Bearcats in the Big Leagues: Happ’s Two-Run Single Powers Cubs

Bearcats in the Big Leagues has been a long running feature at Down the Drive and by long running I mean its been going since last spring. Still, it is a fixture in the summer lineup. But why should you have to wait a week at a time to get your updates on former Cincinnati Bearcats who have made it to the professional ranks? You shouldn’t, that’s the answer. So from now on BITBL will be a daily feature. Now, onto the baseball and the sweet manna from heaven known as statistics.

Josh Harrison

The Pirates were playing in the third part of a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies last night and for the second-straight game they claimed a victory, this time by a score of 5-2. Unfortunately, Harrison didn’t have a big role, at least offensively. He went just 1-for-5, finishing with a WPA (win probability added) of -0.071. He saw 17 strikes in the contest and struck out once. His one hit, a single in the top of the ninth, came when the Pirates already had a win probability 97 percent.

Ian Happ

With the Cubs more than fine with Happ in the middle of the order, the former Bearcat continues to be a force at the plate. His two-run single to center in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 3-3 tie and helped lead Chicago to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Happ, who played left field in the game, finished with a 2-for-4 day and a WPA of 0.130, which was the third highest mark among Cubs position players in the game. Happ has now hit safely in seven-straight contests and has two multi-hit efforts already this month.

Connor Walsh

Walsh did not pitch yesterday.

Ryan Atkinson

Despite another heaping of strikeouts (nine), Atkinson did not have his best outing yesterday. Making the start against the Quad Cities River Bandits, he was tagged for three runs on only two hits, as well as three walks across 5 ¹⁄₃ innings. He lost his control some in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he walked back-to-back batters after getting the first out. He then threw a wild pitch and let up a double that scored two runs before being replaced. Atkinson is now just 1-6 with a 3.63 ERA and 77 strikeouts over his last 10 outings (57 innings) for the Kane County Cougars.