2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, May 8-10
By Bill Felber
Though there are rumors of a 2020 MLB season on the horizon, we continue simulating games. Today, we take a look at the results for May 8-10 for the AL.
One-quarter of the way through the simulated 2020 AL season, Shohei Ohtani’s bat is rocking along. His arm? That may be a different matter.
Making his third mound appearance following shoulder surgery that limited his 2019 play to DHing, Ohtani survived against the Baltimore Orioles Friday…but he certainly did not thrive. In a seven-inning stint – his longest to date—he allowed five runs, three of them earned, and 13 hits.
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Angels bats came to Ohtani’s rescue in an 11-6 victory, his second against one loss. His ERA, however, rose to a disturbing 7.88.
Following the game, Angels manager Joe Maddon confirmed what everybody pretty much assumed: Ohtani will be largely restricted to DH for the foreseeable future, making only occasional starts…and most of those will be in emergency situations.
The Angels won because Ohtani did manage to control his inefficiencies. He walked only one, and Orioles hitters left nine runners on base. The slugging of third baseman Anthony Rendon also helped. He hit two home runs and drove in six runs.
The Angels also took Saturday’s game 2-1 behind Luke Bard, who won for the first time. Baltimore won 3-1 Sunday as Wade LeBlanc outpitched Felix Pena.
In other American League action this weekend, the Boston Red Sox took two of three from the Yankees in New York, Toronto, and Texas doing the same to Oakland and Tampa Bay respectively. In the Central, the Minnesota Twins swept Kansas City and picked up a game on the second-place Cleveland Indians, who only won two of three from Detroit.
Related Story. 2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, May 4-7. light
The last place Seattle Mariners may have made the biggest noise, beating the division-leading Astros in Houston Friday and again Sunday. That enabled the Mariners to leave town with three wins in four starts.
The two teams’ head-to-head play to date defies the standings; they have split eight meetings. Against all other opponents, Houston is 24-9, Seattle is 8-27. Go figure.
In the weekend’s interleague series, the Chicago White Sox took two of three from the Giants in San Francisco.