MLB 2020-Play Ball!!!

jeffstified · 03-26-2020, 09:19 AM

Well, no viruses on my computer, so let's start the 2020 Major League Baseball season! As in real-life, I'm going to be a spectator and watch the baseball season unfold. Unlike real-life, I'm getting a ton of coaching job offers!

I'm going to sim day by day. Being a Braves fan, I'm mostly going to watch their games and report on them. But, other major headlines and interesting plays from around the league will be noted.

This is as real as it gets (at least for now)! So, sit back and enjoy all the action!

jeffstified · 03-26-2020, 09:51 AM

American League

In the East, Tampa Bay (93-69) is expected to come out on top.
Followed by New York (90-72), Toronto (84-78), Boston (80-82) and Baltimore (55-107).

The Central sees the Twins (93-69) edge out the Indians (92-68).
They are followed by the White Sox (83-79), the Royals (68-94) and the Tigers (60-102).

The West is taken by Houston (92-70). Los Angeles (89-73) comes up second
followed by Oakland (86-76) and a tie between Seattle and Texas at 76-86.

National League

The Braves (95-67) repeat has division champs in the East. The Mets (92-70)
come up just short. The division is rounded out be the Nationals (88-74), Phillies (71-91) and Marlins (67-95)

St. Louis (90-72) outpaces the rest of the Central division.
Chicago (84-78) is closest, followed by Cincinnati (81-81), Pittsburgh (74-88) and Milwaukee (65-97).

The West is dominated by the Dodgers (109-53). The Padres (84-78) finish second (25! games back).
Arizona and Colorado finish tied for third at 78-84. While San Francisco (66-96) brings up the rear.

jeffstified · 03-26-2020, 10:14 AM

Rotation
Mike Soroka
Max Fried
Mike Foltynewicz
Bryse Wilson
Kyle Wright

Bullpen
Shane Greene
Mark Melancon
A.J. Minter
Darren O'Day
Grant Dayton
Luke Jackson
Chris Martin
Will Smith

Lineup
C Tyler Flowers
1B Freedie Freeman
2B Ozzie Albies
3B Johan Camargo
SS Adeiny Hechavarria
LF Marcell Ozuna
CF Ender Inciarte
RF Ronald Acuna Jr.

Bench
C Travis d'Arnaud
3B Austin Riley
SS Dansby Sawnson
LF Adam Duvall
RF Nick Markakis

Observations
Mike Soroka is making his first Opening Day start at the age of 22.

After a promising Spring, Felix Hernandez failed to make the team and accepted an assignment to AAA.

The Braves have three of their starters under the age of 25-Soroka (22), Wilson (22), Wright (24).

Adeiny Hechavarria beat out Dansby Swanson for the starting shortstop job.

jeffstified · 03-26-2020, 07:50 PM

Braves start season with a BANG!

Ender Inciarte leadoff the season with a line drive home run. Not to be out done, Ozzie Albies made it back-to-back to start the 2020 season when he followed with a shot of his own. After a Freddie ground out, Ronald Acuna Jr. joined the party with a monster smash on the first pitch he saw. The three-run first was more than enough for the young righty, Mike Soroka. Soroka, making his first Opening Day start, cruised though the first 6 innings scattering 3 hits. He ran into trouble in the 7th. After walking Ketel Marte, he surrendered a double to Eduardo Escobar, moving runners to 2nd and 3rd. Carson Kelly grounded out to second, scoring Marte. Soroka finished with a line of 7.2 IP, 4H, 1ER and 6K. Will Smith pitched the ninth to earn his first save for the Braves.

New Brave Marcell Ozuna hit his first homer of the year in 4th. The Braves opened with season with a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Other notes from around the MLB

Jason Verlander of the Astros, pitched 6 hitless innings before suffering abdominal soreness and leaving the game. The Astros went on to beat the Angels 6-3.

Former Brave Mallex Smith had quite a day against the Rangers. Going 4-for-4 with 2 doubles and a triple, he led the Mariners to a win against Texas.

In another Mariners news, the team reunited with relief pitcher Hunter Strickland on a 1-year contract worth $780,000. Between Seattle and Washington last year, Strickland had 5.55ERA in 24.1IP across 28 games.

jeffstified · 03-28-2020, 09:16 AM

Ninth inning rally falls short

Madison Bumgarner was too much to handle for the Braves offense tonight. Even though he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, Bumgarner was never in any real trouble. With 2 outs in the ninth, the Braves made things interesting. A Marcell Ozuna single was followed by a double by Adeiny Hechavarria to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. However, Austin Riley, pinch hitting for the pitcher, lined out to center to end the game.

Other notes from around the MLB

The Dodgers' Cody Bellinger went 3-for-3 with 2 homers in their 9-5 win over the Giants.

