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Cubs vs. Reds at Mesa simulated game preview, Thursday 3/19, 6 p.m. CT

Here goes. We’re going to have a pretend contest via MLB The Show.

By Al Yellon and Duane Pesice
Al Yellon

BCB’s Duane Pesice and I have been working on a plan to simulate Cubs games using MLB The Show. If this works out the way we hope it will, a week from today when the regular season begins, we’re going to try to simulate the entire 2020 regular season using the new version of the game, MLB The Show 20.

For now, this spring training game will be played on MLB The Show 19. The Cubs had been scheduled to play the Reds at Sloan Park this afternoon, so we’re going to simulate that matchup.

This is a preview thread. The game thread will post at 5:30 p.m. CT and the first simulated pitch will be “thrown” at 6 p.m. CT. Within the game thread post, there will be a link where you can watch the game “live” on YouTube.

We are using regular N.L. rules here, so pitchers will bat. (Those of you opposed to the DH will be happy!) Yu Darvish will start for the Cubs. Sonny Gray will start for the Reds.

Here are the lineups we’ve chosen for today. For the Cubs’ opponent, I have tried to put together a fairly realistic spring training lineup.

Cubs:

Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Baez SS, Schwarber LF, Contreras C, Heyward RF, Kipnis 2B, Happ CF, Darvish P

Reds:

Senzel CF, Votto 1B, Castellanos RF, Moustakas 2B, Barnhart C, Blandino 3B, Winker LF, Galvis SS, Gray P

So, you’ll get to “see” former Cub Nick Castellanos play for the Reds. Note that I left Eugenio Suarez out of the Reds lineup — he had shoulder surgery in late January and has not played at all this spring.

Here is the YouTube channel we will be using for these simulations. Note that this is for the full channel and NOT the link to the live game. We’ll have that when the game simulation actually begins.

Please note that while MLB The Show has good images of all the MLB regular-season parks, it doesn’t have the same for spring parks. So this game will be played at some sort of generic spring training stadium. The Cubs, obviously, will be the home team.

I think that’s it for the info you’ll need, except for the direct YouTube live link, which Duane will put in the comments to the game thread when it begins. For now, it’ll just be a single game thread. Hope you enjoy these. If you have any questions, fire away in the comments.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

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