| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Reds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Dodgers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 5 | 7 | 1 |
For the second time in three days, the Cincinnati Reds (42-45) were limited to one hit by Los Angeles Dodgers (58-29) pitching in a 5-0 loss at Dodger Stadium.
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!
Nick Castellanos’ seventh-inning single off Dodgers starter and winner David Price — activated from the injured list just before the game — was the only Cincinnati hit in the game. Price walked one batter, and the Reds had only three base runners total. (Michael Lorenzen reached on a first-inning error by shortstop Corey Seager.)
Los Angeles scored three in the first off starter and loser Sonny Gray, and that was all they would need. With two out and nobody on, Gray issued a walk to Max Muncy (one of nine walks issued by Reds pitchers). That triggered the three-run rally, highlighted by a two-run double by A.J. Pollock. Gray fell to 1-7 for the season.
Milwaukee reassumed sole possession of first place in the NL Central by scoring seven runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Cubs, 9-3, at Wrigley Field. The Reds are five games behind and in fourth place.
Here is the sim Reds box score, as provided by Strat-O-Matic:
A-Pinch Hit For Gray In 5th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Stephenson In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Lorenzen In 9th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Price In 7th Inning
Standings following the July 1 games:
| NL Central | WON | LOST | PCT | GB |
| Brewers | 46 | 39 | .541 | 0.0 |
| Cubs | 46 | 41 | .529 | 1.0 |
| Cardinals | 45 | 42 | .517 | 2.0 |
| Reds | 42 | 45 | .483 | 5.0 |
| Pirates | 35 | 51 | .407 | 11.5 |
The 2020 schedule has the Reds at Dodger Stadium Wednesday for the final game of the four-game series, hoping to avoid the sweep. Wade Miley pitches for the sim Reds, and righthander Dustin May will start for LA.
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.
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:
| Commenter/ “Manager” |
WON | LOST | PCT |
| Peter Onte | 2 | 1 | .667 |
| Jon Davis | 9 | 5 | .643 |
| BK | 9 | 6 | .600 |
| James Owens | 3 | 2 | .600 |
| Gonzo Reds | 6 | 5 | .545 |
| Redsfan4life | 5 | 5 | .500 |
| RedsEuphoria | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Tomn | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Doug Gray | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Don | 2 | 5 | .286 |
| Melvin | 1 | 4 | .200 |
| AirborneJayJay | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Jeff | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| VaRedsFan | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Mark Moore | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Tom Mitsoff | 0 | 2 | .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.
Akiyama CF
Votto 1B
Suarez 3B
Moose 2B
Winker LF
Castellanos RF
Barnhart C
Miley P
Galvis SS
This was the lineup I was initially thinking so I vote for Melvin.
Melvin, You have my vote.
Agree with all the players
I VOTE for Melvin as well.
Looks good Melvin. You have my vote. Let’s see what we can do to salvage the road trip.
Current Roster
(* = player has NO options)
(+ = LHP or LHB)
(^ = Switch Hitter)
Our current 26 man roster is:
C – *+Barnhart, *Casali
IF – *+Votto, *+Moustakas, *Suarez, *^Galvis, Rodriguez
OF – +Akiyama, Lorenzen(18), *Ervin, *Castellanos, +Payton, +Winker, Senzel
SP – *Bauer, *Desclafani, *Gray, *+Miley, Castillo
RP – *+Reed, Iglesias, *+Garrett, *Sims, *Strop, *R. Stephenson, Lorenzen, Kuhnel
Guys on the 40 man roster not on active roster
C – Stephenson, Farmer
IF – Garcia, +Vanmeter, Blandino
OF – Aquino, +Jankowski, *+Schebler
SP – Mahle, Santillan, DeLeon, Antone
RP – Bowman, Hendrix, Shafer, +Smith
Finally here is a list of relevant non 40 man players
C – Chris Okey
IF – India, Davidson, Colon
OF – +Friedl, +Powell, Barnes, Fairchild, +Hannah, +Siani
SP – +Lodolo, Greene, Gutierrez, +Naughton, +Raley, Solomon, Lillie, +Sanmartin
RP – Thornburg, +Biddle, Romano, +Finnegan, Carpenter, Alaniz, Powers
Man, the LA pitching has really been good lately. Second time in three games we’ve had one hit and one walk. The only highlight for us was a Lorenzen defensive play. I guess Kuhnel did go one inning without giving up an ER. We can’t give up though. I know things look bleak. Remember seven of our last ten games are at home starting with the Indians for just two then our last eight games are against the Pirates @ home for three, the Cubs away for three, and then the Mets for two @ home to finish. The Brewers don’t have any easy games left. They finish at SD for three then in LA for three and don’t have a break until then. I think we need to focus on the Cards and Cubs. The Cards don’t have it easy until their last series @ home for three against the Giants. The Cubs get to play the Whitesox four games in two separate series H/A before they finish but they do have to play us, the Rays and the Braves. If the Brews play that well against their remaining schedule nobody is going to stop them anyway.
