2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL Games for April 17-19

2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL Games (April 17-19)

American League East

The Cincinnati Reds’ series in New York was certainly the weekend’s most tightly contested. All three games required extra innings to decide. They also hinged on bullpen shortcomings.

The Reds carried a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth on Friday – thanks in large measure to Eugenio Suarez’s three-run home run in the sixth  — only to have Raisel Iglesias give it up. But in the 10th, Shogo Akiyama homered off Yankees reliever Ben Heller and Amir Garrett closed out the 8-7 win.

It was to be Cincinnati’s only moment of glory in Yankee Stadium. The Reds carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth on Saturday, then gave it up again when Yankees first baseman Luke Voit homered with Brett Gardner aboard to knock out starter Sonny Gray. In the 10th, D J LeMahieu took Michael Lorenzen deep for the walk-off winner.

The Yankees took advantage of Cincinnati’s pen again Sunday. This time the Reds rallied from a 6-4 deficit with two runs in the ninth, those coming off Yankees reliever Zack Britton. In the 10th, however, Aaron Judge hit his second homer of the game to wrap up a 7-6 decision.

The Reds’ pen – Iglesias, Garrett, Lorenzen, and Cody Reed — allowed five runs in six and two-thirds innings of work in the Bronx.

Those outcomes moved the Yankees ahead of the suddenly impotent Red Sox, who managed nothing at all against Cleveland’s pitching. On Friday Franmil Reyes homered in the second and Aaron Civale – with help from Hunter Wood – made it stand out for a 1-0 two-hitter. One day later Zach Plesac stopped the Sox on four hits and Jose Ramirez’ two-run ninth-inning home run sealed a 3-0 decision.

There was no suspense Sunday once Carlos Santana delivered a second-inning grand slam to get the Indians off to a 6-0 start. Behind Mike Clevinger and four relievers, they buried the Red Sox 13-0, again holding them to just four hits. Bogaerts was virtually Boston’s entire story; the rest of the team managed just two doubles and two singles.

The Blue Jays took two of three from Tampa Bay and edged into second place just behind New York. Tampa’s only success came in the Friday opener when Hunter Renfroe’s two home runs carried the day for Blake Snell in a 7-4 decision.

The Jays broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth Saturday against Nick Anderson on Lourdes Gurriel’s two-RBI single, scoring Teoscar Hernandez and Cavan Biggio. On Sunday Trent Thornton shut out Tampa on five singles and Danny Jansen and Randall Grichuk homered in a 5-0 Jays win.

                                 W-L          Pct        GB

New York             12-10       .545        —

Toronto                 11-11      .500        1

Boston                  11-12      .478        1.5

Tampa Bay           10-12      .455        2

Baltimore               9-12       .429        2.5