Toronto Blue Jays series simulation: Rays vs. Jays

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 using the online version of Statis Pro.

For those of you that follow Mike Wilner on Twitter, you’ve probably noticed the simulated season he’s been doing. What he’s been up to lately is very similar to what I’m 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.

After a 7 game homestand, the Jays head to the Trop to face the Rays to start a 7 game road trip.

How Statis Pro Works

Just like a real ball game, you set your lineup by choosing 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 centrefield as 24-26, meaning if you get a PB of 10 and a random number of 26, Martinez got a double off Ryu.

Game 55

***Lourdes Gurriel Jr was activated from the DL who replaced Billy McKinney on the roster. Also, Trent Thornton’s start was skipped in favour of Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Starting pitchers

Blue Jays: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Rays: Tyler Glasnow

Lineup

Blue Jays

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

Rays

Margot CF
Tsutsugo LF
Meadows RF
Martinez DH
Diaz 3B
Choi 1B
Zunino C
Wendle 2B
Adames SS

Game recap

In the top of the first, Biggio scored on a single from Guerrero Jr., but the Rays responded in the bottom half of the inning with Meadows going deep. In the bottom of the 10th, Adames hit a home run to walk it off.

Final score: Rays 2 Blue Jays 1

Key stats (Rays)

Glasnow: 7IP 8K 5H 1BB 1ER

Nick Anderson: 3IP 4K 2H 0BB 0ER W

Meadows: 1 for 4 with a HR

Martinez: 1 for 3 with a double

Adames: 1 for 4 with a HR

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Grichuk: 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts

Game 56

Starting pitchers 

Blue Jays: Tanner Roark
Rays: Charlie Morton

Lineups

Blue Jays

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

Rays

Kiermaier CF
Diaz 1B
Meadows RF
Martinez DH
Tsutusgo 3B
Lowe LF
Smith C
Wendle 2B
Adames SS

Game recap

Martinez hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the first, but the Jays responded with Tellez and Biggio going back-to-back in the top of the second. With two outs in the top of the 10th, Bichette came up clutch, hitting a double to centre field and coming home on a double to left by Gurriel Jr. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Wendle hit a double and Adames, the one who hit the walk-off homer the previous game, was up but wasn’t able to be the hero again as Giles got him to groundout to himself.

Final score: Blue Jays 3 Rays 2

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Roark: 7IP 6K 2H 1BB 2ER 1HR

Tellez: 1 for 4 with a HR

Biggio: 1 for 4 with a HR

Key stats (Rays)

Olive Drake: 2IP 5K 2H 0BB 1ER L

Kiermaier: 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts and a walk

Martinez: 2 for 4 with a HR

Wendle: 1 for 3 with a double

Game 57

Starting pitchers

Blue Jays: Matt Shoemaker
Rays: Yonny Chirinos

Lineups 

Blue Jays

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

Rays

Kiermaier CF
Tsutusgo 3B
Meadows RF
Martinez DH
Diaz 1B
Renfroe LF
Lowe 2B
Adames SS
Zunino C

Game recap

In the bottom of the 3rd, Martinez was up with the bases loaded and two outs, but grounded out to first. In the bottom of the 8th, Meadows hit a double that put him in scoring position as the go-ahead run for Martinez to bring in. Martinez hit a single to left field and Meadows was waved around to go home, but Gurriel Jr got him at the plate with a strong throw. Zunino started off the bottom of the 10th with a walk. As Kiermaier laid down a bunt to get Zunino over to second, Dolis committed an error that allowed both Zunino and Kiermaier to reach base safely. Back-to-back singles allowed Zunino to score the winning run.

Final score: Rays 1 Blue Jays 0

Key stats (Rays)

Chirinos: 8IP 8K 5H 2BB 0ER

Meadows: 3 for 5 with a double

Key stats (Jays)

1IP 1K 3H 1BB 1ER L

Blue Jays simulation record: 34-23