Like many of our friends throughout the SB Nation network, we are simulating the 2020 MLB season with MLB The Show 20. While we are unable to stream the games as they would otherwise be happening, we will try to get ahead of the curve and post about the games on the same day they would have taken place. Or, you know, at least get them back on schedule. Now, onto the recap!
The simulated Detroit Tigers continued their winning ways on Tuesday, downing Jordan Montgomery and the New York Yankees for the second time in less than a week in a 5-2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Spencer Turnbull recovered from a rough first inning to work seven strong frames for his first win of the season.
While Turnbull struggled early, his offense staked him to a 3-0 lead before he even took the mound. Victor Reyes led off the game with an opposite-field double, and a Cameron Maybin single brought home the first run of the game. Miguel Cabrera hit a deep flyout to center, but C.J. Cron followed with a home run over the short porch in right field to open up a three-run lead.
For a little while, it looked as if Turnbull would give it all back right away. He retired the first Yankees hitter he faced, but the next three all followed with base hits, which cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-1. But Turnbull bounced back, forcing a Gleyber Torres pop-out and a deep flyout from Giancarlo Stanton to end the threat.
Just as they did six days ago, the Tigers forced Montgomery to an early exit. Cameron Maybin hit an opposite field home run in the third to stretch the score to 4-1, and a Victor Reyes single in the fifth ended Montgomery’s day after just four short innings. J.A. Happ did his best to stop the bleeding after that, but a Cabrera walk and Cron single brought Reyes around to score, giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead after five.
Meanwhile, Turnbull settled into a groove after the first inning. He scattered five hits over the next six innings, and struck out six without walking a batter. Most important of all, he kept the Yankees off the scoreboard, keeping the score at 5-1 until the later innings. Anthony Castro came on in the eighth and quickly gave up a run, but he struck out Torres and Luke Voit, stranding a couple of important baserunners. Joe Jimenez gave up a double in the ninth, but retired the side without further issue to seal the win.
Simulation notes
After winning eight of the past 10 games — six of those against playoff teams from 2019 — I think it’s time to restart my experiment with the game’s difficulty settings. I still haven’t quite decided on what exactly I want to adjust, but something needs to change. Facing Gerrit Cole on Wednesday should help correct things (though I said the same thing last week, and here we are).
Standings!
A couple of people have asked for these, so here are the simulated standings as of Tuesday, April 28.
AL Central Standings - MLB The Show Simulation
| Team | Wins | Losses | Percentage | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Wins | Losses | Percentage | GB |
| Twins | 18 | 12 | .600 | - |
| Tigers | 17 | 12 | .586 | 0.5 |
| Indians | 15 | 17 | .469 | 4.0 |
| Royals | 13 | 16 | .448 | 4.5 |
| White Sox | 13 | 17 | .433 | 5.0 |
As always, a full rundown of individual statistics can be found on this spreadsheet.
Up next
The Tigers have two more games remaining against the Yankees before a weekend set against the Royals. Jordan Zimmermann is scheduled to start against Gerrit Cole on Wednesday, while Matthew Boyd and Luis Severino will square off on Thursday.