2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, May 4-7

2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games (May 4-7)

National League East

The Braves and Phillies met for the first time this season in Philadelphia, Atlanta gaining the upper hand and narrowly missing a sweep that would have propelled them into the division lead. The victories included a 4-3 outcome Monday when Atlanta broke a 3-3 tie on Travis d’Arnaud’s ninth-inning home run off Tommy Hunter.

The Tuesday game was a 14-inning nail-biter eventually taken 4-3 by Philadelphia on Bryce Harper’s walk-off blast against Touki Toussaint with Jean Segura on base. Atlanta had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the 14th on another d’Arnaud home run, this one-off Vincent Arano, the eighth Phillies pitcher.

On Wednesday Atlanta won in conventional fashion, Mike Foltyniewicz checking the Phillies into the eighth inning of an 8-4 decision. Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two of the visitors’ five home runs against Nick Pivetta and four relievers.

The Brewers, who have mostly wandered through the season’s first month, found themselves in Miami, picking up three runs in a four-game series. As might be expected, their star, Christian Yelich, provided the impetus, with five hits in the first two games, two of them home runs. Yeich is now hitting a team-leading .340 for the Brewers.

Miami did take the series wrapup 6-0 behind Caleb Smith, who is emerging as a legitimate ace. Smith allowed six hits in seven innings, winning for the fifth time in six decisions and reducing his ERA to 2.50. He also struck out seven.

                                 W-L       Pct          GB

Philadelphia        23-14     .605        —

Atlanta                  23-17     .575        1.5

Washington        16-20     .444        6.5

Miami                   16-22     .421        7.5

New York            15-23     .395        8.5