Colorado Rockies 7, Cincinnati Reds 4 in Strat-O-Matic 2020 season simulation game 40

After taking an early 4-1 lead, the Cincinnati Reds (17-23) saw their offense go to sleep and their pitching unable to hold the lead as the Colorado Rockies (17-22) won their third game in the four-game series at Coors Field, 7-4.

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!

The sim Reds hit three home runs (by Jesse Winker, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez) in the first four innings. But Sonny Gray could not hold the Rockies’ offense down, and suffered his fourth loss in five decisions.

A key moment in the game occurred in the top of the fourth inning. After Suarez’s homer gave the Reds a 4-1 lead, Kyle Farmer doubled with two outs, and Tucker Barnhart followed with a single, one of his three hits. Farmer tried to score, but Rockies catcher Drew Butera expertly blocked the plate, both tagging out Farmer and ending the inning. What could have been a 5-1 lead with the chance for more damage was erased by Butera’s web gem. It was all Colorado thereafter.

Castellanos’ offensive resurgence continued, as he went 2-for-4 to increase his batting average to .264. Suarez knocked three hits, as his .247 average crept closer to a range Reds fans would expect.

The division-leading Cubs, Brewers and Pirates were all winners in games today. The Reds due to the loss fell a game and a half behind fourth-place Pittsburgh and six and a half games behind the Cubs.

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

B-Subbed Defensively (2B) For Gray In 6th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Reed In 9th Inning

A-Pinch Hit For Gray In 6th Inning

Standings following the May 10 games:

The 2020 schedule as currently constituted has the Reds returning home Monday for a seven-game homestand. First in are the Miami Marlins for a three-game set. Trevor Bauer will pitch for the sim Reds, while right-hander Sandy Alcantara pitches for Miami.

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.

All players’ batting stats

All players’ pitching stats

Batting and pitching player stats by team

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:

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.

Special note

There was a no-hitter today in the Strat-O-Matic simulation league! Texas’ Corey Kluber no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays.