Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds: Simulating 2020 NLDS
By Bill Felber
The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds battle through a full 5 games in the 2020 NLDS simulation.
The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds both survived tight races to capture their divisions in the 2020 simulation.
The Braves won the NL East by a single game over the Philadelphia Phillies, finishing with a 93-69 regular-season record. The Braves held that one-game advantage entering the simulation’s final weekend, but faced a supreme challenge in that the schedule threw them against the imposing Houston Astros in a season-closing inter-league series at home.
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The Braves won only one of those final three games but survived when the Phillies lost twice in their final weekend series with the Washington Nationals.
The Reds had a marginally easier time of it, carrying a game and a half advantage into their final weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. While they split those games to finish 91-71, the Cubs failed to gain the sweep they needed to close the gap, losing a Friday game in 12-innings to the Cardinals that put them hopelessly behind.
Atlanta won five of the seven regular-season games played between the two teams, although the series was extraordinarily close. Four of Atlanta’s victories came by a single run.
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The Atlanta Braves entered the division round in less than peak physical condition. A nagging groin injury to outfielder Nick Markakis was of particular concern, slowing him down the stretch and forcing the Braves to rely increasingly on Ender Inciarte. Reserve outfielder Adam Duvall entered the series nursing sore abs that made his usefulness doubtful.
The Reds were not without their own physical issues, particularly involving outfielder Nick Senzel. Although carried on the active roster, Senzel was not expected to play much, his duties to be shared between Aristides Aquino and Philip Ervin.