2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, May 22-24

2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games (May 22-24)

National League East

Mets starter Rick Porcello, 1-8, was cruising along with a 3-0 advantage Friday when his world collapsed in the sixth inning at Sun Trust Field. Porcello, who failed to escape the inning, allowed a home run to Travis d’Arnaud, a  grand slam to Ozzie Albies, and seven runs overall. That was all Sean Newcomb needed to secure his league-leading ninth win against just three losses.

The Braves won 9-4 Saturday for Felix Hernandez, 6-1. He allowed four runs over six innings, but home runs by Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., Marcell Ozuna, and Nick Markakis more than offset that. Acuna also doubled and drove in four runs.

The Braves’ hopes for a sweep fell flat in the top of the 10th inning of what at the time was a 3-3 tie. J D Davis broke that up with a home run, and Edwin Diaz pitched an uneventful bottom of the 10th for his first save of the season.

The Nationals pulled out two narrow victories against the Marlins. Miami took a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning Friday only to see reliever Adam Conley give it up on hits by Victor Robles, Kurt Suzuki, and Asdrubal Cabrera. The last, Cabrera’s triple, cleared the bases and ended the game 3-2.

Corey Dickerson homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs Saturday as the Marlins won 5-1 behind Pablo Lopez, 2-0.  Washington took Sunday’s game 3-2, Sean Doolittle thwarting a two-run Marlins rally off starter Joe Ross, 2-3, in the ninth. Caleb Smith, 5-4, took the loss, all three runs scoring on home runs by Adam Eaton and Eric Thames.

                                 W-L         Pct          GB

Atlanta                 34-21     .618        —

Philadelphia        31-21     .596        1.5

Washington        25-26     .490        7

Miami                   20-33     .377     13

New York            20-34     .370      13.5