The Baseball Buffet for 8/25/2025

Issue #377

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! ⚾

The 151st day of the season featured a full slate of Sunday games:

• COL 0, PIT 4 - As one might expect playing at home and against the Rockies’ offense, Paul Skenes had a good game (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K). Two Pirates’ relievers combined for the four-hit shutout. 25-year old Rockies’ rookie McCade Brown (3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K) made his major league debut, but allowed a 3-run HR to Jared Triolo, who was 2-2 with a walk on the day.

• STL 2, TBR 7 - Ryan Pepiot only allowed one hit through five innings (5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). The Rays scored their seven runs in the middle three innings, as Christopher Morel hit a solo HR in the fourth, and Junior Caminero hit a grand slam in the fifth.

• HOU 2, BAL 3 - Trevor Rogers once again pitched very well (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K), keeping his ERA on the year at a tidy 1.40 over 83.1 innings. Gunnar Henderson hit his 16th HR of the season, and rookie 2B Luis Vázquez hit his first major league homer.

• WAS 2, PHI 3 - The Phillies scored their three runs early off Jake Irvin (2.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K), while Ranger Suárez was masterful through seven (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K). The Nationals came back with a run in the eighth, plus one in the ninth from a pinch-hit HR by Luis García Jr, but it wasn’t enough.

• NYM 3, ATL 4 - Mark Vientos got the Mets on board early with a 2-run HR in the second inning, but Bryce Elder otherwise did pretty well (6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K). So did David Peterson until giving up a couple of runs in the sixth (5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K). The Braves took the lead with two more in the bottom of the eighth, and then New York scored one in the ninth before Raisel Iglesias was able to shut the door for his 22nd save.

• KCR 10, DET 8 - The Royals scored six off Jack Flaherty (5 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) in the third, including a 2-run HR by hot-hitting Vinnie Pasquantino, his 28th of the season. The Tigers collected three HR by Riley Greene, Wenceel Pérez, and Spencer Torkelson, but it wouldn’t be enough as Jonathan Bowlan and Carlos Estévez pitched scoreless 8th and 9th innings, with Estévez earning his 34th save (tied for the MLB lead).

• TOR 3, MIA 5 - Eric Wagaman hit a HR in the third inning and then the Marlins scored three more in the fifth to take the early lead. Toronto’s Daulton Varsho hit a 3-run HR in the 7th, but it wouldn’t be enough as Tyler Phillips pitched a clean ninth inning for his 2nd save of the year.

• MIN 0, CHW 8 - Taj Bradley was recently called back up to make his first major league start in a month—and first with the Twins. Like his last start (when with the Rays) he was again facing the White Sox, and he again struggled (5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) giving up seven runs in the first two innings. White Sox’ rookie Colson Montgomery hit a 2-run HR, Yoendrys Gómez did well in a short start (4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K), and three Chicago relievers combined for the five-hit shutout.

• SFG 4, MIL 3 - Luis Matos hit a 2-run HR in the second inning, but Chat Patrick otherwise pitched fairly well (5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K). The Brewers went up 3-2 when Caleb Durbin hit a solo HR in the fifth. Closer Trevor Megill came in for the ninth, but Matt Chapman hit a double, Matos singled, Jung Hoo Lee walked to load the bases, and Heliot Ramos singled to center to drive in two for the lead. Ryan Walker came in and struck out two in the ninth for his 11th save.

• CLE 0, TEX 5 - Merrill Kelly was outstanding (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) and two Rangers’ relievers combined for a five-hit shutout. Texas scored four in the fourth, including a 2-run HR by Rowdy Tellez, and Joc Pederson added a solo HR in the seventh.

• CHC 4, LAA 3 - Taylor Ward hit a HR in the bottom of the first, but Jameson Taillon settled in after that (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K). Chicago scored four in the middle innings off longtime Cubs’ hurler Kyle Hendricks (4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K). The Angels scored two in the bottom of the sixth, but then both bullpens didn’t allow any further runs, with Daniel Palencia striking out three in the bottom of the ninth for his 20th save.

