Issue #621
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 full slate of games, plus a make-up game doubleheader. Here are the results (link to all game box scores):
LAA 9, KCR 11 (10) - This game was moved up from a night game to a mid-afternoon start, in an attempt to avoid rain that was on the way. I'm not sure if that bothered KCR SP Seth Lugo's routine or not, but either way he had a rough start allowing 14 hits and 7 runs in 6.1 IP (1 BB, 3 K). That included Mike Trout hitting a 2-run HR in the first inning, his ninth of the year, while LAA SP Reid Detmers did fairly well (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K), finally allowing a 2-run HR to Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth. Even with the time shift, a lengthy rain delay was still needed during the seventh inning. The Royals overcame a deficit with HRs by Isaac Collins and Jac Caglianone to tie the game 8-8 and force extras. In the top of the tenth, the automatic runner had advanced to third on a groundout, and then a passed ball allowed him to score before Lucas Erceg struck out two batters to end the inning. The Angels had just designated Jordan Romano for assignment and called up Joey Lucchesi from AAA, so they turned to him for the bottom of the tenth. He managed to get two outs, but then after walking Maikel Garcia allowed a 3-run walk-off HR to Lane Thomas.
DET 8, CIN 3 - CIN SP Rhett Lowder did fairly well (5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K), but later the Reds' bullpen allowed six runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Spencer Torkelson was 3-4 with a walk, 2 doubles, and a HR, which was his fifth HR in as many games. Gleyber Torres went 3-5 with a HR, 3 runs, and 2 RBI; Kerry Carpenter went 2-5 with a triple and a double; and 23-year old Hao-Yu Lee hit his first major league HR. DET SP Keider Montero (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) allowed HRs to Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday, but then four Detroit relievers pitched scoreless innings the rest of the game.
SDP 7, ARI 12 - Unlike Saturday's game, yesterday's was more like most we see hosted in Mexico City. SDP SP Michael King allowed two HR, but otherwise did well (6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K). But then the Padres bullpen allowed 10 runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Alternatively, ARI SP Ryne Nelson gave up 6 runs in 5 IP (7 H, 2 BB, 4 K), but then the three Arizona relievers pitched scoreless innings to close it out. For the Padres, Manny Machado was 2-5 with 2 HR, and Luis Campusano went 2-4 with a HR and a double. For the D-Backs, Ildemaro Vargas continued his hot-hitting by going 3-5 with a HR, a triple, and a double; Jose Fernandez went 3-4 with a HR and 3 runs; and Tim Tawa hit a grand slam HR.
COL 3, NYM 1 (Gm 1) - COL José Quintana pitched well (5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), only allowing a solo HR to Tyrone Taylor in the fifth. Three Rockies relievers kept the Mets from scoring further, and Victor Vodnik struck out two in the ninth to earn his fourth save. NYM SP Nolan McLean pitched well in the losing effort (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K).
COL 3, NYM 0 (Gm 2) - In game 2 of the doubleheader the Mets out hit the Rockies 6-4 but they just couldn't get anything going. COL SP Chase Dollander pitched seven solid innings (7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K), and two Rockies relievers combined for the shutout. NYM SP Kodai Senga didn't make it out of the third (2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K), giving up a 2-run HR to Hunter Goodman, his seventh of the year.
PIT 0, MIL 5
BOS 5, BAL 3
PHI 2, ATL 6
CLE 2, TOR 4
MIN 2, TBR 4
WSH 2, CWS 1 (10)
NYY 4, HOU 7
SEA 3, STL 2
ATH 2, TEX 1
MIA 3, SFG 6
CHC 0, LAD 6
Today’s Trivia Question
One of today's Birthday Boys (see below) is Corey Seager. He won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2016 after batting .308 with 26 HR, 72 RBI, and 105 runs. Who won the AL Rookie of the Year Award that year? I'll give you a hint: he was a pitcher. I'll give you another hint: he played for the Tigers.
(Trivia answers are provided for paid All-Star subscribers of the Baseball Buffet.)
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Rogers Hornsby, Enos Slaughter, Corey Seager, Chris Carpenter
Get more from The Baseball Buffet!
Hello from Tom! Did you know that what you are reading today are just some highlights from the full Baseball Buffet newsletter? 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!
Become an All Star subscriber to The Baseball Buffet today for $7 a month, or the annual rate of $49 a year. That is less than 14 cents a day for baseball goodness delivered to your inbox every morning!
Today’s Matchups
Today we have a short slate of only eight games, as many teams are either traveling or otherwise have the day off. Here are a few matchups that look interesting (see also full list):
BOS Ranger Suárez vs. TOR Dylan Cease - game one of an AL East series between two teams that have been disappointing compared with expectations thus far
CHC Matthew Boyd vs. SDP Randy Vásquez - game one of a series between two top NL clubs, as the Cubs are 17-11 and the Padres are 18-9
Other starters of note toeing the rubber today include CLE Parker Messick, NYY Max Fried, and LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of today's Birthday Boys (see above) is Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who provided one of baseball’s most memorable lines:
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."
Then here are some other good quotes from Hornsby:
"I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the pitcher."
"I always tried to hit the ball back through the box because that is the largest unprotected area."
"I'd rather him (Grover Alexander) pitch a crucial game for me drunk, then anyone I've ever known sober. He was that good."
"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it."
"The big trouble is not really who isn't in the Hall of Fame, but who is. It was established for a select few."
"I've always played hard. If that's rough and tough, I can't help it. I don't believe there's any such thing as a good loser. I wouldn't sit down and play a game of cards with you right now without wanting to win. If I hadn't felt that way I wouldn't have got very far in baseball."
⚾ 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.
This newsletter was produced with beehiiv.
New to Now Taking the Field? Become a subscriber and get each article in your email inbox so that you don’t miss anything!