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Cubs Heroes and Goats: Game 129

While a couple of miscues in the eighth inning may have led to the game's only run, it didn't lead to the player who earned top honors on the Goat podium on Sunday.

So if it wasn't this play that led to the Billy Goat, what did?...
So if it wasn't this play that led to the Billy Goat, what did?...
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Definitely one of a kind.

Graphs for Game 129 (courtesy of Fangraphs):

Game 129 Chart 2016

Stats for Game 129:

Pitcher

IP

H

HR

ER

BB

SO

pLI

WPA

J Lester

6

3

0

0

2

6

1.19

.334

J Grimm

1

1

0

0

0

3

1.85

.082

C Edwards Jr.

0.2

0

0

0

0

2

3.95

-.080

T Cahill

0.1

0

0

0

1

1

2.2

-.176

Total

8

4

0

0

3

12

1.64

.159

Batter

AB

R

H

HR

RBI

BB

SO

pLI

WPA

K Bryant

3

0

2

0

0

1

1

1.05

.181

J Soler

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0.74

.021

D Ross

3

0

0

0

0

1

3

1.21

-.033

J Lester

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

1.83

-.060

J Heyward

4

0

2

0

0

0

0

1.85

-.067

B Zobrist

3

0

0

0

0

1

1

1.6

-.072

A Rizzo

4

0

0

0

0

0

1

1.77

-.129

D Fowler

4

0

0

0

0

0

2

1.45

-.155

J Baez

4

0

0

0

0

0

1

1.69

-.157

A Russell

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

1.57

-.188

Total

30

0

4

0

0

4

10

1.52

-.659

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 Gonzalez Mishap of Game 129: With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the eighth, Adrian Gonzalez hits a grounder to Javier Baez at third, but the throw to second base is late as Corey Seager beats Ben Zobrist to the bag. Andrew Toles scores on the play, putting the Dodgers ahead 1-0. WPA impact: -.259.

THE THREE HEROES:

  • Superhero - Jon Lester (.334 / .274). Just keeps cruising along, now with six straight starts in which he allowed two runs or less.
  • Hero - Kris Bryant (.181). After 118 straight games of being at zero or lower on the chart -- which seems almost impossible to believe for him -- Bryant is finally back on the positive side at plus-1.
  • Sidekick - Justin Grimm (.082). Gave up a leadoff single to start the seventh but then got three strikeouts right behind it to end any potential threat.

THE THREE GOATS:

  • Billy Goat - Addison Russell (-.188). There were plenty of 0-for-4s to go around in this game, but his popout in the sixth with runners on the corners proved to be the most costly, primarily because there was only one out when it happened.
  • Goat - Trevor Cahill (-.176). The inning started out well with a strikeout, and then... well, he probably wishes that he could try again on that throw to first.
  • Kid - Javier Baez (-.157). He's been in a bit of a rut with only one hit in his last four starts and a .197 batting average in the month of August.

RANKINGS THROUGH GAME 129: Lester attempts to break away from the rest of the field, opening up a seven-point gap over second place.

Heroes

1st

2nd

3rd

Total

Anthony Rizzo

11

19.5

11

83

Addison Russell

11

11

13

68

Kris Bryant

8.5

12.5

13

63.5

Jon Lester

14

3.5

2.5

51.5

Ben Zobrist

8

6

11.5

47.5

Jake Arrieta

12.5

2.5

0

42.5

Kyle Hendricks

9

5

3

40

Dexter Fowler

3

6.5

14.5

36.5

Jason Hammel

8

2

5

33

Javier Baez

4

5

6

28

Jason Heyward

2

9

4

28

John Lackey

8

1

0

26

Miguel Montero

4.5

4

3.5

25

Jorge Soler

3

3

7

22

Travis Wood

4

3

2

20

Hector Rondon

2.5

3.5

5

19.5

Tommy La Stella

2

4

3.5

17.5

David Ross

2

3

2.5

14.5

Willson Contreras

3

1

3

14

Adam Warren

1

3.5

1.5

11.5

Trevor Cahill

1

3

0.5

9.5

Matt Szczur

1

2

2

9

Pedro Strop

1

2

2

9

Albert Almora Jr.

