As we enter the month of May, there’s still no baseball because of the coronavirus. So, we continue simulating games for the 2020 MLB season. Now, the NL.
The Los Angeles Dodgers can beat you with offense, and they can beat you with defense. In this weekend’s National League simulation, the San Diego Padres experienced both sides of the Dodgers’ talents.
The Dodgers took two out of three from the Padres in San Diego, beating them 20-6 on Friday then riding Ross Stripling’s four-hitter to a 3-1 Sunday win. San Diego did get the Saturday game 6-4.
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The Friday outburst was among the most suicidal outcomes likely to be played all season. Los Angeles lit up Padres starter Joey Lucchesi for 13 runs in just two-plus innings. More remarkably, the Dodgers did all that damage on just five hits, largely because Lucchesi issued seven bases on balls.
Two Fernando Tatis errors also allowed four unearned runs to score. A.J. Pollock, Max Muncy, and Justin Turner all scored three times despite the fact that they produced only a collective five base hits.
Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam home run and added a sacrifice fly to account for six RBIs.
Stripling benefitted Sunday from home runs by backup catcher Tim Federowicz and Enrique Hernandez, and that was all he needed. Trent Grisham’s eighth-inning pinch-hit home run represented San Diego’s offense.
The Padres’ only win came Saturday when Chris Paddack out-dueled David Price, and Drew Pomeranz stifled a ninth-inning Dodger rally for a 6-4 win.
The outcomes enabled the Dodgers to retain a half-game advantage over Arizona in the NL West. The Diamondbacks followed up their Thursday series-opening win over the visiting Chicago Cubs by taking two of three-weekend games in Phoenix.
In other National League weekend games, the NL Central-leading Cardinals dropped two of three to Milwaukee and lost a game of their lead on Cincinnati, which beat Washington two of three.
In the East, Philadelphia beat Colorado two of three and held their lead over the Atlanta Braves, who beat New York’s Mets two of three.
The Miami Marlins beat Pittsburgh two of three in Miami.
The weekend also saw brushback wars break out in two cities, resulting in four pitcher ejections. More on that momentarily.