2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, June 19-21
By Bill Felber
In this 2020 MLB season simulation, twin wins for the Yankees in the AL East.
Minnesota had pummeled the Yankees 11-6 in Thursday’s series opener, and when the Twins didn’t let up Friday it looked to be a big weekend for the AL Central leaders. In that game, Nelson Cruz homered twice off J.A. Happ, and he and Josh Donaldson both piled up four RBIs in an 11-4 victory. Donaldson’s came via an eighth-inning grand slam off reliever Aaron Ottavino dousing any hope of a New York comeback.
The comeback came; it just took one day. On Saturday Yankee bats ignited for a dozen runs and 14 hits against Rich Hill and four relievers, the result being a 12-9 decision in favor of the Bronx Bombers. And once having found their rhythm, the Yanks didn’t slow down Sunday. They tied into Jose Berrios and randy Dobnak for 11 more runs and 12 more hits in an 11-2 runaway for Masahiro Tanaka, 8-2. Gleyber Torres homered twice, Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez once each for New York. Tanaka, meanwhile, held the Twins to two hits in six innings.
The Rays made it three straight in Baltimore and five straight overall, two of those wins coming by a single run. On Friday, Tyler Glasnow, 5-6, pitched into the eighth inning and Austin Meadows drove home the winner with an eighth-inning single as Tampa Bay took a 6-5 decision.
The Rays romped home 11-1 winners Saturday, Yonny Chirinos allowing just a Jose Rondon home run through seven innings. Meadows homered twice and drove in four runs. Tampa polished off the series with a 4-3 decision Sunday on eighth-inning RBI hits by Meadows and Brandon Lowe. Those made a winner of Brendan McKay, 6-4.
W-L Pct GB
New York Yankees 45-34 .570 —
Toronto Blue Jays 42-36 .538 2.5
Boston Red Sox 40-38 .513 4.5
Tampa Bay Rays 38-41 .481 7
Baltimore Orioles 25-54 .316 20