It ain’t over till it’s over. I just made that up. Feel free to use it if you want. Seriously we still have a shot. Just have to get to work in our last game in LA and three in AZ. Our guys are definitely do for an offensive breakout. We KNOW we’er much better than that. I believe we still have a winning streak in us that very well could pull us through.
Gentlemen, we have a decision to make. If we’re going with a four man rotation after tomorrow’s game, who do we put in the pen? The thought process all along has been Miley. However an argument could be made that he’s pitched better than Gray. Miley would give us a lefty in the pen but of course in the rotation too. I guess it may partly depend on how he does tomorrow. He pitched well last game. If he duplicates that we pretty much have to keep him in the rotation. Whatya all think?
Like in real life probably good to keep a lefty in the rotation. Rather than move someone to the pen we could skip Gray’s next start perhaps and then have options each day as we’d have two guys ready to go?
The next start after tomorrow that we will need one of them will be @ home vs. the Indians on the 7th and then the last game before the ASG on the 12th vs. the Pirates. I guess we have to weigh whether it’s better to have an extra arm in the pen or not. If we do want Gray to be the odd man out we could possibly make him available out of the pen for the final game in LA and then the D-Back series. After Miley’s start on the 7th we could reevaluate. Just kinda thinking out loud so to speak.
Melvin and sim crew: What I’m going to do regarding starting pitching for the remainder of our season, about 20 days now, is give that day’s manager the opportunity to choose the starting pitcher from among all those who are eligible. That opportunity won’t begin until next Tuesday, because with no off-days until then, the starting rotation is locked in because of having to use a starting pitcher with four days minimum rest.
This will give each commenter/manager something additional to strategize about. 🙂
That sounds good Tom. I was only thinking that if we want one of our starters to be available out of the pen we would have to tell Strato since they wouldn’t use him in that way. Maybe it’s better to just let things stand where they are with what we have already in our pen.
After Sunday, there are seven off-days through July 23 because of the All-Star break, so there are going to be many, many options.
I’m 2-0 with bullpen days so you can imagine how I’m leaning if I get the chance again…
If I read what Tom is saying correctly we’re going to hold off moving any SP to the pen as a group for the next four games. That way each manager will have every option possible to decide for himself starting on the 7th.
Not going to lie… I miss the days before analytics…
Got an A in statistics at UF while earning my BSBA but I just want to play the game, just averages and home runs, no infield shifts and no DH rule!
Keep the language PG, Gonzo.
Regarding the DH I’m kind of on the fence. I like what one writer said several weeks ago. His idea was to have it both ways. The DH would be in effect for the SP. When he leaves the DH leaves with him. That would actually add more strategy in some ways.
Our defense has been better and has resulted in less runs from our opponents seems like. For those who like to look things up I wander how our ARPG given up looked in June compared to April and May. We do better if we don’t try to slug it out with teams. I’m all for trying new things at times to see how it might work. In crunch time now though I’m very hesitant. Every little thing, every play, is very important while we try and claw our way back. If I’m a CF in real baseball I’m not feeling too comfortable inbetween Winker and Casty out there. There would be a lot of weight on my shoulders. lol
Melvin has the solid support of his fellow Redleg Nation readers for Thursday’s lineup, so that is going to Strat-O-Matic. Gotta break this losing streak!
Thanks for your support gentlemen. Let’s win the rest together and go out the sim season with a bang! It would be a great way to transition to real Reds baseball. 🙂