Issue #610
The goal with The Baseball Buffet series is to provide the best daily dose of relevant baseball info in a smart-brevity format (mostly short bullets, getting to the point, with quick analysis/insights.) Think of it like what baseball fans of a certain age would look forward to in their morning newspaper’s sports section each day!
⚾ Welcome! ⚾
[Note: The below are some appetizers from today’s full Baseball Buffet newsletter. Paid subscribers receive the full edition. Upgrade now for just 14 cents a day!]
Yesterday had a full slate of Wednesday games (15). Here are the results (link to all game box scores):
SEA 6, SDP 7 - The Mariners scored first and often, both against SDP SP Randy Vasquez (4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K) and reliever Ron Marinaccio. Luke Raley went 4-5 with HR and a double, and Randy Arozarena was 2-4 with a double and 3 runs. Meanwhile, SEA SP Emerson Hancock did well (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K), eventually giving up a 2-run HR to Xander Bogaerts in the sixth. Holding a 6-2 lead, they brought in closer Andrés Muñoz for the bottom of the ninth. San Diego didn't give up, and had a string of hits ending in a Ramón Laureano 2-out single that drove in Ty France to make the score 6-5, and then a walk-off Jackson Merrill double that drove in both Luis Campusano and Laureano to extend the team’s winning streak to seven.
LAA 4, NYY 5 - The Judge and Trout show continued in this one, as both 3-time MVPs had a HR again. The Angels were ahead 4-3 through eight innings, when David Bednar struck out two and kept them from scoring in the top of the ninth. Angels closer Jordan Romano couldn't do the same, as with runners on first and second, José Caballero hit a walk-off double.
NYM 2, LAD 8 - LAD SP Shohei Ohtani didn't DH for himself in this one, but certainly showed up well on the mound with 10 K in 6 IP (2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB). That worked out fine, as Dalton Rushing was their DH and went 2-4 with a double and grand slam HR. The Dodgers also got dingers from Hyeseong Kim, Teoscar Hernández, and Kyle Tucker, as they handed the Mets their 8th consecutive loss.
MIA 3, ATL 6 - ATL SP Bryce Elder again pitched a good game (5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K), lowering his ERA on the season to 0.77. Meanwhile, the Braves built up a 6-0 lead through seven, powered in part by HRs in separate innings by Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson. The Marlins scored three in the top of the seventh, including Liam Hicks hitting a 2-run HR. But that wouldn't be enough as Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias struck out three in the ninth to secure his fourth save.
TOR 1, MIL 2
ARI 8, BAL 5 (10)
CLE 3, STL 5
BOS 9, MIN 5
KCR 1, DET 2
WSH 0, PIT 2
SFG 3, CIN 8
CHC 11, PHI 2
TBR 8, CWS 3
COL 1, HOU 3
TEX 5, ATH 6
Tigers give prospect Kevin McGonigle and 8-year extension
According to an article by Jason Beck at MLB, the Tigers have agreed to an 8-year extension for 21-year-old SS prospect Kevin McGonigle for $150 million. He was their late first-round draft pick in 2023, and has done well so far in his MLB debut this year by hitting .313 with a .421 OBP, 6 doubles, 1 HR, and 1 SB. This contract extension is similar to what the Pirates recently agreed to with prospect SS Konnor Griffin, and continues a recent trend of teams locking up their most talent young prospects in what they hope will be team-friendly deals down the road.
Today’s Trivia Question
One of today's Birthday Boys (see below) is Paul Waner. He played 15 of his 20-year major league career with the Pirates. He is fourth on their all-time leaderboard for total bases with 4,127. Which fellow Hall of Famers and long-time Pirates stars are ahead of him on the list? (Bonus points if you can name them in the correct order.)
(Trivia answers are provided for paid All-Star subscribers of the Baseball Buffet.)
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Row 1: Paul Waner, Nolan Arenado, Bruce Bochy
Row 2: Dutch Leonard, Jim Lonborg, Fernando Viña
Today’s Matchups
As is typical for a Thursday, some teams are travelling or otherwise have the day off, so we have a partial slate of games (10). Here are some interesting matchups (see also full list):
LAA TBD Pitcher vs. NYY Max Fried - So far the Angels are doing better than expected (at 9-10) by many, but they face Fried today, the only true ace taking the hill in today's games.
TEX Jack Leiter vs. ATH Jacob Lopez - Leiter did well in his first two starts, but struggled in his last outing
BAL Shane Baz vs. CLE Parker Messick - Baz has been inconsistent so far, while Messick has surprised to the upside for Cleveland with a 0.51 ERA over 17.2 IP
Also taking the mound today are CIN Chase Burns, KCR Kris Bubic, and SEA Luis Castillo.
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of today's Birthday Boys (see above) is Hall of Famer Paul Waner, so here are some interesting quotes from him:
"If a pitcher sees you fiddling with the bat, he'll stall until your arms are tired before you even get a chance to hit."
"On the road, I liked to be booed, I really did. Because if they boo you on the road, it's either because you're a sorehead or because you're hurting them."
"The opposing teams know that I don’t always hit to the same field, and the players have to spread out. With the fielders unable to play for a set spot, I have a good chance to find a hole for my drives."
⚾ Enjoy the games today!⚾
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The above was just some highlights from today’s full Baseball Buffet. Paid All Star subscribers receive all of the following, every day:
Game summaries for every game
Current MLB standings
Notable player transactions… injuries, call-ups, free agent signings, trades, etc.
Rotating statistical leader lists
Current hitting streaks of seven or more games
On this day in baseball history…
Career summaries for each of The Birthday Boys
Daily Hitter Watch and Pitcher Watch lists - who has historically done well or poorly against their matchup today?
Good Reads… my favorite recent baseball articles from other writers
… and the answers to the daily trivia questions!
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Did you know? I wrote a 600+ page book with the same title as this newsletter/blog? Now Taking the Field: Baseball’s All-Time Dream Teams for All 30 Franchises was published in early 2019, by ACTA Sports. It is available at Amazon and most other major booksellers.
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