A stray cat wondered onto the field during the 3rd inning of the Red Sox-Blue Jays game. After a 10 minute chase the tabby was apprehended and play resumed. Toronto went on to win the game 6-5, prompting calls for the cat to become the team's official "meows-cot".

jeffstified · 03-29-2020, 09:01 AM

Diamondbacks Clip Braves, 7-6

A 3-RBI performance from Eduardo Escobar, who led the NL in triples with 10 last year, helped the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves, 7-6. James Sherfy, credited with the win, is now 1-0. He allowed no runs on 1 hit. At 2-1, the Diamondbacks have played well so far.

Escobar had a game-changing home run in the bottom of the seventh. On a 1-1 slider from Shane Greene, he banged a 2-run home run to right, giving the Diamondbacks a 7-6 lead. It was the 1st home run of the year for Escobar.

"I like the grit of this ballclub," Escobar said.

Other notes from around the MLB

Pablo Lopez is out for the season. The Miami starting pitcher has been ailing with a torn rotator cuff. The team must now prepare to do without his services.

Stephen Strasburg spun a complete game shutout against the Mets, striking out 8 and surrendering 8 hits. The performance from Strasburg allowed Washington to escape with a 1-0 win despite an anemic offense.

Tampa Bay's Jose Martinez had a fantastic 5-for-5 day against the Pittsburgh Pirates, leading his club to victory, 5-4. He hit a solo-shot off Joe Musgrove in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, singled in the 7th and hit a solo-shot off Nick Burdi in the 9th.

jeffstified · 03-30-2020, 11:03 AM

Braves explode in the 15th to take marathon win from D-Backs!

Bryse Wilson got off to a shaky start on Sunday, allowing the first 3 batters to reach base. He only allowed one those to score and the game settled into a pitcher's duel. Each team would get a run in the 4th and that would be it until the 9th.

Down 2-1 with 2 outs, Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. kept the game alive with a sharp single to right. Johan Camargo followed with a double down the right field with Acuna sliding into home just ahead of the throw.

The pitching duel would resume until the 15th inning. With runner's at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, Hector Rondon threw a wild pitch to bring in the go ahead run. Ozzie Albies would finish his at-bat with a single to bring the insurance run. The offense wasn't done yet, though. After walks to Freeman and Acuna, Camargo was up again. This time he delivered the ball into the right field seats for a grand slam!

Darren O'Day would finish off the D-Backs for the 8-2 victory.

Other notes from around the MLB

After being hit by a pitch, Giancarlo Stanton will miss at least 3 weeks with a broken foot.

The St. Louis-Cincinnati game was canceled due to weather. The game is slated to be made up on August 24 as part of a double header.

03-26-2020, 09:19 AM	#1
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	MLB 2020-Play Ball!!! Well, no viruses on my computer, so let's start the 2020 Major League Baseball season! As in real-life, I'm going to be a spectator and watch the baseball season unfold. Unlike real-life, I'm getting a ton of coaching job offers! I'm going to sim day by day. Being a Braves fan, I'm mostly going to watch their games and report on them. But, other major headlines and interesting plays from around the league will be noted. This is as real as it gets (at least for now)! So, sit back and enjoy all the action!

03-26-2020, 09:51 AM	#2
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	Preseaon Predictions American League In the East, Tampa Bay (93-69) is expected to come out on top. Followed by New York (90-72), Toronto (84-78), Boston (80-82) and Baltimore (55-107). The Central sees the Twins (93-69) edge out the Indians (92-68). They are followed by the White Sox (83-79), the Royals (68-94) and the Tigers (60-102). The West is taken by Houston (92-70). Los Angeles (89-73) comes up second followed by Oakland (86-76) and a tie between Seattle and Texas at 76-86. National League The Braves (95-67) repeat has division champs in the East. The Mets (92-70) come up just short. The division is rounded out be the Nationals (88-74), Phillies (71-91) and Marlins (67-95) St. Louis (90-72) outpaces the rest of the Central division. Chicago (84-78) is closest, followed by Cincinnati (81-81), Pittsburgh (74-88) and Milwaukee (65-97). The West is dominated by the Dodgers (109-53). The Padres (84-78) finish second (25! games back). Arizona and Colorado finish tied for third at 78-84. While San Francisco (66-96) brings up the rear.

03-26-2020, 10:14 AM	#3
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	Braves Opening Day Roster Rotation Mike Soroka Max Fried Mike Foltynewicz Bryse Wilson Kyle Wright Bullpen Shane Greene Mark Melancon A.J. Minter Darren O'Day Grant Dayton Luke Jackson Chris Martin Will Smith Lineup C Tyler Flowers 1B Freedie Freeman 2B Ozzie Albies 3B Johan Camargo SS Adeiny Hechavarria LF Marcell Ozuna CF Ender Inciarte RF Ronald Acuna Jr. Bench C Travis d'Arnaud 3B Austin Riley SS Dansby Sawnson LF Adam Duvall RF Nick Markakis Observations Mike Soroka is making his first Opening Day start at the age of 22. After a promising Spring, Felix Hernandez failed to make the team and accepted an assignment to AAA. The Braves have three of their starters under the age of 25-Soroka (22), Wilson (22), Wright (24). Adeiny Hechavarria beat out Dansby Swanson for the starting shortstop job.

