Tucker Barnhart’s two-out double in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Freddy Galvis to give the Cincinnati Reds a 6-5 extra-inning victory in game two of the 2020 Major League baseball season, simulated by Strat-O-Matic games of Glen Head, N.Y.
The simulated victory evened the Reds’ record at 1-1.
Please let us know in the comments below your thoughts on whether you’d like Redleg Nation to cover these results on a daily basis, or perhaps a weekly basis (one wrap up per week with a few details from each game, and then a look back at the week with a recap of the season performances to that point), or not at all. We want to give our readers the content that they’re looking for during these difficult times and at all times. Let us know!
Galvis doubled with two out and nobody on in the home 10th inning against Cardinals righthander Daniel Ponce de Leon. Barnhart then followed with his game-winning double.
St. Louis led 5-2 after five and a half innings, scoring four off of Reds starter Sonny Gray, who struck out eight in five innings. Robert Stephenson surrendered the fifth St. Louis run in his one-third of an inning before being relieved by lefthander Cody Reed.
Reed, Pedro Strop, Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen held the visitors scoreless over the final four innings.
Eugenio Suarez and Mike Moustakas hit solo home runs for the Reds. Galvis and Nick Senzel each recorded three hits. Senzel pinch-hit for Gray, and then remained in the game in centerfield in a double-switch, replacing Shogo Akiyama.
That was the result today as Strat-O-Matic games of Glen Head, N.Y., continued its announced plan to simulate the entire 2020 Major League Baseball season on a day-by-day basis for as long as actual gameplay is on hold.
Here is a portion of the box score provided by Strat-O-Matic:
Click the adjacent box score screenshot for a more extensive box score (one that was taller than my ability to capture a screenshot allowed). See the recap of the highlights of the entire simulated March 28 MLB schedule.
Strat-O-Matic has been in the sports simulation business since the 1960s. A USA Today article contained this explanation:
Strat-O-Matic and other baseball simulations use statistics from the previous season to create “cards” for each player on a roster. The team managers select the batting order and the starting pitcher. From there, a series of dice rolls and calculations determines the outcome of each at-bat.
Strat-O, as it’s known to longtime players, first gained its immense popularity as a board game. The company has since expanded to a downloadable Windows version and one that’s played online. A few years ago, it introduced Baseball Daily – a new iteration that combined the player cards from the previous season with statistics from the real season being played at the same time.
Unlike many video games, the Strat-O-Matic results are based on algorithms that account for players’ actual past performance. It’s not a game played with a joystick that relies more on the skill of the person with the video game controller in his or her hand.
The simulation software will keep comprehensive statistics for all teams for the season, so we’ll be able to track year-to-date leaders in many statistical categories. You can follow the season at Strat-O-Matic.com, where they plan to post the results from each day’s schedule at 2 p.m. Eastern time.
Here are the standings after the full schedule of March 28 games:
Statistical categories that include Reds in the very early going:
If you have not seen it yet, please check out Wesley Jenkins’ randomized simulation initiative.
The 2020 schedule as currently constituted has the Reds and Cardinals playing the rubber match of the season-opening three-game series Sunday at Great American Ball Park.
Well pretty sure Lorenzen would have gotten into the game sooner to get his bat in there. Casali would probably not PH until Lorenzen is out the game.
I am assuming Farmer isn’t on the roster as a third catcher… I don’t know this is sort of ridiculous, we know Farmer is going to be on the team since he can catch and play SS. Whatever.
Aaron, I currently don’t know of a way to check the teams’ rosters. If I find it, I will let you know.
I vote to keep them coming on a daily basis.
Yep something to look at and complain about anyway. Castillo and Grey will be better than these games have shown…
I love it! Keep it coming!
See you when the real season starts.
Send daily game results
So Freddy Galvis is the front runner for MVP. Dotson called it last winter
I would say do a once a week recap of how things are going.
I actually forgot about Kyle Farmer he is not even on my roster for Out of the park baseball either.
I”d like to see this every day. Even simulated baseball is better than no baseball.
Make mine a “YES” vote for continuing the daily recaps and box scores. It’s at least a “something” in a baseball-less North America. I’m actually thinking of these daily recaps as akin to how my grandparents would have followed baseball as young people 90 years ago before radio and TV. Waiting for the newspaper accounts after the papers got the wire recaps and box scores from around the country. So, at least for me, there is a little bit of a generational connect in doing it this way…and thanks.
Do it daily, at least it’s baseball to read about. And I loved Strato as a kid!
I say keep them coming uts better than nothing.