2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, May 18-21
By Bill Felber
As the novel coronavirus continues to take its toll, we continue simulating games. Today, we simulate AL games for May 18-21 of the 2020 MLB season.
If the Oakland Athletics are going to make their promised run at the division-leading Houston Astros, they have to catch the Texas Rangers first. The A’s made a fleeting stab at doing so this week.
Stuck at .500 and two and one-half games behind Texas entering the teams; three-game series in Oakland, the A’s managed to take two of those three games and shave a game off their deficit. They now trail the Rangers by a game and a half, the Astros by seven and a half.
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Chris Bassitt, 3-5, picked up the Tuesday victory with help from Khris Davis’ three-run first-inning home run. Davis later singled to drive home a pivotal run in the 5-4 final score. Texas rode eight strong innings from Lance Lynn, 7-3, to a 3-2 win Wednesday. Lynn bested Mike Fiers, who left a 2-2 tie with two out in the ninth after allowing Rougned Odor’s double. Pinch-hitter Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled Odor home against Yusmeiro Petit to saddle Fiers with his second loss against six victories.
Jesus Luzardo pitched five solid relief innings Thursday to gain an 8-5 victory. Backup catcher Austin Allen’s three hits, one of them a triple, accounted for three RBIs and Stephen Piscotty drove in two more with his three hits.
In other mid-week AL action, the Houston Astros won two of three in Toronto, Tampa Bay won two of three in Boston, Baltimore won two of three from the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins, and the Los Angeles Angels swept a four-game series in Kansas City. The Twins also dropped the opener of their four-game weekend series with the Chicago White So, while Baltimore won the opener of its four-game series in Toronto.
The Yankees, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, and Mariners all spent the week in inter-league play.
light. Related Story. 2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, May 15-17
AL West
W-L Pct GB
Houston 33-17 .660 —
Texas 27-23 .540 6
Oakland 26-25 .510 7.5
Los Angeles 24-25 .490 8.5
Seattle 17-34 .333 16.5