OOTP Season Sim: Game 115

This is the game from August 5th. It is the third game of a three game series with the Rays

Rays 3 Blue Jays 1 (11 innings)

Jays get swept in this series. I always worry when a team starts losing in OOTP, because slumps are deep. The offense seems to be taking a break, just 7 runs in the 3 games.

We got another good start from Nate Pearson. 5.2 innings just 2 hits, 1 walk with 9 strikeouts. He left with the lead.

Our offense had troubles with Tyler Glasnow (just like real life). Glasnow went 7.1 innings, allowing just 2 hits, 2 walks with 10 strikeouts. The one run against was a Travis Shaw homer, his 30th of the season.

And we didn’t do any better against the Rays bullpen. They went 3.2 innings, allowing 3 hits, with 2 strikeouts.

Our overwork pen did, until the ninth. Kyle Crochett (1.1 innings) and Jordan Romano (1 inning) kept the shutout going.

Then closer Ken Giles gave up a game-tying home run in the ninth for his 7th blown save (against 24 saves). If he wasn’t blowing so many games we’d pretty much have the AL East wrapped up by now. Giles got us through the tenth with the game still tied.

Rafael Dolis came in for the 11th, after throwing 19 pitches yesterday. Dolis gave up a single to Michael Perez and hit Daniel Robertson with a pitch. Manuel Margot bunted them to second and third and Brandon Lowe singled them home. Dolis got the second out and Anthony Bass, working his third day in a row, came in for the final out.

We went down 1, 2, 3 in the bottom of the inning, dropping our third in a row.

Hard to win when you only manage 5 hits in 11 innings. Vlad had 2 hits. He’s hitting .296 with 23 home runs. Lourdes Gurriel, Bo Bichette and Shaw had a hit each. Caleb Joseph got into his first game, after being called up when Danny Jansen went on the IL on July 31st.

Jays are still in first place but our lead is shrinking. They start a 4 game series in Houston against the Astros tomorrow. The Astros are 67-46, 1 game back of the Angels (yeah, this sim didn’t do a great job of predicting what would happen in real life).