2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, May 29-31

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.

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.

In this edition of the 2020 MLB season sim, the Yankees run afoul of the Angels.

The Yankees offense did its best to keep up with the Jays, scoring 23 runs in the three-weekend games in Anaheim. The Yanks won 9-2 behind J.A. Happ, 5-2, Friday, lighting up Angels starter Julio Teheran, 1-8, for seven runs in less than two innings of work.

But the Angels showed some offense of their own Saturday against Jonathan Loaisiga and three relievers. In a 29-hit contest featuring six home runs, Anthony Rendon’s sixth-inning grand slam highlighted a seven-run Angels outburst against Jordan Montgomery, 0-3, that overcame New York’s seven-run second inning. It threw the Angels in front 13-7 and they won 13-9.

The Angels knocked out starter Gerrit Cole in the fifth inning Sunday, but Gleyber Torres’ second home run made a 5-4 winner out of Luis Cessa, 6-2, working in relief.

At Tropicana, Brad Snell, 7-2, outpitched Milwaukee’s Adrian Houser, 3-7, and came away with a 1-0 decision. Snell allowed just three hits, striking out 12, and got the only run he needed on Joey Wendle’s second-inning home run.

The Brewers made up for their offensive lapses Sunday against Tyler Glasnow, 3-5. Avisail Garcia, Orlando Arcia, Christian Yelich, and Eric Sogard all hit safely three times, Garcia’s hits driving in six runs during an 18-5 Brewer runaway. Brett Anderson, 7-2, was the pitching benefactor.

                                W-L         Pct         GB

New York            34-27     .557        —

Toronto                31-29     .517        2.5

Boston                 28-33     .459        6

Tampa Bay          27-34     .443        7

Baltimore            22-39     .361     12

In this edition of the 2020 MLB season, the Twins have lots to do in Chicago.

Minnesota’s visit to Chicago was an opportunity for the White Sox to legitimize their wild card credentials and potentially build momentum for the division race, but the Twins didn’t give Chicago much of a chance. The visitors scored in double figures in all three games, Chicago still managing to save one of them.

With 14 runs of support including an eight-run top of the first, Jake Odorizzi, 9-2, had it easy in Friday’s 14-4 victory. Nelson Cruz’s four hits included a three-run home run off Sox starter Dallas Keuchel, 3-4, who faced six batters without retiring any of them.

Saturday’s game was a virtual reprise of Friday, the Twins this time scoring four in the first, two in the second and four more in the third, by which time Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez, 4-3, was gone. Luis Arraez and Josh Donaldson both had three hits, Donaldson driving in three runs in the 13-6 victory.

That set the stage for Sunday’s wild finish. The teams were tied 7-7 entering the ninth when the Twins hit Sox relievers Jace Fry and Kelvin Herrera for three runs including Max Kepler’s home run

That appeared to set up the Twins for a sweep, but Sergio Romo, 1-2, couldn’t make it stick. Yasmani Grandal’s three-run home run led a four-run rally that made a winner instead of Alex Colome, 2-2.

The Indians beat Kansas City 6-1 Friday as Aaron Civale, 5-3, scattered eight hits across six innings. Sandy Leon homered and drove in three runs. Cleveland also won 3-2 Saturday behind seven innings from Carlos Carrasco, 2-1. Franmil Reyes’s two-run sixth-inning home run off Brad Keller, 2-8, put Cleveland on top.

But on Sunday, Jacob Junis, 6-5, and two relievers held the home team to four hits in a 2-0 shutout. Junis pitched into the ninth. Then after the Indians mounted a late threat against Junis and Tim Hill, Ian Kennedy came in to record his ninth save.

                                 W-L         Pct          GB

Minnesota          42-18     .700        —

Cleveland            38-21     .644        3.5

Chicago               33-27     .550        9

Kansas City        24-37     .393     18.5

Detroit                18-41     .305      23.5

During the 2020 MLB season, Yuli Gurriel is on quite a productive streak.

Yuli Gurriel enters June as the leader in the AL batting race. He’s hitting .381 for the AL West-leading Astros, 15 points up on Minnesota’s Josh Donaldson (.366), and 26 points ahead of Boston’s Xander Bogaerts (.355).

Gurriel has also batted safely in 22 consecutive games, the league’s longest hitting streak this season. No team has stopped him since the Mariners did so on May 7.

Minnesota’s Miguel Sano holds the home run lead with 24, two more than Chicago’s Jose Abreu. That’s a 65-home run pace for the season. His teammate, Donaldson, leads in RBIs with 65, four ahead of Abreu.

Odorizzi’s victory over the White Sox made him the first AL pitcher to win nine times this year. Texas’ Mike Minor holds the ERA lead at 2.57, but Snell’s brilliant performance against the Brewers lowered his ERA to 2.66.

Chicago’s Giolito has 110 strikeouts, six more than Tampa Bay’s Charlie Morton, and eight more than Houston’s Justin Verlander.

In this edition of the 2020 MLB season simulation, we profile two AL teams.

Toronto Blue Jays: The secret to Toronto’s gradual rise in the AL East has been dominance within its division. The Jays rank only eighth in batting at .248 and ninth in pitching at 4.68. But they are 21-14 against AL East teams, including 10-3 against the Orioles.

They do rank fifth in runs scored (294).

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Vlad Guerrero Jr. is hitting .330, although with only four home runs and 19 RBIs. Lourdes Gurriel isn’t having quite the season of his brother in Houston, but at .282 with a team-leading 14 homers and 49 RBIs, he’s been a consistent presence. The Jays need to get shortstop Bo Bichette (.232, four homers, 10 RBIs) going.

Matt Shoemaker, Trent Thornton, and Tanner Roark have been solid in their starting roles, combining for an 11-10 record and all with ERAs between 3.50 and 4.20. Ken Giles leads the league in saves with 17.

Minnesota Twins: The Twins are winning at a 70 percent rate, so their presence at or near the head of most statistical categories should be no surprise. Begin with team pitching; Minnesota’s 3.43 ERA is a solid No. 1. Twins pitchers have allowed a league-low 72 home runs and struck out  579 opponents, the third-highest total.

Jose Berrios is 6-3 with a 2.88 ERA, and Devin Smeltzer is 3-0, 2.43 in eight appearances, six of them starts. Odorizzi is 9-2 despite a 3.89 ERA in 12 starts.

The Twins rank second behind Houston with a .297 average, but they have a healthy lead in home runs, 126 to the Astros 117, and runs scored, 417 to Houston’s 402. The Twins have seven regulars or semi-regulars batting .295 or above, seven with 10 or more home runs and seven with at least  39 RBIs,

Texas Rangers: At .253, Texas is seventh in batting. Joey Gallo, whose playing time has been limited by nagging injuries, is hitting .305 when he does take the field. Veteran third baseman Todd Frazier, .299, 13 homers, 42 RBIs, has been a pleasant surprise.

The Rangers need an uptick from infielder Rougned Odor, .224, and catcher Robinson Chirinos, .228.

Veteran Mike Minor is 7-2, 2.57 in 13 starts, and Lance Lynn, 7-4, 3.18, has been almost as effective. The pitching has generally been a pleasant surprise. Texas ranks fifth in the league in staff ERA at 4.20 behind only the Twins, Athletics, Astros and Indians.