PSA Plays MLB The Show: Yankees get back to work after the All-Star break

The Yankees didn’t have much action over the past week in our simulation of the 2020 season, meaning they didn’t have many opportunities to make up ground in the AL East, which is currently occupied by the surging Red Sox.

The Yanks were on the road in St. Louis following the All-Star break to take on the Cardinals for three games, and in this simulation, the Cards have been enjoying a strong season, holding a record of 55-45. In game one, the Bombers fell in 10 innings after making a dramatic comeback in the top of the eighth. Trailing 8-3 after a rare rough outing from Gerrit Cole (he allowed three runs in the first and four overall in 4.2 innings of work), the Yanks erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game. The Cardinals, however, walked it off on Tommy Kahnle in the 10th to avoid the collapse, while also denying the Yanks their first winning streak in nearly three weeks.

Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela both went deep for the Yanks, while Miguel Andujar added a two-run double in the loss.

The Yankees knotted the series the following day with a 4-2 victory, again in dramatic fashion. Caught in a 2-2 tie heading into the ninth, Urshela crushed a two-run bomb to put the Yanks ahead 4-2, and Aroldis Chapman closed the door to give the Yankees a much-needed win. Luis Severino was superb, going 6.1 innings and allowing just one run while striking out seven. Adam Ottavino was given the blown save after allowing a run in the bottom of the eighth, but was quickly redeemed by Urshela. Torres once again homered as well, and Kolten Wong went deep for St. Louis.

At long last, the Yanks secured themselves a winning streak, and a series win, with a 6-1 victory in the series finale, winning 6-1 after pounding out 13 hits. The offense built a 5-0 lead by the third inning, which was more than enough for James Paxton, who went seven innings, allowed one run and struck out 10. J.A. Happ came on in relief for the final two frames to hopefully get the Yanks going on an extended hot streak, though the way this simulation has gone, there will be more mediocrity to come.

The star of the series finale was Aaron Judge, who belted two home runs, while Aaron Hicks added a solo shot of his own. Judge now has 23 homers on the season.

The abbreviated week, and the two straight wins, did absolutely nothing for the Yanks in the standings, as the Rays and Red Sox both won three straight out of the break to keep their pace. New York and Tampa are tied for second, both 4.5 games back of Boston and its 61-38 record.

The real-life baseball season starts next week, so we’ll be back just before then to bring you the recap of the rest of the season, so stay tuned!