Toronto Blue Jays series simulation: Jays vs. Red Sox

With the season on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m doing a game by game simulation based on the Blue Jays schedule, and using the online version of Statis Pro. For those of you that follow Mike Wilner on Twitter, it’s very similar to what he’s doing, just that we’re using different games to do it. I have also made an account for the simulations on Instagram that can be followed @jays.simgames 

The Blue Jays were supposed to open the season with a four game series against the Red Sox, but as we all know it wasn’t played, so I simulated each game of the four game series playing Statis Pro.

How Statis Pro works 

Just like a real ball game, you set your lineup where you choose each player’s spot in the batting order and everything else that comes with managing a ball game. Basically you are the manager.

To play, you have cards that you go through that have a bunch of information on them. Each pitcher has a PB number with the lowest number starting at 2, and the highest number going at 9. For example, Hyun-Jin Ryu has a PB of 2-9 so if you flip a card with a PB of 7, you go based off the stats on his card. If you flip a card and get a PB of 11, you go based on the stats of the batter’s card.

After you flip the first card, you have to flip another card to determine the random number. Let’s say you get the first card of a PB 7 with Ryu pitching and the random number is 38. Ryu’s card may have a strikeout from the numbers 22-46, meaning if you get a PB 7 and a random number of 38, Ryu struck out whoever he faced.

Let’s say Ryu is pitching and he’s facing J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox. You flip the first card and get a PB of 10 and you flip the next card and get a random number of 26. Martinez’s card may have a double to centre field as 24-26, meaning if you get a PB of 10 and a random number of 26, Martinez got a double off Ryu.

Every pitcher has a limit regarding how long he can go. Let’s say Ryu has a limit of 12, that means he can stay in the game until he gives up more than 12 hits, walks, earned runs and home runs combined. Once he exceeds 12 he can still stay in the game, but you no longer flip a card to determine a PB, only a random number where you go off the stats based on the hitter’s card.

Game 1

Starting pitchers: 

Blue Jays: Hyun-JIn Ryu
Red Sox: Eduardo Rodriguez

Lineups

Red Sox

Pillar RF
Benintendi LF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Moreland 1B
Vazquez C
Peraza 2B
Bradley Jr CF

Blue Jays

Bichette SS
Biggio 2B
Gurriel Jr LF
Guerrero Jr 3B
Hernandez RF
Grichuk CF
Shaw 1B
Tellez DH
Jansen C

Game recap

Ryu opened the game by allowing a single to LF to former Blue Jay fan favourite Kevin Pillar. He gave up a 2-run shot to Bogaerts with two batters later, Devers hit another single to left. He ended the inning by getting Moreland to groundout to second, which he went on to not allow a hit or walk again until the 6th inning. The Jays got a run in the first as Bichette singled to right and came home on a Gurriel Jr. double. In the 4th, Tellez hit a 2-run shot to make it 3-2 Blue Jays. Tellez went deep again in the 7th to make the lead 4-2 and in the 8th, Grichuk hit a triple that scored Vlad Jr. In the 9th, Giles came in to go for the save and he got it, but not without giving up a solo shot to Devers with two outs.

Final score: Blue Jays 5 Red Sox 3

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Ryu: 8 IP 7K 3H 1BB 2ER W

Bichette: 2 for 3 with a single and double

Tellez: 3 for 3 with 2HR and a single

Key stats (Red Sox)

Rodriguez: 7.1 IP 8K 6H 5ER 2HR L

Devers: 2 for 4 with a HR

Game 2

Starting pitchers: 

Blue Jays: Tanner Roark
Red Sox: Nathan Eovaldi

Lineups 

Red Sox

Verdugo RF
Benintendi LF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Moreland 1B
Vazquez C
Pereaza 2B
Bradley Jr CF

Blue Jays

Bichette SS
Biggio 2B
Gurriel Jr LF
Guerrero Jr 3B
Tellez DH
Hernadnez RF
Shaw 1B
Grichuk CF
Jansen C

