2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, April 6-9
By Bill Felber
2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL Games (April 6-9)
National League Central
Steady rain erased both the Monday and Tuesday games of Milwaukee’s scheduled three-game stay in Cincinnati. They’ll have to be made up at a later date.
The Wednesday game was a bad one for closers. Trevor Bauer held the Brewers in check into the ninth inning before he and reliever Raisel Iglesias were touched for three runs as Milwaukee took a 5-4 lead. Avisail Garcia’s pinch-hit home run off Iglesias was the big blow.
But the Reds recovered with a pair of runs of Brewers closer Cory Knebel in the bottom of the ninth for the win. Eugenio Suarez’s game-winning double capped a four-hit Reds outburst against Knebel in the ninth.
The Cardinals lost three of four to Los Angeles in St. Louis, costing them sole possession of the NL Central lead. The only St. Louis win came Tuesday when Matt Carpenter doubled, homered and drove home three runs in a 6-5 victory.
Otherwise, this series belonged to the Dodgers. They won 6-3 on Monday, 13-7 on Wednesday and 3-2 on Thursday. While Mookie Betts remained mired in his season-opening slump, Cody Bellinger broke out of his. Bellinger went seven-for-14 against St… Louis to raise his batting average to .365.
Pittsburgh showed signs of life, taking three games of a four-game mid-week series against the visiting Cubs. Steven Brault pitched eight strong innings in Monday’s 4-1 Pirate win, Joe Musgrove did the same in a 2-1 Pittsburgh decision on Wednesday, and Chris Archer held the Cubs in check through six innings of a 5-2 Pirates victory on Thursday.
Chicago’s only victory came Tuesday when Kyle Hendricks and Craig Kimbrel combined to shut out the Pirates 5-0. Kyle Schwarber homered and drove in two runs. Schwarber’s average sits at .381.
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W-L Pct GB
Cincinnati 7-4 .636 —
St. Louis 8-5 .615 —
Chicago 7-6 .538 1
Milwaukee 4-7 .364 3
Pittsburgh 4-9 .308 4