OOTP 2020 Recaps

OOTP Season Sim Game 13: Jays lose to Royals

By Tom Dakers@bluebirdbanter Apr 9, 2020, 3:05pm EDT

The Blue Jays have lost 3 of the last 4 and I’m worried that the early season hot streak has ended. We are still 8-5, still in first place, but I’m seeing worrying signs.

Another 1-run loss. 3 of our 5 losses have been by 1 run. Our +17 run differential is the only positive one in our division and just 2 short of Cleveland’s +19 for the best in the AL. And yet, I’m worried.

Matt Shoemaker had a good start. 5.1 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. He gave up a run in the second inning off a walk, single and double. In the sixth he gave up a single (to Alex Gordon), got a strikeout and that was his day. 94 pitches.

Anthony Bass finished out the sixth with no troubles, but the seventh didn’t go as well. He gave up a single (Whit Merrifield), double (Adalberto Mondesi) and 2-run single (Jorge Soler). That was it for Bass.

Sam Gaviglio came in with no outs and a runner at second and stranded him. Sam got a fly out and gave up a single to start the eighth.

Rafael Dolis came in and got a double play ball. But then he had his own troubles in the ninth: Single (Mondesi). RBI double (Soler). Single (Dozier) but Soler gets thrown out at the plate by Randal Grichuk from center field, Dozier moves to second. And single (O’Hearn) but Dozier is thrown out, trying to score by Teoscar Hernandez to end the inning. Only 1 scored, even with 4 hits in the inning, but it was an important run.

I don’t remember seeing guys thrown out at the plate on back-to-back at bats before, but I’m sure it has happened.

On offense, we had 7 hits and 4 walks. There was only one extra base hit, Grichuk homered.

Danny Duffy started the game, for the Royals, but faced only 1 batter, giving up a single and then left the game with a sore shoulder. He’s day-to-day, but shouldn’t miss his next start. The Royals ended up using 7 pitchers (they are lucky yesterday was an off-day, tomorrow their bullpen well be limited. Jokob Junis (who was listed as tomorrow’s starter) threw 5 innings of relief, allowing just 1 hit and 1 unearned run, to get the win.

We got a run in the fourth: Hernandez singled. He went to third when Dozier, playing third threw wide of first on a Vladimir Guerrero ground ball. He scored on a Lourdes Gurriel fly ball.

We went into the bottom of the ninth down 4-1 and Ian Kennedy pitching for the Royals. Travis Shaw singles and Grichuk followed with a home run. Suddenly it was a 1-run game. Derek Fisher singled and the tying run is on base with no outs.

Greg Holland comes in to pitch. Danny Jansen is up and he hits into a double play. Cavan Biggio strikes out and the game is over.

Jansen is hitting .043/.115/.087 so far this season. It is only 26 PA but I would have thought a pinch-hitter might have been the move. Or, I can’t believe I’m thinking this, but maybe a bunt? With a lefty batting next? And Bo Bichette after that?

Anyway, we had 7 hits, 2 each for Hernandez (the 2 hits weren’t quite enough to pull Teoscare to the Mendoza line) and Shaw.

JOD goes to Grichuk (1 for 4, home run), Teoscar (2 for 2, walk). And each threw out a runner at the plate. And let’s give one to Shoemaker.

Suckage? Bass (0.2, 3 hits, 2 earned). Dolis (1.2, 4 hits, only 1 earned, but that’s because of the two runners thrown out at the plate. And let’s give one to Jansen (0 for 4, with the killer double play in the ninth).

With 14 RBI Lourdes leads the AL.

There were only 18,815 sim Blue Jays fans at the game. people are missing out on some good ball. Of course the dome was still close. 64F outside (18C) the roof should be open.

After the game the Jays sent Sam Gaviglio down to Buffalo and brought up Trent Thornton. I’m not a fan of the move, Sam has a 1.13 ERA in 6 games. In 8 innings he’s allowed 8 hits, 0 walks with 11 strikeouts. But San’s likely to need a couple of days before he can pitch. But then, with the day off, they have a lot of rested arms.

Tomorrow Chase Anderson gets his first start of the season, after starting it in the bullpen. The Royals are likely to start Brad Keller (0-0, with a 5.40 ERA) in 3 starts.

In my OOTP season, that’s in mid-May I’ve had another starting pitcher go down. I’ve lost four of five of the original starting 5:

Nate Pearson: out for the season.
Hyun-Jin Ryu might be back late August.
Shun Yamaguchi out 6 weeks.
Tanner Roark out for the season

Matt Shoemaker should be worried. I’m likely going to be offering Danny Jansen up for a starting pitcher before long. I’ll called up Patrick Murphy (I’m not sure if he’s going in the rotation or the pen yet).

The good part is my team is 28-12, 7 games up on the 21-21 Yankees in second.