Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates simulated game, Tuesday 4/28, 3 p.m. CT

It’s kind of hard to tell exactly how good the simCubs are. Sure, they sport a 19-10 record and that’s a pace for 106 wins.

However, this is concerning:

simCubs vs. simPirates: 7-1
simCubs vs. rest of the sim league: 12-9

I suppose this is what good teams do, bash around the weak teams in the league (the simBucs are 8-21) and play a bit over .500 against the rest. The simCubs will have a good test coming up after this series, as they travel to Arizona and Los Angeles.

Monday, the simCubs almost blew a five-run lead in the ninth, allowing four before Jeremy Jeffress shut the door with a double play. Highlights:

There’s a pretty good chance of rain and storms in Chicago tonight, so it will be raining during the simulation again.

Here at BCB, we are going to play simulated games for every game on the Cubs‘ 2020 schedule via MLB The Show 20. This will continue until the actual schedule begins, or we get some clarity on what’s actually going to happen with baseball this year.

Here is the complete BCB Mediacenter where all our BCB simulated games will be located. You can watch previous games which are all archived there, but please note: We won’t have the actual link to the live broadcast of today’s specific game until it starts. At that time, Duane will drop the direct link into the comments to this post around 3 p.m CT. Until then you can use the link in this paragraph as a guide to where to find the game. All of our simulated games will begin at 3 p.m. CT.

Here are today’s particulars.

This is Game 30 of the 2020 season, Cubs vs. Pirates at Wrigley Field, the second of a three-game series. As noted above, the Cubs enter today with a 19-10 record. The Pirates are 8-21.

Tyler Chatwood will start for the Cubs. Mitch Keller will start for the Pirates.

Today’s lineups:

Cubs

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

Pirates

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

There won’t be any traditional-style “recaps” of these games. Duane will post some clips and boxscores in his Cub Tracks and Baseball history unpacked posts the morning after each game, so we can track this simulated season as it unfolds. We’ll post the standings as each day goes by.

A note on the headline here, because I know you’re going to ask: This is a real thread. The game is what is simulated.

Looking to join in on the fun? If so, you can get your own copy of MLB The Show. Here’s where you can order the game.

Enjoy, and discuss amongst yourselves.