03-26-2020, 07:50 PM	#4
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	3/26 Thursday - Opening Day Braves start season with a BANG! Ender Inciarte leadoff the season with a line drive home run. Not to be out done, Ozzie Albies made it back-to-back to start the 2020 season when he followed with a shot of his own. After a Freddie ground out, Ronald Acuna Jr. joined the party with a monster smash on the first pitch he saw. The three-run first was more than enough for the young righty, Mike Soroka. Soroka, making his first Opening Day start, cruised though the first 6 innings scattering 3 hits. He ran into trouble in the 7th. After walking Ketel Marte, he surrendered a double to Eduardo Escobar, moving runners to 2nd and 3rd. Carson Kelly grounded out to second, scoring Marte. Soroka finished with a line of 7.2 IP, 4H, 1ER and 6K. Will Smith pitched the ninth to earn his first save for the Braves. New Brave Marcell Ozuna hit his first homer of the year in 4th. The Braves opened with season with a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Other notes from around the MLB Jason Verlander of the Astros, pitched 6 hitless innings before suffering abdominal soreness and leaving the game. The Astros went on to beat the Angels 6-3. Former Brave Mallex Smith had quite a day against the Rangers. Going 4-for-4 with 2 doubles and a triple, he led the Mariners to a win against Texas. In another Mariners news, the team reunited with relief pitcher Hunter Strickland on a 1-year contract worth $780,000. Between Seattle and Washington last year, Strickland had 5.55ERA in 24.1IP across 28 games.

03-28-2020, 09:16 AM	#5
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	3/27 - Day 2 Ninth inning rally falls short Madison Bumgarner was too much to handle for the Braves offense tonight. Even though he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, Bumgarner was never in any real trouble. With 2 outs in the ninth, the Braves made things interesting. A Marcell Ozuna single was followed by a double by Adeiny Hechavarria to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. However, Austin Riley, pinch hitting for the pitcher, lined out to center to end the game. Other notes from around the MLB The Dodgers' Cody Bellinger went 3-for-3 with 2 homers in their 9-5 win over the Giants. A stray cat wondered onto the field during the 3rd inning of the Red Sox-Blue Jays game. After a 10 minute chase the tabby was apprehended and play resumed. Toronto went on to win the game 6-5, prompting calls for the cat to become the team's official "meows-cot".

03-29-2020, 09:01 AM	#6
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	3/28 - Day 3 Diamondbacks Clip Braves, 7-6 A 3-RBI performance from Eduardo Escobar, who led the NL in triples with 10 last year, helped the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves, 7-6. James Sherfy, credited with the win, is now 1-0. He allowed no runs on 1 hit. At 2-1, the Diamondbacks have played well so far. Escobar had a game-changing home run in the bottom of the seventh. On a 1-1 slider from Shane Greene, he banged a 2-run home run to right, giving the Diamondbacks a 7-6 lead. It was the 1st home run of the year for Escobar. "I like the grit of this ballclub," Escobar said. Other notes from around the MLB Pablo Lopez is out for the season. The Miami starting pitcher has been ailing with a torn rotator cuff. The team must now prepare to do without his services. Stephen Strasburg spun a complete game shutout against the Mets, striking out 8 and surrendering 8 hits. The performance from Strasburg allowed Washington to escape with a 1-0 win despite an anemic offense. Tampa Bay's Jose Martinez had a fantastic 5-for-5 day against the Pittsburgh Pirates, leading his club to victory, 5-4. He hit a solo-shot off Joe Musgrove in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, singled in the 7th and hit a solo-shot off Nick Burdi in the 9th.

03-30-2020, 11:03 AM	#7
jeffstified Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 141	3/29 - Day 4 Braves explode in the 15th to take marathon win from D-Backs! Bryse Wilson got off to a shaky start on Sunday, allowing the first 3 batters to reach base. He only allowed one those to score and the game settled into a pitcher's duel. Each team would get a run in the 4th and that would be it until the 9th. Down 2-1 with 2 outs, Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. kept the game alive with a sharp single to right. Johan Camargo followed with a double down the right field with Acuna sliding into home just ahead of the throw. The pitching duel would resume until the 15th inning. With runner's at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, Hector Rondon threw a wild pitch to bring in the go ahead run. Ozzie Albies would finish his at-bat with a single to bring the insurance run. The offense wasn't done yet, though. After walks to Freeman and Acuna, Camargo was up again. This time he delivered the ball into the right field seats for a grand slam! Darren O'Day would finish off the D-Backs for the 8-2 victory. Other notes from around the MLB After being hit by a pitch, Giancarlo Stanton will miss at least 3 weeks with a broken foot. The St. Louis-Cincinnati game was canceled due to weather. The game is slated to be made up on August 24 as part of a double header.