• CIN 6, AZ 1 - Brady Singer was outstanding (6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K), and three Reds’ relievers pitched scoreless innings the rest of the way. Zac Gallen did well over six innings (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K), but then the Arizona bullpen allowed five runs in the top of the eighth, including a 3-run HR by Spencer Steer, his 16th on the season.

• LAD 8, SDP 2 - Elias Díaz hit a 2-run HR in the third, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto otherwise pitched well (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) and four Dodgers’ relievers kept the Padres off the board. Nick Pivetta also had a good game (6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K), but then the San Diego pen let up six runs in the final three innings. Freddie Freeman had two HR on the day, Dalton Rushing hit a 3-run HR, and Shohei Ohtani hit a solo HR, his 45th of the year.

• ATH 4, SEA 11 - Jacob Wilson hit a HR in the second inning, but Logan Gilbert was otherwise dominant, striking out 13 in 6 innings (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 13 K). While the two relievers that succeeded him let up three runs, it didn’t matter as the Mariners scored all 11 of their runs in the first three innings, with starter Jacob Lopez especially struggling (2 IP, 6 H, 9 ER, 6 BB, 2 K). Cal Raleigh hit two HR, his 48th and 49th of the year, and Randy Arozarena went 2-4 with a double and 3 runs scored.

• BOS 2, NYY 7 - The Yankees avoided a four-game sweep at home by their Red Sox rivals, as Carlos Rodón was a bit wild but otherwise pitched well until finally allowing two runs in the sixth (5.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K). New York’s bullpen finally had a solid day, with Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Camilo Doval striking out 7 over 3.1 innings and not allowing any runs. Dustin May allowed three HR (4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K), with two Yankees having two HR each on the day, Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Standings

I am providing current standings as part of The Baseball Buffet, with the image being a modified version of the text-based standings at Plain Text Sports. Here also is a link to the official standings at MLB.com.

Notes:

• The Dodgers win over the Padres yesterday moves the two teams back into a tie atop the NL West.

• Current Wild Card Leaders: In the AL it is BOS/NYY/SEA; in the NL it is CHC, then LAD/ SDP are tied, then NYM.

Today’s Trivia Question

Cal Raleigh’s 48th and 49th HR yesterday means he broke the record held by Salvador Perez (48 in 2021) for the most HR in a season by a player who was primarily a catcher. With plenty of time left in the season, two more HR records are now within Raleigh’s reach: HR in a season by a switch-hitter and HR in a season by a Seattle Mariners player. Can you name both of these, and also how many HR in each case?

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).

🤕 Placed on the IL

• LAA RP Carson Fulmer - 15-day IL (right elbow inflammation)

• LAA SP Victor Mederos - 15-day IL (right shoulder inflammation)

• ATL RP Aaron Bummer - 15-day IL (left shoulder inflammation)

• LAA 1B Nolan Schanuel - 10-day IL (left wrist contusion)

Of note, TEX 2B Marcus Semien, who has rarely been injured during his career, will be out for the rest of the regular season at least with a left foot fracture. There is some chance, should the Rangers make the playoffs, that he could be available by then.

League Leaders

Cal Raleigh had two more HR, and is now just one short of 50 for the year:

• 49 - SEA Cal Raleigh

• 45 - PHI Kyle Schwarber

• 45 - LAD Shohei Ohtani

• 40 - NYY Aaron Judge

• 40 - SEA Eugenio Suárez

• 37 - TBR Junior Caminero

• 32 - NYM Juan Soto

• 31 - DET Riley Greene

• 30 - LAA Taylor Ward

• 29 - LAA Jo Adell

• 29 - NYM Pete Alonso

On this day in baseball history…

Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. Unless otherwise noted, the descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.

