The Baseball Buffet for 7/7/2025

Issue #328

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… I can be reached at [email protected].

⚾ Welcome! ⚾

The 102nd day of the season had a full slate of Sunday games:

• BAL 2, ATL 1 - Sean Murphy was 2-4 with a double and late, 9th-inning HR, but that wasn't enough. Grant Holmes had pitched fairly well (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), but gave up a 2-run HR to Jackson Holliday in the 3rd inning. Holliday was 4-4 on the day and starter Trevor Rogers was excellent (6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) in leading the Orioles to a series sweep.

• BOS 6, WAS 4 - Shinnosuke Ogasawara of Japan struggled in his MLB debut (2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K), giving up four runs in the first inning, including a 2-run HR to Trevor Story. Garrett Crochet struck out seven, but also allowed a lot of baserunners (5 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K). The Red Sox tallied 12 hits overall, with ninth hitter Ceddanne Rafaela going 3-4 with a HR and a double.

• CIN 1, PHI 3 - Zack Wheeler was outstanding, throwing a 1-hit complete game (9 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K), with the only blemish being a fourth-inning HR by Austin Hays. Reds rookie Chase Burns struck out 7 in 4.2 innings (4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K) and left with game tied 1-1. The Phillies eventually got the win after Bryson Stott hit a 2-run HR in the 8th.

• LAA 2, TOR 3 - Mike Trout hit a HR in the top of the first inning off Kevin Gausman (5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K). Three Toronto relievers pitched over three innings of shutout ball, including Jeff Hoffman getting his 22nd save. The Jays scored just enough runs for the win, including a solo HR by Bo Bichette, his 12th of the year. Toronto is now riding an 8-game winning streak, and are three games ahead of the Yankees and the Rays in the AL East.

• DET 7, CLE 2 - This was a pitchers duel... until it wasn't. Logan Allen pitched well (6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K), as did Tarik Skubal per usual (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K). Cleveland scored one in the bottom of the eighth, and Detroit tied it in the top of the ninth. In the top of the tenth, the usually reliable Cade Smith gave up five hits including a 3-run HR by Trey Sweeney, and a 2-run HR by Riley Greene. The Guardians scored one in the bottom of the frame, but that was all they could muster as they fell again and now have a ten-game losing streak.

• NYY 6, NYM 4 - Max Fried allowed three runs, but did well enough to run his record to 11-2 on the year (5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K). Austin Wells hit his 13th HR, and Aaron Judge hit a 2-run HR, his 33rd of the year. Three Yankees relievers held the Mets scoreless for the final three innings, including Devin Williams striking out two in the ninth for his 12th save.

• PIT 0, SEA 1 - As we knew it could be, this one was a great pitching duel. Paul Skenes struck out 10 in 5 innings (5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K), while George Kirby was equally effective (6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K). The lone run came in the sixth from a HR by Randy Arozarena, his 14th of the year, off Carmen Mlodzinski. Andrés Muñoz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save of the year. Pittsburgh had been riding high, including even their offense, but returned to earth rather harshly by being shutout this entire series in Seattle.

• MIL 3, MIA 1 - Other than a solo HR in the 5th inning by Heriberto Hernandez, Brandon Woodruff was outstanding in this long-awaited return (6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K). His first MLB start in 652 days didn’t disappoint, and three Brewers relievers pitched shutout innings, including closer Trevor Megill striking out two in the ninth for his 20th save. Jackson Chourio drove in all three Milwaukee runs, including 2-run HR in the third inning.

• TBR 7, MIN 5 - Joe Ryan pitched well for the Twins (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K), and the Rays, concerned about Drew Rasmussen’s increasing innings count, implementing a shared role between him (2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) and Joe Boyle (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K). This was Boyle’s second MLB game of 2025 after doing great at AAA (1.85 ERA, 96 K in 73 IP). The Rays’ Taylor Walls and the Twins Byron Buxton had each hit a HR early, and the game was tied 2-2 through seven innings when the Rays added two more in the eighth, and Harrison Bader countered with a 2-run HR in the bottom of the frame. Tampa scored three in the top of the tenth inning, starting with a double by Yandy Diaz that drove in Byron Buxton who was on base as the ghost-running Manfred Man. The Twins managed one run in the bottom of the tenth, but that wasn’t enough.

