The Baseball Buffet for 5/22/2025

Issue #282

What follows is a new feature for 2025 at Now Taking the Field. 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! Let me know what you think of each issue… leave a comment on the post or send me an email at [email protected].

⚾ Welcome! ⚾

The 56th day of the season had a full slate (15) of Wednesday games:

• CIN 1, PIT 3 - Andrew Heaney pitched well (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) and four Pirates relievers shut out the Reds the rest of the way, with Dennis Santana getting his 5th save on the year. The bottom three hitters for the Pirates were a combined 6-10 with two of the team’s three RBI.

• HOU 4, TBR 8 - Isaac Parades went 2-4 with 2 HR and 3 RBI, but Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown had an off day (5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K). The Rays had four HR coming from Curtis Mead, Josh Lowe, Brandon Lowe, and Yandy Diaz, and Taj Bradley pitched well (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) for his fourth win.

• CLE 5, MIN 6 - This was the continuation of the suspended game from a few days ago. Carlos Santana homered in the fourth off Joe Ryan, but the Guardians were losing 5-2 through eight. In the top of the ninth they scored three runs as Nolan Jones had an RBI single and Bo Naylor had a 2-run double. But then with the game tied 5-5, and runners on first and second, Kody Clemens doubled to center off Cade Smith to drive in Ryan Fitzgerald for the winning run.

• CLE 5, MIN 1 - In their regularly scheduled Wednesday game, the Guardians again scored five but this time that was more than enough as Gavin Williams was excellent (6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K), and three Cleveland relievers shut out the Twins over the last three frames. Carlos Santana hit his second HR of the day, and both Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez went 3-5.

• CHC 2, MIA 1 - Kyle Tucker hit a HR in the first inning, but Max Meyer otherwise pitched well (6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K). Cade Horton also only allowed one run (5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K), so this one came down to Kyle Tucker coming through again, this time in the 8th inning by hitting a single to drive in Matt Shaw from second base.

• BAL 8, MIL 4 - Chad Patrick pitched well for MIlwaukee (4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K), but so did Tomoyuki Sugano for the Orioles (6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). The Orioles were up 3-2 when in the bottom of the ninth when Felix Bautista walked two and let up a single to Caleb Durbin that forced extras. Both teams scored a run in the tenth, but then in the top of the 11th the Orioles scored four runs to end their 8-game skid, with the big hit being a 3-run HR by Adley Rutschman.

• DET 5 , STL 1 - The Tigers spread out their runs in this one, with Riley Greene scoring three times and Spencer Torkelson going 2-2 with two walks, a run, and an RBI. Normally a reliever, Brant Hurter started the game and threw three shutout innings and then five other Detroit relievers combined to hold the Cardinals to only five hits on the day.

• SEA 6, CHW 5 - Julio Rodriguez hit a 3-run HR in the first inning, but then Shane Smith settled in and otherwise pitched well (5 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K). The Mariners scored their other three runs from homers by Cal Raleigh and Leody Taveras, and Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth for his 16th save on the year (now the MLB leader). The White Sox had three HR in this one from Tim Elko, Lenyn Sosa, and Joshua Palacios, but it wouldn’t be enough.

• KCR 8, SFG 4 - The Giants got three HR from Matt Chapman, Patrick Bailey (his first of the year), and Heliot Ramos. But the Royals banged out 16 hits, including 10 off the usually reliable Logan Webb (4 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K). Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. were each 2-4 with 2 RBI, and Salvador Perez went 3-5 with a HR, a double, and 2 RBI.

• NYM 5, BOS 1 - Garrett Crochet once again pitched well (5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K), but then the Red Sox bullpen failed them with the Mets scoring three runs in the 7th, and Francisco Lindor tacking on a solo HR in the ninth. Meanwhile Tylor Megill was outstanding in a short start (4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K) and three New York relievers shut out Boston the rest of the way.

• SDP 0, TOR 14 - Kevin Gausman was outstanding (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) while the Padres most decidedly were not. They committed four errors in the field, with three by Manny Machado, though he went 2-4 at the plate. And they allowed 14 hits including a HR by Nathan Lukes and a grand slam by Daulton Varsho.

• TEX 3, NYY 4 - The Rangers out hit the Yankees 10-5, and had three HR including two from Jake Burger, and one from Sam Haggerty. Only one of those came off Yankees starter Ryan Yarbrough, who did very well (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K). Cody Bellinger hit a HR for New York, but Jacob deGrom otherwise pitched well (7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K). The game was tied 3-3 after eight, but in the bottom of the ninth Luke Jackson let up a walk-off HR to Jasson Dominguez, his 6th homer of the season.

• PHI 9, COL 5 - The Phillies scored early on Rockies rookie pitcher Carson Palmquist 4.1 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), then added back-to-back HR by Trea Turner and Bryce Harper in the third inning. J.T. Realmuto was 3-5 with a HR and a double.

