Issue #615
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! ⚾
Yesterday featured a partial slate of 10 games, as some teams were travelling or otherwise had the day off. Here are the results (link to all game box scores):
BAL 7, KCR 5 (12) - This one started out a very low-scoring affair, including KCR Seth Lugo throwing seven shutout innings (7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K). BAL SP Kyle Bradish allowed plenty of hits, but also only allowed one run to cross (5.1 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K), on a solo HR from Jac Caglianone, his first of the season. The Orioles tied the game in the top of the 9th to force extras, and neither team scored in the 10th. Both teams scored one in the 11th, and then in the top of the 12th Baltimore unloaded Alex Lange for five runs, including a grand slam by Leody Taveras. The Royals attempted a comeback in the bottom of the inning, with Nick Loftin hitting a bases-loaded double that scored three, but that was all they could muster.
LAD 12, COL 3 - LAD SP Justin Wrobleski once again pitched a good game (7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K), lowering his ERA on the year to 1.88. The Dodgers scored runs in seven different innings, with 15 hits and 5 HRs overall. Max Muncy went 4-4 with a walk, 2 HR, and 4 runs; Dalton Rushing was 2-5 with 2 HR and 3 RBI; and Miguel Rojas was 3-3 with a HR. Also of note, Shohei Ohtani extended his on-base streak to an impressive 52 games. With the win the Dodgers evened the four-game series with the Rockies, meaning that aspect of the universe has returned to normal.
ATH 6, SEA 4 - The Mariners scored three runs early off ATH SP J.T. Ginn (5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K), including a HR by Cal Raleigh in the first, and a HR by Dominic Canzone in the second. But then SEA SP Emerson Hancock allowed some HRs as well (5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K), including to Carlos Cortes in the fourth, and then back-to-back HRs to Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers in the sixth. The game was tied 3-3 through seven when the A's scored another three in the top of the eighth on a string of hits off Mariners reliever Casey Legumina. Joel Kuhnel allowed one run in the bottom of the ninth, but then closed out the game for his 4th save.
DET 6, BOS 8
HOU 9, CLE 2
CIN 6, TBR 1
STL 3, MIA 5
ATL 9, WSH 4
PHI 1, CHC 5
TOR 5, LAA 2
Pardon the interruption!
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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
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Today’s Trivia Question
One of today's Birthday Boys (see below) is Al Bumbry. From 1972-1984 he had 252 stolen bases for the Orioles. Who are the only two players with more SB for the Orioles (just the Orioles, not their entire franchise history including their time as the St. Louis Browns).
(Trivia answers are provided for paid All-Star subscribers of the Baseball Buffet.)
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Row 1: Joe McCarthy, Hardy Richardson, Ken Caminiti, Jesse Orosco
Row 2: Gary Peters, Al Bumbry, Joc Pederson
In addition to Joc Pederson, other currently active players who were born on April 21 include LAA Jordan Romano, TEX Jack Leiter, and WSH Cionel Pérez.
Today’s Matchups
We have a full slate (15) of games today, including the following interesting matchups (see also full list):
NYY Luis Gil vs. BOS Connelly Early - game one of this rivalry series features rookie Early who is doing well so far this year (2.29 ERA over four starts)
PHI Jesús Luzardo vs. CHC Shota Imanaga - this is a rematch from April 15 in Philly, when the Cubs beat up on Luzardo, and Imanaga had 11 K in 6 IP
Other pitchers on the mound today include CLE Parker Messick, CIN Chase Burns, ATL Reynaldo López, and NYM Nolan McLean.
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of today's Birthday Boys (see above) is Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy. As shared at The Baseball Almanac, here are his Ten Commandments for Success in Baseball, a list that first appeared in print in the Boston Herald in 1949.
Nobody ever became a ballplayer by walking after a ball.
You will never become a .300 hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder.
An outfielder who throws in back of a runner is locking the barn after the horse is stolen.
Keep your head up and you may not have to keep it down.
When you start to slide, slide. He who changes his mind may have to change a good leg for a bad one.
Do not alibi on bad hops. Anybody can field the good ones.
Always run them out. You never can tell.
Do not quit.
Do not fight too much with the umpires. You cannot expect them to be as perfect as you are.
A pitcher who hasn't control hasn't anything.
⚾ Enjoy the games today!⚾
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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