• CHW 4, COL 6 - The Rockies salvaged a win in this series between MLB juggernauts, by coming back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to go up 6-4. Mickey Moniak had led off the bottom of the first with a HR, and then Michael Toglia hit a 2-run HR, his 10th HR of the season, in the key fifth inning. Both bullpens pitched shutout ball in the final four innings, with Seth Halvorsen notching his 8th save.

• KCR 4, AZ 0 - Anthony DeSclafani struck out six in four innings, but also allowed homers to Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. Meanwhile Michael Lorenzen pitched a great game (7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K), and Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez combined for the 3-hit shutout.

• HOU 5, LAD 1 - Both starters pitched well: Emmet Sheehan (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) and Ryan Gusto (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K). But the Astros got three solo HR late in the game from Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, and Yainer Diaz, and three Houston relievers held the Dodgers scoreless over the final three innings. This was the Astros first sweep of the Dodgers in LA since 2008.

• STL 0, CHC 11 - The Cubs went up 8-0 after three innings, and 11-0 after just five. They tallied 13 hits, including Seiya Suzuki going 2-5 with a HR and a double, and Nico Hoerner going 3-4 with a triple and a double. Meanwhile Matthew Boyd was solid again with 9 K in 5 IP (5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K), and Jordan Wicks and Daniel Palencia held the Cards scoreless the rest of the way.

• TEX 1, SDP 4 - The Padres had 10 hits in this one, and went 4 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts, and Maritn Maldonado had two hits apiece, and they spread out the use of six pitchers to hold the Rangers to the lone run they scored in the first inning. Robert Suarez struck out two in the ninth for his 25th save of the year.

• SFG 6, ATH 2 - Tyler Soderstrom hit his 15th HR in the fourth inning, and Giants starter Hayden Birdsong let up several walks, but otherwise he pitched fairly well (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 6 K). Jacob Lopez struck out 8 in 4.1 IP, but also let up four runs, including a HR by Willy Adames.

I plan to start including the current standings in some form here, but until then… here is a link to the official standings at MLB.com.

Today’s Trivia Question

MLB still has the rule that each team must be represented at the All-Star Game. Some fans like this rule, some don’t—but it certainly makes for some challenges in constructing the full ASG rosters. So far this year three are 11 teams that have only one player on the ASG rosters—some understandably so, some were surprises to me. This will change no doubt as additional reserves are added due to some players being injured, etc. But for now, how many of the 11 teams can you name that have just one All-Star Game representative? Bonus points for each correct player you can name as well. (Hint: Five in the AL, six 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

• MIA C Rob Brantly

• SDP SP Ryan Bergert

🤕 Placed on the IL

• TOR 2B Andrés Giménez - 10-day IL (left ankle sprain)

• AZ RP Ryan Thompson - 15-day IL (right scapular strain)

• CLE CF Lane Thomas - 10-day IL (right plantar fasciitis)

• KCR RP Daniel Lynch - 15-day IL (left elbow nerve irritation)

➡️ Trade

• The Orioles acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Yankees in exchange for international bonus pool space and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Baltimore has had really bad luck lately with injuries to catchers, with Gary Sanchez being the latest to go down after Adley Rutschman, Maverick Handley, and Chadwick Tromp. Jackson was hitting .226 with 10 HR in 44 games at AAA.

League Leaders

José Caballero is ahead by three for the overall MLB lead in stolen bases, and ahead by seven in the AL—though his teammate Chandler Simpson is back up from AAA and running again!

• 31 - TBR José Caballero

• 28 - PIT Oneil Cruz

• 27 - CHC Pete Crow-Armstrong

• 24 - TBR Chandler Simpson

• 24 - KCR Bobby Witt Jr.

• 22 - CIN Elly De La Cruz

• 22 - CLE José Ramírez

• 22 - CHW Luis Robert Jr.

• 22 - STL Victor Scott II

• 22 - CHC Kyle Tucker

• 22 - PHI Trea Turner

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 July 7…

• 1937: Dizzy Dean gets injured in All-Star Game and it has long-term effects. As described at baseball-reference.com, “With President Franklin D. Roosevelt in attendance at Griffith Stadium in Washington, Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig drives in four runs with a home run and a double to lead the American league to an 8 - 3 victory over the National League in All-Star action. Dizzy Dean's toe is fractured by a drive off the bat of Earl Averill. After the injury, Dean is unable to pitch with the same delivery. When he returns to action, he uses an unnatural motion, causing an arm injury from which he never recovers.”

• 1992: Andy Van Slyke makes an unassisted double play from centerfield. As described at baseball-reference.com, “Pittsburgh's Andy Van Slyke becomes the first outfielder in nearly 18 years to record an unassisted double play, in the Pirates' 5 - 3 win over the Astros. Van Slyke races in from center field to catch a fly ball, then continues in to double up Ken Caminiti, who was running from second base on the play.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys🎉

• Satchel Paige (1906) is a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He pitched seemingly forever, with a 22-year career in major leagues, including the Negro Leagues spanning from 1927-1947, and the American League in 1948-49, 1951-53, and then in one game in 1965 (at the age of 59). But all along Paige was also frequently pitching in exhibition games, barnstorming trips around the country, and more. (Recent research by Mark Armour has suggested Paige might have pitched in close to 2,000 total games.) According to the data available at baseball-reference.com, Paige led his league in ERA twice and strikeouts six times, and had a 124-82 (.602) official lifetime record, 2.73 ERA, and 150 ERA+.

• Billy Herman (1909) is a Hall of Famer who primarily played 2B for 15 years, spanning from 1931-1947. He spent 11 seasons with the Cubs, with the remaining time with the Dodgers, Braves, and Pirates. A 10-time All-Star, Herman provided excellent defense at 2B, and scored 100+ runs five times. He led the NL in hits (227) and doubles (57) in 1935, and then triples with 18 in 1939. Overall for his career Herman scored 1,163 runs, had 2,345 hits, a .304/.367/.407 slash line, and a 112 OPS+.

• Chuck Knoblauch (1968) was the Twins’ first-round (25th overall) draft pick in 1989. He won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1991 after batting .281 with 25 SB. Knoblauch led the AL with 45 doubles in the shortened 1994 season, and then led the AL with 14 triples in 1996. He had 25+ SB in 10 of his 12 major league seasons. A four-time All-Star, Knoblauch scored 100+ runs six times, including a high of 140 runs in 1996. A good defender at 2B early in his career, Knoblauch won an AL Gold Glove award in 1997. After seven seasons with the Twins, he was traded to the Yankees for a package of four players. Soon after, he developed throwing troubles on defense, a condition often referred to as the “yips”. He tried to correct the issue, but ended his career mostly as a LF and DH. Overall, he scored 1,132 runs, with 407 SB, a .289/.378/.406 slash line, and a 106 OPS+.

• Ted Radcliffe (1902) had a 16-year major league career spanning from 1928-1946, playing for ten different clubs in the Negro Leagues. A six-time All-Star, he played primarily as a catcher, but also did some pitching. According to the data at baseball-reference.com, Radcliffe was a .271 career hitter with minimal power, but led his league with a 2.58 ERA to go along with a 10-2 record in 1930. Overall the data we have indicates a career 31-23 (.574) record, 3.63 ERA, and 122 ERA+.

• Jeff Shaw (1966) had a 12-year major league career as a relief pitcher from 1990-2001, splitting his time between the Indians, Expos, White Sox, Reds, and Dodgers. After many years as a setup man, in 1997 he became the Reds closer and led the NL with 42 saves. He posted 48 saves in 1998, his first of two All-Star seasons. Overall he had five 25+ save seasons, 203 total saves, a 3.54 ERA, and a 119 ERA+. He retired relatively early (age 35) to spend more time with his family, which included his son Travis Shaw who later became a major leaguer as well, playing 3B and 1B from 2015-2022 with two 30+ HR seasons.

• Bill Melton (1945) had a 10-year major league career and was a power-hitting 3B primarily for the Chicago White Sox. He hit 33 HR in 1970 and then led the AL with 33 HR in 1971, his one All-Star campaign. He didn’t hit for a high batting average (.253 for his career), but hit 20+ HR five times with 160 for his career. Back pain led to an early retirement after the 1977 season at the age of 32.

Currently active players who were born on July 7 include WAS Nathaniel Lowe and NYM Richard Lovelady.

Today’s Matchups

A partial slate of Monday games (10), as some teams are travelling or otherwise have the day off. Some games that jump out to me are:

• LAD vs. MIL features two good starting pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.51 ERA, 109 K in 96.2 IP) and Freddy Peralta (2.91 ERA, 104 K in 99 IP).

• AZ vs. SDP is slated to have the return of Yu Darvish, making his first start of the 2025 season. Arizona will counter with Zac Gallen (5.45 ERA, 98 K in 104 IP) who has struggled some this year, but was excellent in his most recent start against the Giants.

Also on the bump today are TEX Jacob deGrom and PHI Cristopher Sánchez.

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:

• TEX Adolis Garcia, 3-12 with 2 HR vs. LAA Yusei Kikuchi

• AZ Corbin Carroll, 7-13 with a 2 HR and a double vs. SDP Yu Darvish

• AZ James McCann, 4-10 with 2 HR and a double vs. SDP Yu Darvish

• SDP Fernando Tatis, 5-20 with 2 HR and a double vs. AZ Zac Gallen

• KCR Mark Canha, 7-22 with 2 HR and 3 doubles vs. PIT Andrew Heaney

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:

• 13 - WAS Daylen Lile

• 12 - NYY Cody Bellinger

• 10 - KCR Bobby Witt Jr.

• 10 - TBR Chandler Simpson

• 9 - LAA Taylor Ward

• 8 - PHI Alec Bohm

• 8 - BOS Trevor Story

• 8 - SEA J.P. Crawford

• 7 - SFG Willy Adames

• 7 - HOU Mauricio Dubón

• 7 - AZ Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

• 7 - BOS Jarren Duran

• 7 - COL Michael Toglia

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:

• AZ Geraldo Perdomo, 0-14 with 7 K vs. SDP Yu Darvish

• TEX Kyle Higashioka, 2-16 with 6 K vs. LAA Yusei Kikuchi

• SDP Martin Maldonado, 0-10 with 4 K vs. AZ Zac Gallen

• KCR Salvador Perez, 1-10 with 3 K vs. PIT Andrew Heaney

⚾ Enjoy the games today!⚾

Today’s Trivia Answer

With the full All-Star Game rosters just having been announced last night, and no injury replacements named yet, here are the 11 teams that have a lone representative:

• Angels - SP Yusei Kikuchi

• Brewers - SP Freddy Peralta

• Cardinals - 2B Brendan Donovan

• Marlins - OF Kyle Stowers

• Orioles - DH Ryan O'Hearn

• Pirates - SP Paul Skenes

• Rangers - SP Jacob deGrom

• Reds - SS Elly De La Cruz

• Rockies - C Hunter Goodman

• Twins - OF Byron Buxton

• White Sox - SP Shane Smith

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.

• All-Star Game rosters revealed: Young talent, first-timers take spotlight, by MLB writers, 7/6/2025

• Team-by-team breakdown of the 2025 All-Stars, by MLB writers, 7/6/2025

• Active players with the most All-Star selections, by Manny Randhawa at MLB, 7/6/2025

• 12 stats and facts as 2025 All-Star Game rosters are revealed, by Sarah Langs at MLB, 7/7/2025

• 5 Baseball Cards that "Traded" Their Own Way, at Wax Pack Gods Newsletter, 7/6/2025

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

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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