📅 On August 25…

• 1922: Cubs and Phillies score 49 runs. “In spite of a 4th-inning lead of 25 - 6, the Cubs need to hold on to defeat Philadelphia, 26-23, as the Phillies leave the bases loaded in the 9th. The total amount of runs, 49, is the major league mark for most tallies in one game. The two teams also set modern records for hits, most players scoring runs (13 Phillies scored) and most players scoring multiple runs (9 Cubs).”

• 1952: Virgil Trucks throws a no-hitter. “Tiger Virgil Trucks (5-14) throws the second of his two no-hitters this season, blanking the Yankees, 1-0. Phil Rizzuto's 3rd-inning at-bat is quickly scored as an error but is changed to a hit only to be reversed again in the 6th inning, making the no-hitter a bit controversial.”

• 1965: Moonlight Graham dies at age 87. “Moonlight Graham dies in Chisholm, MN. Graham played in one major league game, for the New York Giants in 1905, and did not get to bat. His character in W.P. Kinsella's novel Shoeless Joe, later played by Burt Lancaster in the movie Field of Dreams, will eventually make him a baseball household name."

• 1967: Dean Chance throws a no-hitter. “The Twins' Dean Chance throws his second no-hitter of the month, defeating the Indians, 2-1. On August 5th he threw five perfect innings in an abbreviated game against the Red Sox.”

• 1998: Roger Clemens strikes out 18. “Toronto's Roger Clemens strikes out 18 batters in a 3-0 victory over Kansas City. He becomes the first pitcher ever to record three games of 18 or more strikeouts. Clemens allows only three hits and does not walk a batter.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉

• Rollie Fingers (1946) is a Hall of Famer who had a 17-year major league career as a relief pitcher, spanning from 1968-1985. In addition to his trademark mustache, he is also famous for being one of the 1970s relievers who redefined and elevated the role of the closer (though in his era that often still meant pitching more than one inning). He split his career between the A’s, Padres, and Brewers, leading his league in saves three times. A seven-time All-Star, he one the AL Cy Young Award and MVP award in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Generally strong in the postseason, he had a 2.35 ERA over 57.1 innings, and won the World Series MVP in 1974 after posting a 1.93 ERA with 2 saves in 9.1 innings over four outings. Overall, Fingers had 341 saves, a 2.90 ERA, and a 120 ERA+.

• Albert Belle (1966) was drafted in the second round in 1987 by the Indians. He had a 12-year major league career, spent mostly with Cleveland but with two years each with the White Sox and Orioles. Belle was one of the most intimidating hitters of his era, with nine consecutive seasons with 100+ RBI, including three times when he led the AL including with 148 in 1995. The year before he not only led the AL with 126 RBI, but also led with 121 runs, 52 doubles, and 50 HR, coming in second in the AL MVP vote. A five-time All-Star, Belle wasn’t a stellar defender in the outfield, but overall he had 381 HR, 1,239 RBI, a .295/.369/.564 slash line, and a 144 OPS+.

• Justin Upton (1987) was the first overall pick in the 2005 draft, taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He would go on to play for the them for the first six of his 16-year career, with his other time spent with the Angels, Braves, Tigers, Padres, and Mariners. A four-time All-Star outfielder, Upton stole between 18-21 bases in five seasons, and hit 25+ HR eight times. He struck a lot: 1,971 times overall, which is ninth all-time. But he scored 100+ runs three times, posted 100+ RBI twice, and received down-ballot MVP votes in four seasons. Overall, Upton had 325 HR, 151 SB, a .261/.342/.469 slash line, and a 117 OPS+. His older-brother, B.J. Upton, who I profiled a few days ago (August 21 birthday), had a 12-year major league career with 164 HR and 300 SB.

• Max Muncy (1990) was drafted in the fifth round by the Á’s in 2012. After several years in the minors and then struggling in two auditions in Oakland, Muncy was released. The Dodgers signed him as a free agent less than a month later, and by the next season he was in LA and slugging 35 HR with 79 RBI. That was the first of four seasons he’s had so far with 35+ HR. and he’s been an NL All-Star twice while playing a mix of 3B, 1B, and 2B. In ten major league seasons he has 212 HR, a .230/.355/.476 slash line, and a 125 OPS+.

In addition to Max Muncy of the Dodgers, another currently active player who was born on August 25… is the unrelated Max Muncy of the Athletics (no joke).

Today’s Matchups

Today we have a nearly full slate of Monday games (13), so there are lots of possibilities. Some games and pitchers that jump out to me are:

• MIN vs. TOR has two good starters in Joe Ryan (2.96 ERA, 159 K in 143 IP) and Max Scherzer (3.60 ERA, 56 K in 60 IP).

• PHI vs. NYM is a good NL East battle, even though the Phillies have a seven-game lead at this point. Cristopher Sánchez (2.46 ERA, 169 K in 157 IP) takes on Kodai Senga (2.58 ERA, 99 K in 104.2 IP).

Also on the mound today are ATL Spencer Strider, KCR Noah Cameron, MIL Brandon Woodruff, TEX Jacob deGrom, DET Tarik Skubal, and CIN Hunter Greene.

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:

• ATH Brent Rooker, 8-17 with 3 HR vs. DET Tarik Skubal

• LAA Travis d’Arnaud, 3-10 with 2 HR vs. TEX Jacob deGrom

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:

• NYM Francisco Lindor, 6-14 vs. PHI Cristopher Sánchez

• TEX Corey Seager, 4-9 with a HR vs. LAA José Soriano

• WAS CJ Abrams, 4-10 with a HR and a double vs. Max Fried

Who is streaking?

Active hit streaks

• 13 - KCR Bobby Witt Jr.

• 12 - NYM Francisco Lindor

• 11 - AZ Corbin Carroll

• 10 - COL Ryan Ritter

• 10 - BAL Ryan Mountcastle

• 10 - SEA Victor Robles

• 9 - TOR Bo Bichette

• 9 - HOU Carlos Correa

• 8 - MIL Sal Frelick

• 8 - PIT Nick Gonzalez

• 7 - PHI J.T. Realmuto

• 7 - KCR Vinnie Pasquantino

• 7 - MIL Brice Turang

• 7 - PHI Bryce Harper

• 7 - NYM Mark Vientos

• 7 - CHW Luis Robert Jr.

• 7 - CHC Michael Busch

• 7 - PHI Alec Bohm

• 7 - MIA Jakob Marsee

Active HR streaks

• 3 - CHW Colson Montgomery

• 2 - TBR Junior Caminero

• 2 - WAS Luis García Jr.

• 2 - TEX Rowdy Tellez

• 2 - DET Spencer Torkelson

• 2 - PIT Jared Triolo

• 2 - NYM Mark Vientos

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:

• SEA Randy Arozarena, 0-10 with 5 K vs. SDP JP Sears

• STL Alec Burleson, 0-9 with 3 K vs. PIT Johan Oviedo

• ATL Matt Olson, 1-10 with 6 K vs. MIA Edward Cabrera

• TEX Jonah Heim, 1-10, but only 1 K vs. LAA José Soriano

• ATH Shea Langeliers, 1-9 with 6 K vs. DET Tarik Skubal

⚾ Enjoy the games today!⚾
 

Today’s Trivia Answer

The leaderboard for HR in a season by a switch-hitter is currently:

• 54 - Mickey Mantle, NYY, 1961

• 52 - Mickey Mantle, NYY, 1956

• 49 - Cal Raleigh, SEA, 2025

The all-time Mariners single-season HR leaderboard is currently:

• 56 - Ken Griffey Jr., 1997

• 56 - Ken Griffey Jr., 1998

• 49 - Ken Griffey Jr., 1996

• 49 - Cal Raleigh, 2025

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.

• Chinese Taipei tosses shutout for its 18th Little League crown, by Theo DeRosa at MLB, 8/24/2025

• 5 Baseball Cards that Carried a Lunch Box, at Wax Pack Gods Newsletter, 8/24/2025

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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