Atlanta Braves 8, Cincinnati Reds 6 in Strat-O-Matic 2020 season simulation game 29

04/28/2020

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Braves	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	5	8	11	0
Reds	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	6	10	3

Eugenio Suarez leads the sim Cincinnati Reds (13-16) in two key statistical categories: home runs and errors. Both occurred in today’s game, and the error proved very costly as the Atlanta Braves (17-15) capitalized on it to score four unearned runs in the ninth inning on their way to an 8-6 win.

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 game play is on hold.

Help set the lineup, batting order for the simulated Reds:

Have you ever dreamed of your opportunity to “manage” the Reds? Now is your chance. Learn more below!

Despite the disappointing ending, the game started great for the home team. Luis Castillo put down the Braves in order in the top of the first, and the sim Reds jumped on Braves starter Max Fried for four in the bottom of the inning. The runs scored on two-run homers by Suarez (his ninth) and Aristides Aquino (his first).

The Reds scored one in the fifth, but it could have been more. Suarez and Phillip Ervin walked to start the inning, and then Nick Castellanos doubled to send Suarez home and Ervin to third. Aquino hit a fly ball that looked like it might score Ervin from third, but alas, Ervin was thrown out at the plate trying to score. So what looked it was going to be a 6-2 lead with a runner on second and one out was erased.

Then, the fateful ninth inning, with Raisel Iglesias on in hopes of closing things out. The first batter he faced, Nick Markakis, hit a grounder to third that Suarez booted for his seventh error in the young sim season. Ronald Acuna followed with a single, and then a wild pitch advanced both runners. Adeiny Hechavarria, who came in earlier to play second after an injury to Ozzie Albies, then singled to score both runners and tie the game at 5.

Later in the inning with now two out and the bases loaded thanks to an additional single and walk, Iglesias again uncorked a wild pitch to score the go-ahead run and move the other two runners to second and third. Ender Inciarte then lined a base hit which Phillip Ervin errored, allowing both runners to score easily, before commenter-manager Gonzo Reds came and took the ball from Iglesias.

Shogo Akiyama hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough.

The Cubs and Cardinals both won their games, thereby creating more room between them and the rest of the pack in the NL Central. The Reds and Brewers, tied for third, are now six and a half games behind the first-place Cubs, and 2.5 games behind St. Louis.

Here is the sim Reds box score, as provided by Strat-O-Matic:

A-Subbed Defensively (2B) For Albies In 3rd Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Dayton In 7th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Jackson In 9th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Castillo In 6th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (1B) For Stephenson In 8th Inning
F-Subbed Defensively (1B) For Iglesias In 9th Inning
G-Pinch Hit For Senzel In 9th Inning
H-Pinch Hit For Ervin In 9th Inning

Standings following the April 28 games:

NL Central	WON	LOST	PCT	GB
Cubs	20	10	.667	0
Cardinals	16	14	.533	4
Brewers	13	16	.448	6.5
Reds	13	16	.448	6.5
Pirates	11	19	.367	9

The 2020 schedule as currently constituted has the Reds wrapping up their homestand Wednesday by hosting the Atlanta Braves for the rubber game of the three-game series. Sonny Gray will pitch for the sim Reds, while righthander Mike Foltynewicz will pitch for the visitors.

Help set the lineup, batting order for the simulated Reds:

Have you ever dreamed of your opportunity to “manage” the Reds? Now is your chance.

Strat-O-Matic has agreed to allow Redleg Nation to submit the Cincinnati Reds’ lineups for each day’s simulated game. We want all of our readers who want to participate to get involved.

Here is how it will work:

In each wrap up of that day’s simulated game, Redleg Nation will post the opposing starting pitcher for the next game. You will know who the pitcher is and whether he is left-handed or right-handed, and you can use that information in creating a lineup for the next game, and submitting it in the comments below. “Splits” such as performance vs. left-handers or right-handers are replicated in the Strat-O-Matic game algorithm, and therefore should be considered.
We will accept lineups from every reader who wants to submit one. The lineup that will be submitted to Strat-O-Matic each day will be the one that receives the most positive replies (in effect, “yes” votes) from readers other than the submitter. In case of ties:
- First tiebreaker: Lineup submitted by the reader who has had the fewest number of opportunities as a “manager.”
- Second tiebreaker: Lineup submitted earliest in the comment thread. (So get your lineup in “early” each day.)
What is “early?” Redleg Nation posts these articles daily between 5 and 6 p.m. Eastern time. Strat-O-Matic’s deadline for us to submit a lineup for the next day’s game is midnight. On most days, we’ll do this before “bedtime,” which is typically between 10:30 and 11 Eastern time.

Have fun with this! If you have any questions, please post them in the comment string below. Here are the “managerial records” of our Redleg Nation participants to date:

Commenter/ “Manager”	WON	LOST	PCT
Gonzo Reds	2	1	.667
Peter Onte	2	1	.667
Redsfan4life	2	2	.500
BK	1	1	.500
Doug Gray	1	1	.500
James Owens	1	1	.500
RedsEuphoria	1	1	.500
Tomn	1	1	.500
Mark Moore	0	1	.000
Jeff	0	1	.000
Melvin	0	1	.000
VaRedsFan	0	1	.000
Tom Mitsoff	0	1	.000

About Strat-O-Matic

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’ performance based on statistics that their statistical experts project for each player in the 2020 season. 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. Our current plan is to provide statistical leader summaries here at Redleg Nation each Sunday. 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.

News/Notes from around baseball

One of the things we would have during the season in the game threads was a section comprised of news and notes for the day. While there’s a lot less going on these days in the baseball world than usual for this time of year, there still are some things that are worth highlighting. When there are, we’ll be adding them to these daily simulation threads.

Ticket Refunds for 2020 games coming soon?

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Major League Baseball reversed their policy that was restricting refunds on games that have already been “postponed”. The previous policy was that fans must hold onto those tickets and await for the re-scheduled game. At this point no one is yet offering refunds, but it sounds like this change in policy clears the way to allow them to happen. So if you had tickets and are looking to get some of your money back, that may be an option for you very soon – so keep your eyes peeled.

What it means to say “there will be a season this year”

NBC Hardball Talk’s Craig Calcaterra wrote a bit this afternoon about the “news” from yesterday from Jeff Passan of ESPN and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic’s reports about MLB’s confidence in having a baseball season this year and what it meant. He poses the question:

But what does that even mean?

I ask that because both of those reports say, right up front (and in the middle, and at the end), that baseball has no idea how it will play the season. None at all. Zero set plans. Zero tangible framework for a plan, even.

It’s an interesting point he’s making. Even if we don’t necessarily like it.