Simulating the Dodgers’ 2020 season: Games 46, 47 vs. Phillies

This is the 35th installment of an ongoing series, where my dad and I will simulate each game on the Dodgers schedule until real Dodger baseball returns. Catch up on the rest of the series here!

Last time, Dustin May made his first major league start of the season in a loss to the Royals, and we made a few more minor roster moves to keep fresh arms in the bullpen. This time, we start a three-game homestand against the Phillies, who beat us two games to one in Philadelphia earlier this month.

It’ll start with Dennis Santana’s first start of his major league career, going up against Zack Wheeler (2-3, 4.29 ERA). Game two will see Alex Wood (4-2, 2.43 ERA) make his return from injury against Vince Velasquez (4-2, 3.02 ERA).

The Phillies enter the series 25-21, a game ahead of the Nationals and Mets for first place in the NL East. The Dodgers stand at 28-17, a game ahead of the Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Watch it here or scroll below to find out what happened. If you want to be notified when we go live with future simulations and chime in with your live feedback and/or input on managerial decisions, follow me on Twitch!

After a scoreless first inning for Santana, he gave up solo home runs to Andrew McCutchen and Rhys Hoskins in the second and third, respectively, giving the Phillies an early 2-0 lead. But the Dodgers jumped back in the bottom of the third: Max Muncy hit a two-run home run with two outs, tying the game 2-2.

After Santana’s first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, we brought him out again in the fifth, happy with his performance so far. With two outs, Santana gave up a two-run home run to Jean Segura, giving the Phillies a 4-2 lead.

Santana exited the game after five innings, giving up four earned runs (on three home runs), with five hits allowed and three strikeouts against no walks. Caleb Ferguson relieved him, pitching two scoreless innings with five strikeouts, and Ross Stripling finished out the game with two scoreless innings of his own.

The Dodgers entered the seventh with very limited success against Zach Wheeler — Muncy’s two-run shot in the third was the team’s only hit in the game so far. But with one out, Austin Barnes hit a single up the middle to start what would be a short rally. Gavin Lux struck out for the second out, but pinch hitter A.J. Pollock singled Barnes to second and Mookie Betts hit an RBI single to score Barnes and make the score 4-3.

The eighth and ninth had a familiar story for Dodger fans this season: late run-scoring opportunities fall flat in a close game. In the eighth, Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner led off the inning with back-to-back singles, but a fly out by Corey Seager and a double play by Joc Pederson ended the inning with no runs scored. In the ninth, Will Smith hit a two-out single, but Mookie Betts struck out to end the game, a 4-3 Phillies victory.

Here’s the box score:

In the second game, it was indeed time for Alex Wood. We sent Dennis Santana back to AA after the start, bringing Brusdar Graterol back to the major league club.

Wood pitched another very solid game, going 6 ¹⁄₃ innings with two runs given up on five hits, as well as eight strikeouts against no walks. The Dodger bats gave Wood a nice lead, too: Will Smith and Gavin Lux led off the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back walks, and two batters later Mookie Betts hit a three-run home run to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Wood gave up his first run of the game in the sixth, a solo home run by Jean Segura, and we took him out in the seventh after a single by Didi Gregorius. Pedro Baez ended up giving up the inherited run on a double by pinch hitter Jay Bruce, but the score remained 3-2.

Scott Alexander got two crucial outs in the eighth, and we brought in Kenley Jansen for an inning and change, starting with Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins singled McCutchen to second with two outs in the eighth, but Jensen struck out Didi Gregorius looking on a 3-2 count to get out of the inning.

In the ninth, Jansen retired the side in order, striking out two to clinch his seventh save of the year.

Here’s the box score:

Next time: Walker Buehler (1-5, 4.07 ERA) up against Nick Pivetta (1-3, 4.50 ERA). See you then!