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

Arizona sweeps the Tigers in 2020 MLB season simulation…but the games are close

Does a three-game series between the team with baseball’s record and the team with its worst, played on the field of the better team, sound like a mismatch?

In the 2020 NL simulation, the Detroit Tigers (18-41, .305) actually gave the Arizona Diamondbacks (43-17, .717) a solid challenge, although in the end form held. The D-Backs took all three games, but none were routs.

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The outcomes enabled Arizona to add one game to its advantage over Los Angeles, which won two of three from the Mets in New York.

The Tigers at least played Arizona competitively, losing all three times by just two runs. They also managed to do something NL teams have struggled with all season, contain Ketel Marte. The D-Backs star managed just one hit in the series, a meaningless single.

Arizona won Friday’s game 6-4 thanks to three solo home runs, two from Kevin Cron and one off the bat of Carson Kelly. Merrill Kelly, 5-1, allowed four runs in seven innings, Archie Bradley picking up his sixth save.

Carson Kelly’s three-run home run in the sixth inning Saturday gave the Diamondbacks a 5-3 lead that they turned in to another 6-4 win, this time behind Luke Weaver 4-3. Jordan Zimmerman, 5-3, lasted into the sixth inning for Detroit. Like Kelly, Detroit’s Jonathan Schoop hit his second home run in as many days.

Mike Leake allowed one run into the seventh inning Sunday as the D-Backs completed the sweep with a 3-1 win. David Peralta’s first-inning two-run home run gave Leake all the support he would need; Bradley picked up his seventh save.

The wins ran Arizona’s streak to eight straight; the Diamondbacks are 16-2 since May 12.

In other NL action, the Philadelphia Phillies took two of three from Washington, the Cubs slowed Cincinnati’s drive in the NL Central with a pair of weekend wins at Wrigley Field, and the Cardinals took two of three from Pittsburgh in St. Louis.

San Diego won two of three at home against Miami, and the Colorado Rockies won two of three in San Francisco. In other inter-league play, the Brewers split a two-game series in Tampa Bay and the Atlanta Braves lost two of three in Seattle.