/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46863848/usa-today-8722278.0.jpg)
Heroes and Zeroes is a series of articles where I use www.fangraphs.com to rank every player's contribution to the result of a given matchup. The conventional Wins Probability Added (WPA) metric measures hitting, pitching, and some baserunning. I add a component to account for fielding errors.
Heroes
Bryce Harper (WAS) .369
Harper, batting cleanup, struck out on a full count from Tom Koehler with runners on first and second for the second out of the opening inning (-4.4%). He singled to left to open the fourth (+4.8%), later scoring to tie the score at one. With two out and runners on the corners on the fifth, he hit a three run homer off Koehler (+33.3%). He added a solo shot off Sam Dyson to open the eighth to make the score 6-2 (+3.1%).
Ian Desmond (WAS) .159
Desmond batted sixth for the visitors, and started his night by grounding out to open the second (-2.3%). He tripled in Bryce Harper with one out in the fourth (+19.3%), then flew out to open the sixth (-0.9%) and grounded out for the second out of the eighth (-0.2%).
Ichiro! Suzuki (MIA) .114
Ichiro, batting seventh for the home team, began with a two-out RBI double (his 2,900th major league hit) in the second to open the scoring (+12.8%). He singled in the fourth inning with two out and a man on first (+2.7%), then got thrown out trying to go from first to third on an Adeiny Hechavarria RBI single for the final out of the inning. He opened the seventh with a ground out (-2.5%) and struck out with men on second and third for the second out of the ninth inning (-1.6%).
Almost Heroes
Justin Bour (MIA) .064
Casey Janssen (WAS) .048)
Jayson Werth (WAS) .046
Adeiny Hecharvarria (MIA) .043
Michael A Taylor (WAS) .030
Minimal Impact
Casey McGehee (MIA) .016
Drew Storen (WAS) .012
Tanner Roark (WAS) .006
Anthony Rendon (WAS) .005
Dan Uggla (WAS) .001
Andre Rienzo (MIA) .001
Jose Lobaton (WAS) -.003
Tyler Moore (WAS) -.008
Cole Gillespie (MIA) -.008
Martin Prado (MIA) -.017
Almost Zeroes
Doug Fister (WAS) -.027
Sam Dyson (MIA) -.027
Yunel Escobar (WAS) -.046
Derek Dietrich (MIA) -.047
Christian Yelich (MIA) -.056
Dee Gordon (MIA) -.057
Zeroes
Ryan Zimmerman (WAS) -.094
Zimmerman batted fifth for the Nats, lining out to second with two men on to close the first (-4.2%). He flew out to center with a man on first and nobody out in the fourth (-4.4%), struck out swinging to end the fifth (-0.5%), and struck out again for the first out of the eighth (-0.3%).
JT Realmuto (MIA) -.101
Realmuto, batting fifth for just the eighth time this season, flew out for the second out of the second (-1.6%). He dropped a foul pop up in the third inning (0.0%), struck out with nobody out and a man on first in the fourth (-4.6%), flew out with a man on first and one out in the sixth (-3.1%), and flew out with a man on first for the first out of the ninth inning (-0.6%).
Tom Koehler (MIA) -.444
Koehler wasn't really that bad, allowing six hits and a walk over six full innings. He struck out four, but allowed five earned runs. I'd say that's pretty much what proved to be the difference last night.
Best and Worst
The worst single event for the Marlins was JT Realmuto's strikeout with a man on first in the fourth (-4.6%).
The worst thing the Nationals endured was Ryan Zimmerman's fly out in his half of that same inning, with no outs and one on (-4.4%).
Miami's best moment was Ichiro's RBI double to left field in the second inning (+12.8%).
Washington's top play, of course, was Bryce Harper's two-out, three-run, eventual game winning blast in the fifth inning (+33.3%).
Tune in today for an early game, as the Marlins try to win the series at home with a 12:10 start time.