Sunday, May 15
(25-14) Philadelphia Phillies - 3
(23-19) Atlanta Braves - 2
MLB.com Box Score
FanGraphs Box Score
Another back and forth game? Why not? The Braves used a big home run by Dan Uggla in the eighth inning to push them past the Phillies by the score of 3-2, taking a second straight series from the first-place Philly club.
Game Log:
The two teams scattered baserunners in the first few innings. The Phillies put runners on the corners with two outs in the third, but Placido Polanco grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Braves put a runner on second with two outs in the third, but he was stranded. The Phillies did the same in the fourth.
Atlanta finally broke through with the game's first run in the fourth thanks to good luck. Uggla and Eric Hinske hit consecutive broken bat singles to put runners on the corners with no outs, which was followed by an infield single by Freddie Freeman that bounced off Roy Halladay's glove, scoring Uggla, worth .083 WPA. Consecutive flyouts by Brooks Conrad and Tim Hudson ended the inning.
The Phillies took the lead in the sixth when Polanco walked, and with two outs, John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer for a 2-1 lead, worth .336 WPA, the biggest swing in the game for some reason.
But the Braves answered quickly in the home half of the sixth. Uggla walked and advanced to third on a second Hinske single. After Alex Gonzalez struck out for the first out, worth -.104 WPA, Freeman picked him up with a sac fly that scored Uggla and tied the game, worth .029 WPA. Conrad hit a hard liner to right field as the next batter but it was caught for the final out of the inning.
The big fly came in the eighth with Halladay still on the mound and past 100 pitches for the Phillies. As the leadoff batter, Uggla turned a fastball around for a solo homer to put the Braves ahead 3-2, worth .268 WPA. It would prove to be the game-winner.
The Focus:
Uggla scored all three Braves runs in the game, twice by Freeman's bat and once by his own bat. He went 2-3 with a home run, RBI, and three runs scored, and he also added a walk. Hinske was a major part of those three runs scored by Uggla as he moved Uggla to third base twice on singles. It's only Uggla's sixth multi-hit game this season.
Stat of the Day:
Gonzalez struck out twice with Uggla on third base and less than two outs. The two combined at-bats were worth -.174 WPA.
WPA Winners:
(ATL) Dan Uggla: .353
(PHI) John Mayberry Jr.: .352
(ATL) Eric Hinske: .235
WPA Losers:
(PHI) Jimmy Rollins: -.224
(ATL) Alex Gonzalez: -.199
(PHI) Roy Halladay: -.157
Key Lines:
(ATL) Dan Uggla: 2-3, HR, RBI, 3 R, BB, .353 WPA
(ATL) Tim Hudson: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, .082 WPA (11 GB, 7 FB)
(ATL) Freddie Freeman: 1-3, 2 RBI, .093 WPA
(PHI) Roy Halladay: 8 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, -.157 WPA (5 GB, 12 FB)
(PHI) John Mayberry Jr.: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, .352 WPA
(PHI) Jimmy Rollins: 0-5, K, -.224 WPA
For more on the series, Braves fans check out Talking Chop and Phillies fans check out The Good Phight.