2020 MLB Season: Simulating NL games, July 3-5
By Bill Felber
St. Louis sweeps the Brewers and jumps to first in the 2020 MLB season NL simulation.
As they usually do, the Cardinals rode some of the NL’s best pitching to their sweep of the Brewers. Cardinal pitchers allowed just four runs in the three-game series, a good thing given that two of the wins were by one run.
Miles Mikolas, with a four-inning assist from the bullpen, held Milwaukee to a single run Friday in a 2-1 victory. That pen – Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Miller, and Carlos Martinez – allowed just two hits in protecting that slim margin forged with Paul DeJong’s fourth inning two-RBI double.
Jack Flaherty limited the Brewers to three hits and one run on Saturday, but that was overkill since Cardinal hitters pummeled Josh Lindblom and three Brewers relievers for 15 runs and 14 hits. DeJong, Brad Miller, Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter, and Harrison Bader (twice) all homered.
The dramatics ratcheted up again Sunday when DeJong’s eighth-inning home run off Ray Black broke a 2-2 tie and gave St. Louis a 3-2 victory. Adam Wainwright lasted into the eighth inning and Martinez got his 12th save.
The bonus came when the D-Backs took care of Cincinnati in three games, two of them tension-filled. Cincinnati carried a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning Friday only to see it melt away. Ketel Marte doubled home, Kole Calhoun, then Christian Walker took an Amir Garrett pitch to the pool in right-center for the tying and go-ahead runs.
The D-Backs did it again Saturday, erasing a 1-0 deficit with Walker’s RBI single, then winning it thanks to Calhoun’s eighth-inning home run off Anthony DeSclafani, 8-6.
Arizona’s Sunday win was easier. The D-Backs scored seven times in the fifth and sixth innings, Tim Locastro hitting a home run and three doubles to drive in five runs. Merrill Kelly was not at his best, allowing four runs in his seven innings, but still ran his record to 10-2. The final score was 9-4.
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In his quest to bat .400, Ketel Marte had four hits in nine official at-bat sand stands at .395.
In New York, Zach Davies ran into difficulty in his quest for the ERA title. Davies allowed five Mets runs in seven innings. The Padres survived with a 7-5 win because Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar both homered off Rick Porcello, Myers driving in three runs.
Marcus Stroman pitched the Mets to a 4-1 victory Saturday, scattering seven hits and getting lost-out relief help from Justin Wilson. But the Padres came back Sunday behind Fernando Tatis Jr. His three-run home run capped a five-run second off Michael Wacha and carried San Diego to a 7-3 victory. Joey Lucchesi, 6-4, lasted seven innings.