Issue #634
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’s schedule was a full slate of games (15) per usual for a Friday. Here are the results (link to all game box scores):
MIN 4, CLE 6 - Rookie MIN SP Connor Prielipp (5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) gave up four runs (one earned) in the first inning, including a 2-run HR by Cleveland rookie Travis Bazzana, the first of his major league career. Meanwhile, CLE SP Parker Messick once again did well (5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K), and Steven Kwan was 2-3 with 2 walks, a double, and 2 runs. Guardians' closer Cade Smith allowed a run in the ninth, but then finished the game with his 11th save of the year.
SEA 12, CWS 8 - Munetaka Murakami hit a solo HR in the bottom of the first, tying Aaron Judge for the MLB lead with 15 this year. It was also a record-breaking HR as he has now hit a HR in the first game of eight consecutive series (he was tied with Eddie Murray with seven). But that was only the beginning of the scoring in this game, as both starters gave up four runs in the third inning, and there was plenty of offense throughout. Luke Raley led the way for Seattle by going 2-5 with a 3-run HR and a grand slam, giving him 7 RBI on the day. Julio Rodríguez went 2-5 with a HR; Randy Arozarena was 3-4 with 2 runs; and Josh Naylor went 3-5 with a HR, 3 runs, and 3 RBI.
NYY 0, MIL 6 - MIL SP Jacob Misiorowski set a new modern era standard for starting pitchers by hitting 103.6 mph. He ended up with 11 K in 6 IP (2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB), and then Shane Drohan pitched three scoreless innings to combine for the shutout. Meanwhile, the Brewers scored four in the second inning off NYY SP Max Fried (6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), as Andrew Vaughn was 1-3 with a walk and 2 runs, and Brandon Lockridge was 2-2 with 2 RBI (though he had to be carted off the field due to a knee injury).
STL 6, SDP 0 - STL SP Michael McGreevy was outstanding (6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K), and two Cardinals relievers combined for a one-hit shutout. Meanwhile, SDP SP Griffin Canning kept the Cardinals off the board until the fifth inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and JJ Wetherholt singled to right. The ball went under Fernando Tatis Jr.'s glove and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Wetherholt to race all the way home for a so-called Little League grand slam.
COL 9, PHI 7 (11)
HOU 10, CIN 0
ATH 4, BAL 3
LAA 0, TOR 2
TBR 0, BOS 2
WSH 3, MIA 2
PIT 2, SFG 5
DET 3, KCR 4
CHC 7, TEX 1
NYM 3, ARI 1 (10)
ATL 1, LAD 3
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Today’s Trivia Question
One of today's Birthday Boys (see below) is Tony Gwynn. He played from 1982-2001. He had the fourth most hits (1,713) during the decade of the 1990s. Can you name the top three on the 1990s hits leaderboard?
(Trivia answers are provided for paid All-Star subscribers of the Baseball Buffet.)
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Row 1: Tony Gwynn, Prince Fielder, Brandon Webb
Row 2: Billy Jurges, Chase Headley
Currently active players who were born on May 9 include LAD Tommy Edman, HOU Tatsuya Imai, CLE Cade Smith, CLE Peyton Pallette, and LAA Matthew Lugo.
Fill your plate with the full Baseball Buffet!
What you are reading 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!
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Today’s Matchups
Another day, another full slate of games (15). Here are a few of the more interesting matchups (see also full list):
TBR Nick Martinez vs. BOS Payton Tolle - Martinez has been great so far this year with a 1.71 ERA across seven starts, while the rookie Tolle has also looked good with a 2.04 ERA over three starts
NYY Cam Schlittler vs. MIL Kyle Harrison - Schlittler (1.52 ERA) is an early Cy Young candidate in the AL, while Harrison has been good this year also (2.12 ERA)
ATL Spencer Strider vs. LAD Blake Snell - Strider struggled in his first start of the season, while Snell is coming off the IL and making his 2026 debut today
Some other starters toeing the rubber today are TOR Trey Yesavage, CIN Chase Burns, PHI Aaron Nola, MIN Joe Ryan, CHC Edward Cabrera, KCR Michael Wacha, and NYM Clay Holmes.
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of today's Birthday Boys (see above) is Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, so here are some good quotes from him (curated from the collection at The Baseball Almanac):
"I had no idea that all the things in my career were going to happen. I sure didn't see it. I just know the good Lord blessed me with ability, blessed me with good eyesight and a good pair of hands, and then I worked at the rest."
"I try to keep it real simple. I try not to add a lot of frosting on what I'm doing. Just take the swing and don't muscle the swing, because if you get in the hitting position and you take the swing, I generate a lot more bat speed, and that works for me."
"I'm a chemistry guy. I believe you've got to play together to have a chance to win."
"I was a contact hitter my whole career but I learned how to handle the ball inside. And Ted Williams played a big part in that. He gave me the advice on how to handle inside pitches."
"Knowing the strike zone is very important, but I think the first thing is knowing yourself, knowing what things you do well."
"When you sign your name on the dotted line, it's more than just playing baseball. You have a responsibility to make good decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done."
⚾ 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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