• LAA 10, ATH 5 - Nick Kurtz hit two HR, and Lawrence Butler hit a 3-run HR, but the A’s were 1-12 with runners in scoring position on the day. Meanwhile, the Angels had 9 of their 16 hits go for extra bases, including two HR by Logan O’Hoppe, and additional homers from Zach Neto and Jo Adell.

• AZ 1, LAD 3 - Corbin Burnes (7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) was pitching well until giving up a 3-run HR to Teoscar Hernandez in the 6th inning. Ketel Marte hit a solo HR, but Dustin May otherwise did well (6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) and Tanner Scott struck out two in the ninth to secure his 10th save.

• ATL vs. WAS - postponed

Today’s Trivia Question

In yesterday’s win over the Giants, Kansas City’s Salvador Perez hit his first HR in over a month. While he was playing 1B yesterday, over his career Perez has played the vast majority of his games as a catcher. The HR yesterday was the 276th of this career, giving him one more than Jorge Posada and moving him into first place on the all-time American League HR list for players who were primarily catchers. Who are the four catchers who are ahead of him? (Hint: Note this is AL homeruns only, so would exclude any HR they hit in the NL, or players like Johnny Bench whose entire careers were in the NL.)

Trivia answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.

Who’s on the move?

In this section I won’t list 26th-man moves, or every time a team shuttles relievers back and forth to AAA to keep a stock of fresh arms in the bullpen. I’ll focus on the biggest, more impactful demotions, promotions, and injury list changes (for a full list, see all the latest MLB transactions).

➕ Sent on a Rehab Assignment

• DET CF Matt Vierling

• CHC RP Tyson Miller

• TOR RP Erik Swanson

🤕 Placed on the IL

• WAS RF Dylan Crew - 10-day IL (left oblique strain)

League Leaders

Bobby Witt Jr. had another a double yesterday, giving him 19 on the season so far:

• 19 - KCR Bobby Witt Jr.

• 17 - BOS Alex Bregman

• 16 - NYM Pete Alonso

• 16 - STL Brendan Donovan

• 15 - TOR Bo Bichette

• 15 - SDP Manny Machado

• 14 - MIL Jackson Chourio

• 14 - BOS Rafael Devers

• 14 - SFG Jung Hoo Lee

• 14 - KCR Salvador Perez

• 14 - NYY Anthony Volpe

On this day in baseball history…

Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history (for a longer list, see the feature at the Baseball Almanac or the Bullpen feature at Baseball-Reference.com):

📅 On May 22…

• 1968: Willie Stargell hits 3 HR and nearly a fourth. As described at baseball-reference.com, “At Wrigley Field, Pirates slugger Willie Stargell hits three home runs and just misses a fourth in a 13-6 rout over the Cubs. "Pops" also hits a single and a double which bounces off the railing in left field fence back onto the playing field.”

• 1975: Lefty Grove died of a heart attack at the age of 75. Lefty Grove is a Hall of Famer who won the AL ERA title an amazing nine times in his 17-year career. He also led the AL in strikeouts in his first seven seasons, and led the league in wins four times, including a 28-5 record in 1930 and a 31-4 mark in 1931. He retired after the 1941 season with a 300-141 (.680) record, 3.06 ERA, and 148 ERA+.

• 1991: Dennis Eckersley picks off Kenny Williams… again. As described at baseball-reference.com, “Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley picks off Toronto pinch-runner Kenny Williams in the 9th inning of a 2-1 A's victory. Eck's last pick-off occurred four years ago when, on June 29, 1987, he picked off a White Sox runner, none other than Kenny Williams.”

• 1998: Mike Piazza is traded… again. As described at baseball-reference.com, “The Mets acquire catcher Mike Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for OF Preston Wilson, P Ed Yarnall and a player to be named. Piazza has barely spent a week with Florida, following a trade from the Dodgers.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys🎉

• Al Simmons (1902) is a Hall of Fame LF and CF who played 20 years in the majors spanning from 1924-1944. He had most of his best seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, but also played with the White Sox, Tigers, Senators, Bees (Braves), and Reds. He never won an MVP Award, but he was in the top five in the voting six times, and received down-ballot consideration in four other seasons. Simmons was an RBI machine, posting 100+ RBI in twelve seasons with highs of 157 in 1929, 165 in 1930, and 151 in 1932. He scored 100+ runs six times, and had 200+ hits six times. He hit 20+ HR six times, but never more than 36 in a season. Simmons captured the AL batting title in 1930 with a .381 average, and again in 1931 with a .390 mark. He retired with 2,927 hits, 307 HR, 1,828 RBI, a .334/.380/.535 slash line, and a 133 OPS+.

• Tommy John (1943) had a long 26-year pitching career in the majors spanning from 1963-1989. He played with six teams, but spent the majority of his time with the White Sox, Dodgers, and Yankees. He missed the 1975 season due to what baseball-reference.com calls an “Eponymous Surgical Procedure,” of course referring to Tommy John Surgery that so many pitchers have had since. John won 20+ games three times, and accumulated 288 career wins against 231 losses (.555), to go with a 3.34 ERA and 111 ERA+. A 4-time All-Star, John is not yet in the Hall of Fame but I suspect he will get there one day.

