The OOTP AI Still Cheats!!!---MLB & The NY METS 2018

[rjl518]

9/13

MIA Marlins 4
NY METS 6
Citi Field

It took a few tries, but Corey Kluber finally gets his 20th win.
He goes 6 innings and gives up 4 runs on 9 hits.
Not one of his better days.
Aroldis Chapman gets his 20th save of the year.
But the lineup wanted to do everything they could to get Corey to 20 wins on the season.
The Mets did it with the long-ball as Bryce Harper (43,44) Jose Altuve (22) Giancarlo Stanton (35) and Josh Donaldson (14) all sent balls into the cheap seats.
Bryce Harper gets the Golden Bat as he went 2-4, 2 HRs, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
The Mets sweep the Marlins and now head to Beantown for an inter-league matchup with the Red Sox.

[rjl518]

Series Preview: BOS Red Sox @ Fenway Park (3-Games)

A possible World Series preview this weekend?
We have a HUGE series with the Red Sox in historic Fenway Park.
BOS is fighting for their playoff lives as they are 2.5 GB of the TOR Blue Jays in the AL East.
This is a series they know they have to win over the Mets.
BOS has talent, no doubts there.
Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Dustin Pedroia, David Price and JD Martinez round out the headliners for the Red Sox.
Tough series coming up and i want to show BOS that if they get to the Fall Classic and have to face us, they will have no prayer.
Syndergaard, Kershaw and Strasburg are the pitchers for this VERY BIG 3-game set.

[rjl518]

9/14

NY METS 13
BOS Red Sox 5
Fenway Park

The game started out pretty much touch and go there as Noah Syndergaard did not have his best stuff.
He went 6 and gave up 5 runs on 8 hits.
But Andrew Miller gets the win, his 4th of the year as the Mets lineup did the rest.
Everyone in the lineup had a hit.
Some big HRs as well: Corey Seager (3), Gary Sanchez (21) Mike Trout (42) and 2 by Buster Posey (17,18).
The Fenway faithful got a lot of baseballs today, but by the visiting Mets.
The Golden Bat goes to Buster Posey, of course.
He went 2-5 with 2 HRs, 2 runs scored, and 5 RBIs.
Pretty darn good night.
Always good to start the weekend off with a win.

[rjl518]

9/15

NY METS 6
BOS Red Sox 3
Fenway Park

Clayton Kershaw has a good game as he went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 8 hits.
Zach Britton picked up his 4th save and the bullpen grabbed two Holds.
Once again, the Mets lineup did the job.
Josh Donaldson (15) and Corey Seager (4) sent two HRs into the stands.
But its Jose Altuve who gets the Golden Bat.
He was 4-5 with 1 run scored and 2 RBIs to lead the team.
We take a big series from the Red Sox and now Strasburg will try to sweep them tomorrow.
However, with tonight's win, we match the 118 wins that the PrePredicts said we would have at the start of the season.

[rjl518]

9/16

NY METS 0
BOS Red Sox 9
Fenway Park

BOS David Price was just remarkable today as he outdueled Stephen Strasburg, who only took his 2nd loss this season.
Strasburg gave up 5 runs on 11 hits.
The lineup could not break though Price as Jose Altuve was the only guy who had 2 hits today.
We do win the series over BOS and now prepare for the Phillies.

[rjl518]

We are 12-3 in September and we have already matched the PrePredicts total of 118 wins.
Pretty much a guarantee we will pass it this week.
My filler players who i have brought up in roster expansion are designed to give my players rest if necessary.
If the game is out of reach either way, the expendable pitchers will be brought in to close the game out.

[rjl518]

Have to give it to the Dodgers.
No Clayton Kershaw, no Corey Seager, no problem as they clinch ANOTHER NL West title.

[rjl518]

American League:

The Pennant Chase goes into its penultimate week.
ALE: The Blue Jays hold a slim 2.5 game lead on the Red Sox, who have not had a good September at all.
ALC: The Twins should clinch this division in a few days.
ALW: The Rangers are in control with the Angels still very close. The Astros are starting to fade.
ALWC: HOU, however, still holds a 5 game lead on all other teams chasing the Wild Card and are only 2.5 GB of the LA Angels to host the Wild Card Series. Still lots can happen with two weeks left.

[rjl518]

National League:

The NL is kind of already set.
NLE: The Mets have clinched!
NLC: The Cubs will clinch this week!
NLW: The Dodgers just clinched!
NLWC: Here is where its interesting. The Diamondbacks and the Padres are tied to see who hosts the Wild Card Series. We all know how big home field advantage can be in the playoffs. Two weeks left here.

[rjl518]

1969 Topps Players of the Week:

[rjl518]

September 17-20:

[rjl518]

September 20-23:

[rjl518]

Series Preview: PHI Phillies @ Citizens Bank Park (3-Games)

The Phillies are the first team in our final stretch of games versus the NL East.
Still have to be wary of Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana as they can give us some trouble.
Aaron Nola and Jake Arietta are their aces on the mound.
I know that PHI wants to be play spoiler and make us earn our way to the end of the season.
Sale, Kluber and Syndergaard are the pitchers for this last series against the Fightin' Phils!

[rjl518]

9/17

NY METS 1
PHI Phillies 9
Citizens Bank Park

We get hammered by the Phillies in this one.
The Mets never score runs for Chris Sale anyway, but this is the 1st time all season long that this team has been outscored 18-1 over a two game stretch. (AI CHEATS!)
PHI Jerad Eickhoff outpitched Sale and this lineup could not get the big hit.
Corey Seager did hit his 5th HR as a Met though.
Looks like its going to be a little more difficult to pass the 118 mark. (AI CHEATS!!)

[rjl518]

9/18

NY METS 7
PHI Phillies 5
Citizens Bank Park

After this win, which was ugly, our streak of not losing three in a row remains intact.
Corey Kluber started the game, but went out with elbow soreness.
He is DTD for 6 days which means he will miss one start.
Luis Severino got the win, his 7th and Aroldis Chapman got his 21st save.
The whole bullpen combined to help close the game out.
A lot of starters needed the day off and i gave it to them.
The backups did pretty well.
Charlie Blackmon gets the Golden Bat as he went 2-4 with 2 HRs (9,10) and 4 RBIs.
Carlos Correa hit a PH-HR, his 16th when he came in to bat for Kluber.
A tough game, but one i wanted to win.

[rjl518]

MLB Injuries:

With the Rangers in the playoff hunt, they lose one of their better relievers for the season.

[rjl518]

Congrats to the ARZ Diamondbacks.
They clinch the 1st NL Wild Card.
They will probably be playing the SD Padres, but the question is where?

[rjl518]

9/19

NY METS 7
PHI Phillies 5
Citizens Bank Park

It wasn't pretty, but the Mets win the series over PHI.
Noah Syndergaard did his best going 6 and giving up 4 runs on 8 hits.
The bullpen closed the game with Zach Britton getting his 5th save.
Mike Trout hit his 43rd HR of the year and Corey Seager smacked his 6th as a Met.
There was good batting all way round but i will give the Golden Bat to Trout, who was 1-3 with a big 3-run HR in the 2nd.
We get our 120th win of the year.
Is it possible to get 130 with just 11 games left?

[rjl518]

The Twins have captured the AL Central crown.
The PrePredicts had the Twins winning it and they did not disappoint.
I have a strange feeling that they might be pretty good in the Postseason!

[rjl518]

The TEX Rangers have clinched the 1st AL Wild Card.
But the division is still within their grasp.
Either way, they are going to the playoffs.