2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, June 29-July 2

In this 2020 MLB season simulation, the Brewers sweep the Cubs and seize second in NL Central.

Suddenly it’s not the St. Louis Cardinals that the Cincinnati Reds are worried about.

In the 2020 NL simulation, the NL Central-leading Reds have a new challenger breathing down their necks. The Milwaukee Brewers waltzed out of Wrigley Field with a four-game mid-week sweep of the Chicago Cubs and closed within a game and a half of the Reds.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Milwaukee, which has won six straight, is even with Cincinnati in the loss column, both teams having dropped 41 games.

The Brewers thrashed the Cubs with an offense that has found its mojo. In the four-games, the Brewers out-scored Chicago 32-9 and out-hit them 48-26. In their six-game winning streak, the Brewers are averaging better than seven runs per game.

The Brewers let Cubs fans know what was in store for them with a seven-run sixth inning outburst Monday against starter Jon Lester and loser Rowan Wick. Lester entered that inning protecting a 5-2 lead, but it evaporated in a hail of fire that included back-to-back home runs by Justin Smoak and Keston Hiura. Smoak’s, which kayoed Lester and tied the game, knocked in three runs.

Brandon Woodruff followed that by limiting the Cubs to a single run into the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 5-1 victory. On Wednesday, the Brewers pummeled Kyle Hendricks for five runs in four and two-thirds innings on the way to an 11-0 win for Brett Anderson, 9-4. Milwaukee finished off the sweep 6-2 Thursday, Lorenzo Cain driving in four runs with a three-run home run in the eighth and a ground out.

In other NL action, the Reds split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cardinals split four with the Washington Nationals. NL East-leading Atlanta took two of three inter-league games with Texas, while the Phillies lost to Arizona and then won two of three in San Diego.

The Mets swept a three-game series from the Giants in New York, and Colorado swept a four-game series from the Pirates in Pittsburgh. In other interleague series, the Miami Marlins lost two of three to the Oakland Athletics and Arizona lost two of three in Kansas City.