Toronto Blue Jays series simulation: Jays @ Pirates

With the season on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m doing a 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.

The Jays head on an interleague road trip as they face NL Central teams this year. First stop: the beautiful PNC Park to take on the Pirates.

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.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

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.

A few things to take into consideration with a simulated season:

• No trades
• No injuries for other teams unless it’s during the series against the Jays
• No prospects can be called up
• No standings to determine records of other teams in the league

Game 76 

Starting pitchers

Blue Jays: Matt Shoemaker

Pirates: Joe Musgrove

Lineups 

Blue Jays

Alford CF
Panik 2B
Grichuk RF
Tellez 1B
Hernandez LF
McGuire C
Shaw 3B
Tejada SS
Shoemaker P

Pirates

Dyson CF
Polanco RF
Frazier 2B
Bell 1B
Moran 3B
Reynolds LF
Newman SS
Stallings C
Musgrove P

Game recap

Tellez gave the Jays an early 2-0 lead with a home run which he is the team leader in and the Jays put up a third run as Hernandez scored on McGuire’s singles but that lead was cut to one as Frazier hit a two-run homer. Musgrove hit a double in the 3rd and ended up scoring on Frazier’s single to tie it up. The Bucs scored 2 runs in the 5th and 3 runs in the 6th which came from a homer off the bat of Stallings. In the 7th, McKinney pinched hit for Shoemaker who ended up hitting a double, and next batter later Alford hit a home run.

Final score: Pirates 8 Blue Jays 5

Key stats (Pirates)

Dyson: 1 for 3 with a double, walk and SB

Frazier: 4 for 4 with a HR

Reynolds: 2 for 4 with a double

Stallings: 1 for 3 with a HR

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Gaviglio: 1.2IP 1K 4H 0BB 3ER 1HR

Alford: 1 for 5 with a HR

Panik: 1 for 3 with a double, walk and HBP

Grichuk: 1 for 5 with a HR

Tellez: 2 for 5 with a double

McGuire: 2 for 4

Game 77

Starting pitchers 

Blue Jays: Chase Anderson

Pirates: Trevor Williams

Lineups 

Blue Jays

Alford CF
Bichette SS
Grichuk RF
Tellez 1B
Hernandez LF
Panik 2B
Shaw 3B
Jansen C
Anderson P

Pirates

Dyson CF
Polanco RF
Frazier 2B
Bell 1B
Moran 3B
Reynolds LF
Newman SS
Maile C
Williams P

Game recap

Panik had the bases loaded for him in the bottom of the first but flew out to right. To start things off offensively for the Pirates, Dyson laid down a bunt but Jansen made a wild throw to first which got Dyson all the way to third. Next batter, Dyson scored. The next inning, Reynolds hit a home run. With runners on 1st and 2nd in the 5th, Bichette hit a double and scored Jansen.

Grichuk and Tellez both had the opportunity to bring in more runs but Grichuk flew out to left and Tellez struck out. In the top of the 6th, Bell and Polanco collided and both had to leave the game. Jays also put up a run in the 6th. In the bottom of that inning, the Pirates put up 2 runs. In the 7th, Bichette hit a solo shot. The game ended with Alford getting caught stealing second.

Final score: Pirates 4 Blue Jays 3

Key stats (Pirates)

Jose Osuna: 1 for 2 with a double

Reynolds: 2 for 4 with a HR

Newman: 1 for 3 with a double

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Font: 0.2IP 1K 3H 1BB 2ER L

Alford: 1 for 3 with a HBP and a walk

Bichette: 2 for 3 with a HR, double and a walk

Hernandez: 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts

Jansen: 2 for 4

Game 78 

Starting pitchers 

Blue Jays: Anthony Kay

Pirates: Mitch Keller

Lineups 

Blue Jays

Alford CF
Panik 2B
Bichette SS
Tellez 1B
Hernandez LF
Grichuk RF
Shaw 3B
McGuire C
Kay P

Pirates

Dyson CF
Newman SS
Frazier 2B
Osuna 1B
Moran 3B
Reynolds LF
Stallings C
Heredia RF
Keller P

Game recap

The team leader in home runs, Tellez hit a homer to start off the second inning. In the 4th, The Pirates put up three consecutive hits and scored 2 runs with one of those runs scoring on an error from Bichette. The Jays had a monster 5th inning as they batted around with Shaw making 2 trips to the plate and the Jays combining to score 6 runs. Tellez hit his second home run of the game in the 5th as well.

McGuire started off the 6th with a double who was then moved over to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt from Kay and then Alford went deep to extend the lead. The Pirates had a little rally in the 8th as they scored 2 runs. With pitcher Miguel Del Pozo up with 2 outs, the Pirates attempted to continue the rally by pinch-hitting Erik Gonzalez but he ended up striking out.

Final score: Blue Jays 9 Pirates 4

Key stats (Blue Jays)

Alford: 3 for 6 with a HR

Panik: 2 for 5 with a double

Tellez: 2 for 5 with 2 HR

Hernandez: 2 for 5 with a double

McGuire: 4 for 5 with 3 doubles

Key stats (Pirates)

Robbie Erlin: 1IP 2K 5H 0BB 4ER 2HR

Moran: 3 for 4

Stallings: 3 for 4

Heredia: 2 for 4 with a double

Jays simulation record: 44-34