2014 Game 1: Denard of Menthon?

My intentions to write a few posts during the Spring Training season were undone when my mother developed a grave illness. Posting may be erratic this season, as usual.

Highest Leverage PA:     5.5, PA#69 Span 2B vs Parnell, Nationals 9th.
Highest LI Win Value:    .363, PA #69, Span 2B vs Parnell, Nationals 9th.
QMAX rating:             (3,3) for Strasburg (Success Square zone).
Bullpen Award:           Goat's Head for Tyler Clippard.

Batters' Aggregate LI Win Values:

Span           0.431
Rendon         0.205
McLouth        0.109
Lobaton        0.106
Espinosa       0.081
LaRoche        0.057
Desmond        0.013
Werth         -0.004
Strasburg     -0.024
Harper        -0.043
Ramos         -0.087
Zimmerman     -0.277

Not only did Denard Span have the highest-leveraged plate appearance of the game, he also had the second-highest, in the 7th against Rice. He delivered both times. Denard rescued a floundering Nationals' effort. Let's toast him with a cask of brandy!

Despite a difficult start, Stephen Strasburg still managed to keep his appearance in the QMAX Success Square, just. So he did his job.

Matt Williams showed great confidence in rookie hurler Aaron Barrett, who entered the game with the highest leverage at stake of any of the relief pitchers the Nationals used. However, he was facing some of the weaker hitters in the Mets' lineup at that point, so the risks were lower than they might have been.

(My title alludes to the patron of a certain breed of rescue dogs.)

2012 Game 45

Highest Leverage PA:      2.2, PA#35 Minor GDP vs Strasburg, Braves 4th.
Highest WPA/LI Value:     .255, PA #44, Uggla HR vs Strasburg, Braves 5th.
Highest WPA/LI Fldg Play: .068, PA#35 Minor GDP vs Strasburg, Braves 4th.
QMAX rating:             (5,5) for Strasburg.
Bullpen Award:           Hero's Palm for Gorzelanny.

Batters' WPA/LI Values:

Espinosa       0.156
Harper         0.114
Tracy          0.061
Ankiel         0.036
LaRoche        0.028
Nady           0.007
Strasburg     -0.004
Desmond       -0.011
Gorzelanny    -0.033
Zimmerman     -0.043
Moore         -0.050
Flores        -0.074

And this one also belongs to the Nationals' hitting. This looks like Strasburg's worst start of the season so far, but the bullpen did a better job of holding back the Braves than they did on Friday night. Espinosa's and Harper's home runs were supported by crucial extra-base hits from Desmond, Ankiel and Nady. A solid team effort with the bats.

2012 Game 31

Highest Leverage PA:         4.9, PA #49, Jones K vs Strasburg, Pirates' 6th.
Highest Clutch Value:        .283, PA #40, LaRoche HR vs Correia, Nationals' 9th.
Lowest Opp. Clutch Value:   -.132, PA#49, Jones K vs Strasburg, Pirates' 6th
QMAX rating:                 Success Square (3,4) for Strasburg.
Bullpen Award:               Hero's Palm for Tyler Clippard.

Batters' Leveraged Win Values:

LaRoche        0.318
Bernadina      0.095
Strasburg      0.053
Ankiel         0.019
Zimmerman      0.013
Tracy          0.010
Harper        -0.014
Lombardozzi   -0.021
Flores        -0.081
Desmond       -0.112
Espinosa      -0.208

A game of True Outcomes, with Stephen Strasburg's thirteen strikeouts and the Nationals runs all coming on walks and home runs. Even the Pirates' 6th inning was dominated by True Outcomes, as only Jose Tabata's leadoff 6-3 ground out actually involved any fielders other than the catcher. The rest of the plate appearances were walks or strikeouts. Taking a look at 'the other side of the hill' (to allude to the Iron Duke), one notes that Kevin Correia also pitched into the Success Square, at a 3,3 rate. That means his outing was a little bit better than Strasburg's, for all the strikeouts. The difference is one walk. In QMAX, how you get outs is irrelevant.