While the baseball world did not get to witness a real-life Opening Day on March 26 due to the coronavirus pandemic, that didn’t stop us from simulating our own Opening Day on MLB The Show 20.
Once we realized how thrilling Opening Day was, we decided to continue simulating the season. Every day until the actual 2020 season begins, we will simulate one day of baseball on The Show and report back to you—the readers—about what went down during the simulation.
One disclaimer: this simulation does not take into account existing injuries, so players like Chris Sale and Justin Verlander are active. New injuries will occur, though. Trades, signings, and other transactions are also enabled.
All reports and archives from this simulation can be found here.
Without further ado, 2020 Opening Day.
Yankees 8, Orioles 4
The Yankees and Orioles were knotted up at three apiece after five innings but a late surge gave the Yankees the victory on the road. Gio Urshela, Aaron Judge, and Clint Frazier impressed at the plate for New York while Shane Greene pitched two shutout innings out of the ‘pen. The lone star for the Orioles was Trey Mancini, who went two-for-for with a homer and three RBI.
Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 2
After six full, the Red Sox had a slim 1-0 lead, but they broke the game open for a win in Canada. Kevin Pillar was three-for-four with a pair of runs plated. Marcus Walden allowed one run in 6.1 innings for Boston while Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed two runs over seven innings.
Rays 5, Pirates 4
Despite a three-run ninth, the Buccos fell short on the road. Charlie Morton was the star of the game as he allowed just one run over 7.2 innings, striking out nine. On the other side, Joe Musgrove allowed two runs on four hits in six innings for Pittsburgh. Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe, and Mike Zunino all went two-for-four at the plate.
Royals 3, White Sox 1
The Royals jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, securing a win on the road. Adalberto Mondesi was the lone multi-hit player the Royals, while Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez each had two hits for Chicago. Brad Keller threw seven innings of one-run baseball for Kansas City while Chicago’s Lucas Giolito allowed three runs over six innings.
Tigers 5, Indians 2
The Tigers found themselves in the win column after just one game as Austin Romine was the only Detroit player who did not record a hit. Matthew Boyd dazzled on the mound, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks over eight innings. He also fanned nine batters. On the other side, Shane Bieber allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings.
Twins 4, Athletics 1
The Twins were trailing after seven innings but a pair of late two-run innings gave them the win on the road. Josh Donaldson was finished with two walks and a two-run homer, while Braxton Berrios dazzled with one run on six hits in eight innings. The results were not as good for Oakland, as Sean Manaea allowed two runs on four walks, four strikeouts, and five hits over seven innings while Yusmeiro Petit allowed two runs and two walks while retiring just two batters.
Angels 0, Astros 2
After an offseason full of drama, the Astros opened the 2020 season on the road with a win. Los Angeles was held to five singles (including two from Tommy La Stella) while Houston fared better; Michael Brantley was three-for-three with a walk and Yordan Alvarez homered. Justin Verlander was the game’s MVP, though, as he pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits and one walk along the way.
Mariners 3, Rangers 2
The Mariners impressed early as they were winning 3-0 after five frames and preserved the lead. Rougned Odor homered for Texas as seven Rangers players had one-hit games. Seattle only recorded six hits, including a two-for-four effort from Kyle Seager, but they did enough to win the game. Marco Gonzales and Corey Kluber allowed all of th runs as each went seven innings.
Braves 2, Diamondbacks 1
The Braves got the better of the D-backs thanks to a run in the eighth inning. Dansby Swanson and Ronald Acuña, Jr. went two-for-four while Ozzie Albies homered. Arizona only laced three hits, including a homer from Ketel Marte and single from Madison Bumgarner, who allowed two runs on six hits over 7.1 innings. The winning pitcher was Atlanta’s Mike Soroka, who finished with one earned run on just two hits, two walks, and two strikeouts over six frames.
Phillies 6, Marlins 1
A four-run fifth was more than enough for Philly en route to their win in Miami. Didi Gregorius went three-for-five while Scott Kingery and J.T. Realmuto plated a pair. Miami’s hitters struggled with just four hits and two walks, which were all charged to Aaron Nola, who pitched a complete game while striking out 10.
Mets 6, Nationals 4
A five-run first inning gave the Mets the edge over the World Series champions. Juan Soto was two-for-four with two runs knocked in while he and Trea Turner homered. Yoenis Cespedes hit a bases-clearing double for New York in the first inning while Amed Rosario and Michael Conforto homered along the way. Max Scherzer was chased out of the game after 0.2 innings, while Jacob deGrom stayed in the game for seven frames.
Cubs 6, Brewers 5
The Cubs added three runs in the top of the ninth to pull away and win on the road. Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant were both three-for-five with an RBI, while Bryant and Jason Kipnis homered. Avisail Garcia had two hits and an RBI for Milwaukee while Keston Hiura had a two-run double and Ryan Bruan homered. Kyle Hendricks struggled but the Cubs’ offense bailed him out, chasing Josh Hader out of the game after he allowed three runs while recording just two outs in the ninth.
Reds 5, Cardinals 3
The Cardinals scored in the first and ninth innings but their surges weren’t enough to hamper Cincinnati. Paul DeJong plated all three runs for St. Louis with a two-run homer and RBI single, while Tucker Barnhart‘s three-run homer aided the Reds. Jack Flaherty allowed three runs over six innings while Trevor Bauer one-upped him with two runs over seven innings.
Padres 3, Rockies 2
San Diego jumped out to an early 3-0 rout and preserved the lead the rest of the way. Charlie Blackmon and Daniel Murphy both homered for Colorado but Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Francisco Mejia one-upped them with a combined four hits (one homer from Tatis) and three RBI. German Marquez was chased out of the game after allowing three runs over five innings while San Diego’s Chris Paddack exited with an injury after facing three batters. He was replaced by Cal Quantrill, who allowed one run on two hits over 5.1 innings.
Dodgers 3, Giants 2 (F/12)
The Dodgers sent their fans home happy with a walkoff win on Opening Day. Chris Taylor came off the bench in the 12th and launched the game-winning blast. Johnny Cueto allowed one run over 7.1 innings while reliever Jandel Gustave allowed one hit over two scoreless innings. For L.A., Clayton Kershaw threw eight scoreless innings before Kenley Jansen allowed two runs in the ninth, sending the game to extras before Taylor bailed him out.
Key Transactions
With Opening Day rosters already set, March 26 did not feature any notable roster moves. It is worth noting, however, that Jo Adell did make the Angels’ Opening Day squad in this simulation.
Player of the Day
Justin Verlander was the star of the day as he threw a complete game shutout en route to Houston’s win.
Standings
AL East
Yankees (1-0)
Red Sox (1-0)
Rays (1-0)
Blue Jays (0-1)
Orioles (0-1)
AL Central
Royals (1-0)
Tigers (1-0)
Twins (1-0)
Indians (0-1)
White Sox (0-1)
AL West
Astros (1-0)
Mariners (1-0)
Rangers (0-1)
Angels (0-1)
Athletics (0-1)
NL East
Phillies (1-0)
Mets (1-0)
Braves (1-0)
Nationals (0-1)
Marlins (0-1)
NL Central
Reds (1-0)
Cubs (1-0)
Pirates (0-1)
Cardinals (0-1)
Brewers (0-1)
NL West
Padres (1-0)
Dodgers (1-0)
Giants (0-1)
Padres (0-1)
Diamondbacks (0-1)