Game recap

Roark got through the order the first time only allowing Benintendi to reach base via walk. The Jays had a huge 3rd inning where they scored seven runs in big part thanks to home runs from Grichuk and Bichette with the Jays batting around the order. The 4th inning started off with two back-to-back hits that included a double from Bogaerts and a single from Martinez, but they were left stranded in the corners as it followed with a fly out, a strikeout, and a groundout. In the 7th, Vladdy started the bottom of the inning with a solo shot to make it 8-0. All the Red Sox damage came in the 8th as they scored three runs off the bat of a HR from Martinez. Roark went 8.1 innings, and Brian Moran relieved him for the final two outs.

Final score: Blue Jays 8 Red Sox 3

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Roark: 8.1IP 8K 3ER 3BB 1HR

Bichette: 2 for 4 with a double, HR and walk

Vlad Jr: 2 for 4 with a single and HR

Hernandez: 2 for 4 with a double

Key stats (Red Sox) 

Eovaldi: 2.1IP 4K 8H 7ER 1BB 2HR L

Darwinzon Hernandez: 3.2IP 4K 1ER

Martinez: 2 for 4 with a single and HR

Moreland: 0 for 5 with 2K

Game 3 

Starting pitchers: 

Blue Jays: Matt Shoemaker
Red Sox: Martin Perez

Lineups

Red Sox

Verdugo RF
Benintendi LF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Chavis 2B
Moreland 1B
Lucroy C
Pillar CF

Blue Jays

Bichette SS
Panik 2B
Gurriel Jr LF
Guerrero Jr 3B
Tellez DH
Biggio 1B
Hernandez RF
Grichuk CF
Jansen C

Game recap 

Shoemaker struggls in the opening frame as he walks three batters in the first, but luckily none of them score. Shoemaker is only able to last 4.0 innings and then the ball is handed over to Anthony Bass. Not too much happens in this game as the lone run comes off the bat of Hernandez, who hits the go-ahead homer in the 8th. Although in the bottom of the first, Benintendi was forced to leave the game as he injured himself crashing into the wall in attempt to rob Gurriel Jr. of a hit.

Final score: Blue Jays 1 Red Sox 0

Key stats (Blue Jays) 

Bass: 4IP 7K 1H 1BB W

Giles: 1IP 2K 1H SV

Hernandez: 1 for 3 with a HR

Key stats (Red Sox)

Perez: 8IP 9K 4H 1ER 0BB L

Verdugo: 2 for 3 with 2 singles and 2 walks

Game 4

Starting pitchers: 

Blue Jays: Chase Anderson
Red Sox: Ryan Weber

Lineups

Red Sox

Pillar LF
Verdugo RF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Chavis 1B
Vazquez C
Peraza 2B
Bradley Jr CF

Blue Jays

Bichette SS
Biggio 2B
Gurriel Jr LF
Guerrero Jr 3B
Tellez DH
Shaw 1B
Hernandez RF
Grichuk CF
Jansen C

Game recap 

The Red Sox score a run in the 1st as Bogaerts hit a solo home run, two in the 2nd from a 2-run HR from Vazquez, and a run in the 3rd with a RBI single from Martinez that scored Pillar. The 6th inning is where it was an offensive duel for both teams as the Red Sox scored three in the top, and the Jays scored four in the bottom with Bichette hitting a HR.

Final score: Red Sox 7 Blue Jays 4

Key stats (Red Sox)

Josh Taylor: 2.1IP 4K 1H

Brandon Workman: 1IP 3K 1H SV

Bogaerts: 1 for with a HR

Vazquez: 1 for 3 with a HR

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Bichette: 3 for 4 with 2 singles and a HR

Tellez: 2 for 4 with a double

Shaw: 0 for 1 with 3 walks

Blue Jays simulation record: 3-1