2

1

0

8

Justin Grimm

0

1.5

4.5

7.5

Rob Zastryzny

2

0

0.5

6.5

Mike Montgomery

1

1

0

5

Carl Edwards Jr.

0

2

1

5

Chris Coghlan

0

2

1

5

Aroldis Chapman

0

1

1

3

Clayton Richard

0

1

1

3

Jeimer Candelario

0

1

0

2

Joel Peralta

0

1

0

2

Ryan Kalish

0

1

0

2

Tim Federowicz

0

1

0

2

Spencer Patton

0

0

1.5

1.5

Gerardo Concepcion

0

0

1

1

Neil Ramirez

0

0

1

1

Felix Pena

0

0

0.5

0.5

Goats

1st

2nd

3rd

Total

Addison Russell

12

12

13.5

73.5

Jason Heyward

13

14

4.5

71.5

Kris Bryant

10.5

10.5

10

62.5

Ben Zobrist

6.5

14.5

12

60.5

Anthony Rizzo

6

14

4.5

50.5

Dexter Fowler

10

7

6

50

Javier Baez

7

7

13.5

48.5

Jorge Soler

6

3

11

35

Willson Contreras

3.5

5.5

4

25.5

Miguel Montero

3

5

3

22

Pedro Strop

4

4

1

21

David Ross

3

3

4.5

19.5

John Lackey

5

1

2

19

Travis Wood

4

1

5

19

Matt Szczur

1.5

3.5

7

18.5

Adam Warren

4

2

0

16

Jason Hammel

3

2

2

15

Hector Rondon

3

2

1

14

Jake Arrieta

3

1

1

12

Jon Lester

3

1

1

12

Albert Almora Jr.

1

2

5

12

Kyle Hendricks

2

2

1

11

Trevor Cahill

2

2

1

11

Justin Grimm

2

1

2

10

Tommy La Stella

2

0

4

10

Chris Coghlan

1

1

1.5

6.5

Aroldis Chapman

2

0

0

6

Carl Edwards Jr.

1

1

1

6

Mike Montgomery

1

1

1

6

Clayton Richard

1

0

3

6

Tim Federowicz

1

0

1

4

Jeimer Candelario

0

2

0

4

Joe Smith

0

2

0

4

Brian Matusz

1

0

0

3

Joel Peralta

1

0

0

3

Gerardo Concepcion

0

1

0

2

Spencer Patton

0

1

0

2

Kyle Schwarber

0

0

1

1

Neil Ramirez

0

0

1

1

Overall

Hero

Goat

+/-

Jon Lester

51.5

12

39.5

Anthony Rizzo

83

50.5

32.5

Jake Arrieta

42.5

12

30.5

Kyle Hendricks

40

11

29

Jason Hammel

33

15

18

Tommy La Stella

17.5

10

7.5

John Lackey

26

19

7

Rob Zastryzny

6.5

0

6.5

Hector Rondon

19.5

14

5.5

Miguel Montero

25

22

3

Ryan Kalish

2

0

2

Kris Bryant

63.5

62.5

1

Travis Wood

20

19

1

Felix Pena

0.5

0

0.5

Neil Ramirez

1

1

0

Spencer Patton

1.5

2

-0.5

Carl Edwards Jr.

5

6

-1

Mike Montgomery

5

6

-1

Joel Peralta

2

3

-1

Gerardo Concepcion

1

2

-1

Kyle Schwarber

0

1

-1

Trevor Cahill

9.5

11

-1.5

Chris Coghlan

5

6.5

-1.5

Jeimer Candelario

2

4

-2

Tim Federowicz

2

4

-2

Justin Grimm

7.5

10

-2.5

Aroldis Chapman

3

6

-3

Clayton Richard

3

6

-3

Brian Matusz

0

3

-3

Albert Almora Jr.

8

12

-4

Joe Smith

0

4

-4

Adam Warren

11.5

16

-4.5

David Ross

14.5

19.5

-5

Addison Russell

68

73.5

-5.5

Matt Szczur

9

18.5

-9.5

Willson Contreras

14

25.5

-11.5

Pedro Strop

9

21

-12

Ben Zobrist

47.5

60.5

-13

Jorge Soler

22

35

-13

Dexter Fowler

36.5

50

-13.5

Javier Baez

28

48.5

-20.5

Jason Heyward

28

71.5

-43.5