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!
Jonathan Schoop drove the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning over Comerica Park’s center field wall for a walk-off home run, delivering the simulated Detroit Tigers a 4-3 victory on Friday evening. Schoop’s homer capped off a three-hit game, and helped the Tigers erase a late deficit for the W.
The Tigers offense struggled again for large parts of this game, but not quite as much as in their previous series. Jeimer Candelario put them on the board in the second when he turned on a Tanner Roark fastball, sending it over the right field wall for a two-run home run. The homer was set up by Schoop, who reached on an infield single with two outs before Candelario’s homer.
But that was not a measure of things to come. Victor Reyes singled to lead off the third inning, then stole second base, but a sharp Miguel Cabrera liner was nabbed by shortstop Bo Bichette, who turned it into an inning-ending double play. More hard contact came back to bite the Tigers in the fourth, as Schoop was picked off of third base by the cut-off man when Candelario’s single to right was hit too hard for him to score from second. A promising rally was cut down by another double play in the fifth, this one of the normal 4-6-3 variety.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays made the most of their scoring chances. Bo Bichette got them started with a double in the top of the fourth — Toronto’s first hit of the game against Daniel Norris — and then scored on a two-out single from Teoscar Hernandez. Rowdy Tellez followed with a double to the wall in right field on the very next pitch, scoring Hernandez to tie the game at 2-2. They took the lead in the next inning when Cavan Biggio tripled, then scored on a sacrifice fly.
But that’s all they would manage in this one. After the fifth inning, the Jays had five hits as a club; they finished with six, thanks in large part to strong work out of the bullpen from Tyler Alexander and Shao-Ching Chiang. The Tigers offense helped out, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Candelario hit a triple to deep right field, and scored on a bloop single from Dawel Lugo with two outs. The clubs then traded scoreless frames in the eighth before Schoop delivered the winning blow in the ninth.
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