| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Reds | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 0 |
| Cubs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
Mike Moustakas’ three hits and five runs batted in were the catalyst for a balanced offensive attack that led the Cincinnati Reds (50-49) to a convincing 10-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs (51-48) at Wrigley Field.
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 scored five runs in the top of the first off Cubs starter and loser Jon Lester. Curt Casali knocked in two runs with a single in the inning, and Moustakas, steady Freddy Galvis and Nick Castellanos also contributed run-scoring singles. Moustakas was the engine that allowed the Reds to add insurance runs late in the game to put it out of reach. He hit a two-run homer in the eighth, and a two-run single in the ninth.
The winning sim manager credited the stellar work of the innovative sim second-base coach who needed some Icy-Hot on his shoulder after the game from having to wave so many runners from first to third and beyond.
Anthony DeSclafani got the win, his seventh. Ryan Hendrix made his sim major league debut with a scoreless inning, and Lucas Sims finished up with two scoreless frames.
Eugenio Suarez and Phillip Ervin each had three hits, along with Moustakas, to pace the 16-hit attack. The first four batters in the sim Reds order batted 10-for-21, with a walk drawn by Suarez as well.
Here is the sim Reds box score, as provided by Strat-O-Matic:
C-Pinch Hit For Hendrix In 8th Inning
D-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Senzel In 8th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Votto In 9th Inning
A-Pinch Hit For Lester In 5th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Chatwood In 7th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Sadler In 9th Inning
Standings following the July 19 games:
| NL Central | WON | LOST | PCT | GB |
| Brewers | 53 | 45 | .541 | 0.0 |
| Cardinals | 53 | 47 | .530 | 1.0 |
| Cubs | 51 | 48 | .515 | 2.5 |
| Reds | 50 | 49 | .505 | 3.5 |
| Pirates | 38 | 61 | .384 | 15.5 |
Cincinnati’s win allowed them to gain on all three teams ahead of them in the NL Central, who all lost today. The win allowed Cincinnati to avoid a three-game sweep by the Cubs and pull back within one game of Chicago.
The 2020 schedule has the Reds off Monday, then returning home Tuesday to open a three-game series against the Mets. Luis Castillo or Sonny Gray will pitch for the sim Reds. The starter for the Mets has not yet been announced by Strat-O-Matic, but we will update here when that is known.
Update: Righthander Michael Wacha will start for the Mets.
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 | 4 | 3 | .571 |
| Melvin | 6 | 5 | .545 |
| Gonzo Reds | 6 | 6 | .500 |
| Redsfan4life | 5 | 5 | .500 |
| RedsEuphoria | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Tomn | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Doug Gray | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Don | 3 | 6 | .333 |
| Tom Mitsoff | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| AirborneJayJay | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Jeff | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| VaRedsFan | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Mark Moore | 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.
Alright Tom and our sim Reds! I knew you could do it! My stop sign was broken at 3B so I knew we’d either score a lot of runs or get thrown out a lot. I’m glad it was the former. 🙂 Now win the last one so we can turn things over to Strato with a winning streak. No pressure though Tom….okay. 🙂 You gave great signs from the dugout btw. I think I got them all correct and passed them on without any errors.
I have it on not-so-good authority that sim MLB is looking into whether or not the second base coach was stealing signs from the Cubs catcher. 😉 Brilliant!
Yeah. He’s pretty sneaky. I’m sure NO ONE noticed him being out there. hahaha
congrats on 1st win Tom.
Win the last one vs the Mets.
I hope you start Castillo. He had one of his top starts vs the Mets earlier this year.
May 5, he thew 8 innings, 4 hits, 4BB shutout.
He should be better at home on a long rest.
Bring home the last win for the Sim Reds.
I’m going to offer to defer my position of having priority as manager for Tuesday’s game to anyone else from our commenter/manager list above who has a zero in the win column. The fantastic commenter/manager group here gave me that opportunity, so I am offering it to Mark Moore, VaRedsFan, AirborneJayJay and Jeff. If more than one of them decides to submit a lineup, the normal endorsement rules apply.
Still have not heard from Strat-O-Matic about the Tuesday Mets starter. Will let everyone know when I do.
So happy you got that first win Tom.
I don’t know about any catching signs, just know my neck is sore from dodging all those rockets the Reds were launching. I also hope no one noticed that trash can I kept lugging out to the 2nd base coaching box!..
Trash can? What trash can? 😉
All I know is I couldn’t hear anything with all that banging going on.
Righthander Michael Wacha will pitch Tuesday for the Mets.
Shogo CF
Winker LF
Geno 3B
Moose 2B
Castellano RF
Joey 1B
T Steve C
Freddy SS
Castillo P
Mark you got my vote. Let’s get you that first win!
you got my vote.
Of course you’ve got my vote. I’ll coach 3B or carry the water for you. Whatever you want. I actually think tomorrow is a pretty big game for us.
Current Roster
(* = player has NO options)
(+ = LHP or LHB)
(^ = Switch Hitter)
Our current 26 man roster is:
C – Stephenson, *Casali
IF – *+Votto, *+Moustakas, *Suarez, *^Galvis
OF – +Akiyama, Lorenzen, *Ervin, *Castellanos, +Payton, +Winker, Senzel
SP – *Bauer, *Desclafani, *Gray, *+Miley, Castillo
RP – *+Reed, Iglesias, *+Garrett, *Sims, *Stephenson, Lorenzen, Kuhnel, Bowman, Hendrix
DL – *+Barnhart(Can Return 7/25), *Strop(Can Return 7/31)
Guys on the 40 man roster not on active roster
C – Farmer
IF – Garcia, +Vanmeter, Blandino, Rodriguez(Can Return 7/28)
OF – Aquino, +Jankowski, *+Schebler
SP – Mahle, Santillan, DeLeon, Antone
RP – 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
Sorry for my forgetfulness I guess better late than never.
Hey Jon. FYI they took Schebler off the 40 man DFA today. Added Brooks Raley, a LH pitcher. Thanks.
One important piece of business I need to pass along to Strat-O-Matic tonight, along with Mark’s lineup — who is our fifth starter for the remainder of the year?
Gray over Mahle or anyone else we have an option to use. Remember, Castillo appeared to have a broken Strato card and has turned it around (knock on wood for Mark Tuesday) so I figure Gray has just as much chance to overcome his broken Strato card over the rest of season. We have to leave him out there.
Who would have thought going in that our two aces Castillo and Gray would have the worst seasons so far. I don’t want to hear a word about defense, Bauer/Miley/Disco pitch with that same D behind them and they do just fine, that was just a Strato excuse for how they messed up our aces’ cards! If Castillo/Gray had realistic Strato cards we’d be in first place right now…
In my mind these are our five starters:
Bauer
Miley
Castillo
Disco
Gray
Thanks, gentlemen. Looks like Gray is the choice, which makes sense. With as good of a season as he had in 2019, it makes no sense that his performance is as bad as it has been. Strat-O-Matic must have been factoring in some of his terrible performance years with the Yankees prior to coming to CIncy.
Mark, get us a win in our finale! Milwaukee lost today, so the sim Reds are only three games out headed into Tuesday.