2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, June 22-26
By Bill Felber
In the AL East, Fowl balls in the Bronx for the 2020 MLB season.
The Orioles came into New York having lost 10 straight, and New York initially didn’t do anything to help Baltimore’s cause. Gerrit Cole, 7-6, beat then 4-1 Monday, allowing just two hits into the seventh inning, and on Tuesday the Yanks took a 5-2 decision. Gleyber Torres’ three-run home run capped a four-run fourth for New York that made a winner out of Jonathan Loaisiga, 7-5.
On Wednesday, however, Alex Cobb pitched the best game of his season, limiting the Yankees to six hits in seven innings and beating James Paxton 2-1. Cobb, 4-9, struck out seven; Paxton fanned 11 but allowed run-producing hits to Renato Nunez and Hanser Alberto.
One day later, Anthony Santander’s second home run of the game, coming with a man on in the top of the ninth, ruined Aroldis Chapman’s attempt at his 16th save and turned a 5-4 Yankee lead into a 6-5 Orioles victory. Austin Wynns also homered.
In St. Petersburg, the Athletics took Tuesday’s contest 4-2, but Tampa got revenge Wednesday when Brandon Lowe’s three-run walk-off shot in the 10th ended a 5-2 game. T.J. McFarland threw that final pitch, making a winner of Colin Poche after Blake Snell and Frankie Montas had matched arms evenly into the sixth inning. The A’s left 11 runners on base.
There was no stopping the Athletics Thursday. Matt Chapman homered, singled, and drove in four runs to lead a 6-2 win for Chris Bassitt, 6-9.
Related Story. 2020 MLB Season: Simulating AL games, June 19-21. light
W-L Pct GB
New York Yankees 47-36 .566 —
Toronto Blue Jays 45-36 .556 1
Boston Red Sox 42-39 .519 4
Tampa Bay Rays 39-43 .476 7.5
Baltimore Orioles 27-56 .326 20