• José Mesa (1966) had a 19-year major league career, spanning from 1987-2007. He began as a starter with the Orioles and then Indians, but in 1994 he switched to relief and never started another major league game in his career. He became the Indians closer in 1995 and led the AL with 46 saves to go with a tidy 1.13 ERA. A 2-time All-Star, Mesa pitched for 8 different clubs, with six seasons of 30+ saves and 321 over his career.

Today’s Matchups

A partial slate of Thursday games (9), as many teams are travelling or otherwise have the day off. Some games that jump out to me are:

• TEX vs. NYY features two good pitchers in Nathan Eovaldi (1.61 ERA, 65 K in 61.1 IP) and Carlos Rodón (3.17 ERA, 72 K in 59.2 IP).

• SEA vs. HOU includes Seattle’s George Kirby making his 2025 debut going up against Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr., who has thus far had three short starts—two good and one disastrous.

HR Watch

Predicting who might hit a HR on any given day is a challenge. But here are a few to consider based on opposing SP past performance:

• PHI Kyle Schwarber, 6-17 with 2 HR and a double vs. COL Germán Márquez

• NYY Aaron Judge, 14-38 (.368) with 2 HR and 2 doubles vs. TEX Nathan Eovaldi

• CLE José Ramírez, only 5-20 but with 2 HR vs. DET Jack Flaherty

Hits Watch

If you play MLB’s Beat the Streak mobile game, or otherwise bet on/parlay players to collect hits, I’ll try to provide some good options in this section. In addition to the HR Watch guys listed above, here are some others to consider based on opposing SP past performance:

• BAL Cedric Mullins, 8-13 with a triple and 3 doubles vs. BOS Lucas Giolito

• PHI Alec Bohm, 6-11 with a HR vs. COL Germán Márquez

• PHI Nick Castellanos, 5-12 with a HR and 2 doubles vs. COL Germán Márquez

• DET Zach McKinstry, 6-16 with a HR and 2 doubles vs. CLE Tanner Bibee

• SEA Randy Arozarena, 5-11 with a HR vs. HOU Lance McCullers Jr.

• COL Ryan McMahon, 4-10 with a HR and a double vs. PHI Ranger Suárez

• BOS Rob Refsnyder, small sample but is 4-7 with a HR and a double vs. lefty BAL Cade Povich (and Refsnyder is a LHP-hitting specialist)

Who is streaking?

These are players on active hit streaks and who for this reason (if playing) might also be interesting picks to get a hit today:

• 15 - NYY Cody Bellinger

• 14 - CLE Jose Ramirez

• 10 - CIN Spencer Steer

• 9 - AZ Geraldo Perdomo

• 9 - MIA Kyle Stowers

• 9 - CHW Chase Meidroth

• 8 - BAL Jackson Holliday

• 8 - ATH Miguel Andujar

• 8 - SDP Luis Arraez

• 7 - ATL Ozzie Albies

• 7 - CIN Will Benson

• 7 - CHC Dansby Swanson

• 7 - SFG Heliot Ramos

• 7 - LAA Taylor Ward

• 7 - KCR Maikel Garcia

Who might struggle today?

Betting against any given player to not get a hit is tough, as guys in the starting lineup get at least one hit in a game more often than not. That said, here are some guys who clearly have struggled against their opposing SP today:

• ATL Austin Riley, 2-20 with 9 K vs. WAS Trevor Williams

• BAL Ryan O’Hearn, 4-25 with 10 K vs. BOS Lucas Giolito

• NYY Anthony Volpe, 0-11 with 5 K vs. TEX Nathan Eovaldi

• CLE Will Brennan, 1-13 with 2 K vs. DET Jack Flaherty

• CLE Carlos Santana, 2-14 with 4 K vs. DET Jack Flaherty

• HOU Chas McCormick, 1-11 with 2 K vs. SEA George Kirby

• HOU Jose Altuve, 2-17 but with only 1 K vs. SEA George Kirby

⚾ Enjoy the games today!⚾

Today’s Trivia Answer

Salvador Perez now has 276 HR, which ranks him 5th all-time (one ahead of Jorge Posada) in HR in the American League by players who were primarily catchers. The top four are:

• 376 - Carlton Fisk

• 358 - Yogi Berra

• 289 - Lance Parrish (324 HR overall)

• 281 - Iván Rodríguez (311 HR overall)

Also of note: Salvador Perez has the all-time AL record for HR by a primary catcher in a single season, with 48 in 2021. Of those, he hit 33 when actually in the game as a catcher, which places him tied for third on the all-time AL list for HR hit in a season while playing catcher, behind Iván Rodríguez with 35 in 1999 and Terry Steinbach with 34 in 1996.

Good Reads

Here I am providing one or more links to baseball articles I’ve enjoyed recently, whether by writers at MLB.com or elsewhere.

• Emerging ace takes over latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings, by David Adler at MLB, 5/21/2025

See recent issues of The Baseball Buffet for more recent good reads!

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