlords in this game as a hard shot to second was gobbled up by a diving Kelby Tomlinson to end the fourth with Kris Bryant on third.
• Goat - Anthony Rizzo (-.084). Suffered a similar fate as he hit a sharp grounder to the right side that Tomlinson gathered up in short right. Also had a groundout before Zobrist's in the fourth that moved Bryant over to third.
• Kid - Jason Heyward (-.076). Unlike his podium counterparts above, he didn't have any chances in this game with anyone on; it was just a game of two popouts and a routine grounder to first.

RANKINGS THROUGH NLDS GAME 1: