Sim Season: Tampa Bay Rays beat Orioles behind Glasnow’s complete-game shutout

The Tampa Bay Rays Tyler Glasnow pitches a one-hit, complete-game shutout of the Baltimore Orioles.

In Baseball-Reference’s simulated season using OOTP 20, the second-place Tampa Bay Rays are coming off of a sweep of the division-leading New York Yankees to face the bottom-dwelling Baltimore Orioles. The birds are a lowly 16-27 coming into the game whereas the Rays are 24-22.

The simulation of the season that could have been, continues as the Rays attempt to gain ground in the division. Their starting pitching has been lackluster to this point based on pre-season expectations.

Looking to turn the tide, Charlie Morton went seven strong innings with 10 strikeouts and allowing just one walk and two earned against the Yankees yesterday.

Today, Glasnow followed suit. Tyler Glasnow entered the game with a 1-4 record with a 4.38 ERA. Glasnow avoided disaster against the Rangers in his last outing when he walked eight batters in just 5.0 innings, but only yielded three earned runs.

Today, Glasnow walked only two men, struck out nine, and allowed just one hit in a complete-game shutout.

The Orioles only hit came in the sixth inning off of the bat of Jose Iglesias.

The Rays scored seven runs for the second day in a row. They were led by Nate Lowe’s fifth-inning grand slam.

Austin Meadows went 3-4 with his 13th double of the year and drove in his 22nd run of the season.

Kevin Kiermaier hit leadoff and went 1-4 with two stolen bases to give him six on the season. The stolen bases came on consecutive pitches. It started in the bottom of the seventh when he singled on a line drive up the middle. He stole second on a 2-2 strikeout of Manuel Margot. On the next pitch, he stole third and forced a bad throw, allowing him to jog home for the run.

Ji-Man Choi hit a solo homer off of Aaron Sanchez in the second inning. Choi celebrated the home run with a cartwheel on his way to first but missed the landing and had to be helped up by Rays’ first base coach Ozzie Timmons.

Tyler Glasnow earned his second victory of the season and lowered his ERA to 3.70. Aaron Sanchez lasted just 4.1 innings and was removed following the Nate Lowe grand slam. Sanchez now sits on a 5.44 ERA for the year.

Tomorrow the Rays will take on the Orioles in game two of the series. Blake Snell (4-2, 4.05) will take the mound against former-Ray Alex Cobb (2-5, 6.34).