2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, May 29-31
By Bill Felber
In this edition of the 2020 MLB season simulation, the Jays close in on the Yankees.
There’s a new contender in the AL East for the 2020 MLB season simulation.
By sweeping a weekend series in Baltimore, the Toronto Blue Jays moved as close to the division lead as they’ve been since the first week of the simulated season. The Blue Jays now sit just two and one-half games behind the division-leading New York Yankees.
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As May turns to June, Toronto is also the AL’s hottest team, having won eight of the last 10 games, including five straight. That has enabled the Jays to shave three and one-half games off New York’s lead.
Toronto has not built its recent success on any one element but instead has relied on varied strengths from day to day. On Friday, for example, Cavan Biggio’s three-run seventh-inning home run knocked Asher Wojciechowski, 2-5, from the mound and made a winner out of Tanner Roark, 2-2, who completed seven innings.
One day later, Randall Grichuk homered twice and drove in three runs as the Jays produced a 5-2 victory for Hyun-Jin Ryu, 5-4. On Sunday, Trent Thornton, 4-4, held the Orioles to three runs and five hits over seven innings, good enough to eke out a 4-3 win over Wade LeBlanc, 3-2.
That pulled the Jays another game closer to the top when New York only managed to take two of three from the Angels in Anaheim.
Related Story. 2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, May 25-28. light
In other weekend AL play, Oakland took two of three games in Arlington to move into second place in the AL West, although the Athletics remain seven and one-half games behind the division-leading Astros. Houston won two of three against Boston, further damaging the Red Sox’ hopes of contending this season.
The Minnesota Twins won a high-scoring series on Chicago’s South Side, and the Indians beat Kansas City two of three in Cleveland to keep pace.
In interleague play, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee split a pair of games, Seattle took two of three from NL East-leading Atlanta, and Detroit failed to slow surging Arizona, losing three times in Phoenix.