MLB The Show 20 Players League Playoffs: Semifinals Results Set Up Championship Game
After weeks of competitive games on the sticks, we finally have a championship game for the MLB The Show 20 Players League playoffs. It initially opened with 30 players representing their respective teams. With the quarterfinals starting on Friday, the semifinals played out on Saturday. That set up the big matchup to determine who is the best in the Players League at MLB The Show 20.
Lucas Giolito battles Ian Happ in Chicago MLB matchup
In the earlier stages of the Players League Playoffs we saw a major upset. Underdog Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs ousted No. 2 seed Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers. Happ lost Game 1 by a final of 3-2. However, he took the next game 4-3 to tie the series, and then won the deciding contest, 7-0.
However, Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox was waiting in the semifinals. Giolito picked up a win in Game 1, 8-4. Happ responded with a 1-0 shutout, but Giolito bounced back to claim the series with a 3-1 win in the final game. That moved the White Sox ace into the championship game.
That matchup played out earlier on ESPN2. There would be one more game to determine who Giolito would battle against in the championship matchup.
McNeil faces No. 1 seed Snell in Semifinals No. 2
In the nightcap of the semifinals doubleheader, it was No. 1 seed Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays versus No. 4 seed Jeff McNeil (Mets) on FS1. Jeff McNeil jumped out to an early 2-0 in Game 1 with a huge home run. Snell managed to score a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead early on. McNeil would add another run at the top of the third to make it 4-1 and then got three outs on Snell to take Game 1.
They’d play at the Mets’ Citi Field for Game 2 with Snell needing a win to tie the series. Early on a pitch hit Noah Syndergaard and it resulted in him being removed from the game due to injury. He’d face a bases-loaded situation against the Rays but got out of it to keep Snell scoreless in the first. Snell managed to escape the bottom of the first as well with the game 0-0.
To start the second, Snell picked up a homer to make it 1-0. He’d grab another run, making it 2-0. Snell would hit a two-run homer to extend to a 4-0 lead. Mike Zunino hit his second HR of the game, making it 5-0. In the end, he’s crush McNeil, 8-0.
Snell would claim Game 2, but McNeil had his ace Jacob deGrom back for the deciding game. Even so, Snell got on board early behind several hits including a Hunter Renfrow homer. It was 3-0 early, and then 4-0 after a second homerun.
Snell kept pouring it on, adding more runs in the second to go up 7-0. McNeil had just one inning left to try to stage a huge comeback. That didn’t happen and Snell advanced to the final game as the No. 1 seed.
MLB The Show 20 Players League Playoffs: Championship game details
We now have our championship game set for the MLB The Show 20 Players League. It will be Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox against Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ll play in a best-of-five series.
Following his semifinals win, Blake Snell was asked about his opponent Lucas Giolito. He said he can tell he’s become a lot better from when he saw him previously play until now. Show host and commentator Robert Flores also teased Snell saying that he can’t show him the winner’s trophy yet, but it’s quite something and he thinks he’d love to have it.
Giolito comes into the matchup as the No. 6 seed and has been looking strong lately. However, Snell has been one of the top favorites to win it all since the league started. Here’s a look at the bracket ahead of their game.
The game will be telecast and live streamed beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, May 3. Viewers can watch the game live on ESPN for the telecast. For live streaming, there’s the WatchESPN website or apps for compatible devices. Those devices include iOS and Android mobile, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, and more.
Which of the two MLB The Show baseball stars will win it all on Sunday?
See Players League details including results and stats at the MLB website.
For more news about the video game, please visit VGR’s MLB news page.