Call to the pen
Fansided

2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, June 5-7

By Bill Felber

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 of the Toronto Blue Jays heads to the locker room after pitching in the spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at TD Ballpark on February 27, 2020 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 of the Toronto Blue Jays heads to the locker room after pitching in the spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at TD Ballpark on February 27, 2020 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
(Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

In this 2020 MLB season sim, Cleveland and Chicago are huge disappointments.

The Angels hung a pair of weekend losses on the first-place Twins,  but neither of the division leaders’ chief rivals took advantage.

Five home runs, two by Jorge Polanco, boosted Rich Hill, 5-2, to a 10-5 victory Friday. Nelson Cruz, Mitch Garver, and Miguel Sano also reached the seats.

But the Angels evened the series Saturday, breaking a 7-7 tie with a three-run ninth inning and then hanging on for a 10-9 victory.   Los Angeles confined its run production to just two innings, riding Anthony Rendon’s grand slam to a seven-run fifth off Devin Smeltzer and then tapping Sergio Romo, 1-3, for the ninth inning winners.

Hansel Robles gave up a two-run ninth-inning home run to Byron Buxton but held on for his 15th save.

The Angels took the Sunday game 8-6 in 11 innings, and again late fireworks were the story. Tommy LaStella’s three-run home run off Romo highlighted a four-run 11th that the Twins made a run at offsetting with Garver’s second shot of the game, good for two runs. But Matt Andriese was able to seal the decision.

The Indians beat Kansas City 4-2 on Friday, Roberto Perez’s ninth-inning two-run home run breaking a 2-2 tie. But the Royals rode Jacob Junis’ eight innings to a 3-1 Saturday decision, then won 4-2 Sunday on Sal Perez’s two-run eighth-inning home run. Ian Kennedy picked up his 11th save.

The White Sox wasted their opportunity with three straight defeats to the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Tigers broke a 1-1 tie with a pair of 11th inning runs off Jace Fry, Miguel Cabrera’s base hit getting those runs home. Joe Jimenez allowed a home run to Leury Garcia in the bottom of the 11th but came away with a save in the 3-2 decision.

Saturday’s game went to the Tigers 11-8 thanks to home runs by Nico Goodrum, Christin Stewart, and Cameron Maybin. Tyler Alexander, 3-6, got the victory. Jonathan Schoop, Austin Romine, and C.J. Cron homered as the Tigers completed the sweep 8-3 Sunday behind Ivan Nova, 3-4.

The victories represented Detroit’s first three-game winning streak since late April.

Related Story. 2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, May 29-31. light

                               W-L          Pct          GB

Minnesota          44-23     .657        —

Cleveland            40-25     .615         3

Chicago                35-31     .530        8.5

Kansas City         27-40     .403      17

Detroit                  22-43     .338      21

Home/MLB News