The Baseball Buffet for 9/22/2025

Issue #405

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 179th day of the season featured a full slate of Sunday games:

• ATH 0, PIT 11 - Mike Burrows had a good short start (4 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K), and three Pirates’ relievers combined for the shutout. Meanwhile the Bucs’ offense came alive early against Mitch Spence (3.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K), and then kept going against former Pirates’ hurler Osvaldo Bido. Jared Triolo was 4-5 with a HR, a triple, and 3 RBI, and Joey Bart was 4-4 with a HR, a double, and 3 RBI.

• WAS 3, NYM 2 - Washington scored three runs in the second inning, including a 2-run HR by rookie SS Nasim Nuñuz. Francisco Lindor hit his 28th HR in the sixth inning, but Jake Irvin otherwise did pretty well (5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K). While four Mets’ bullpen pitched six scoreless innings, the damage was done, as Mitchell Parker (usually a starter) also came in and threw over three innings of shutout ball to garner his first save of the year.

• CLE 2, MIN 6 - Steven Kwan led off the game with a HR, and the Guardians added a second run in the first inning as well. Simeon Woods Richardson settled in after that (5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K), and four Minnesota relievers pitched scoreless innings. The Twins came back late, with Brooks Lee hitting a 2-run HR in the sixth, and Royce Lewis hitting a 3-run HR in the seventh, to end the Guardians incredible winning streak at ten.

• MIL 1, STL 5 - The Brewers outhit the Cardinals 7-3, but were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 guys on base overall. Meanwhile the Cardinals made the most of their three hits (and also had seven walks), with Iván Herrera going 1-2 with a HR, a walk and 2 RBI, and José Fermín going 1-3 with a double, a walk, and 3 RBI. Matthew Liberatore did well over five innings (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K), and three St. Louis relievers pitched four scoreless innings.

• ATL 6, DET 2 - Both teams had 11 hits, but the Tigers struggled to do much with theirs as they were 2-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 guys overall. Spencer Strider pitched five shutout innings (5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) and Ha-Seong Kim hit a HR.

• TOR 8, KCR 5 - The Blue Jays scored three in the second inning, and then three more off Royals’ starter Michael Wacha in the fifth (5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K). Rookie Trey Yesavage wasn’t as effective (4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) as he was in his recent debut, but three Toronto relievers shut things down over the final three innings, including Jeff Hoffman securing his 32nd save.

• SDP 3, CHW 2 - Michael King did well over five innings (5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K), and Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his 23rd HR of the year. The Padres’ pitchers only allowed five hits, but gifted the White Sox nine walks. However, Chicago struggled to do much as they were 0-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 guys on base overall. Robert Suarez struck out two in the ninth for his NL-leading 40th save.

• CHC 0, CIN 1 - This one was a pitchers’ duel, with Andrew Abbott doing well (4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) and three Reds relievers combining for the shutout, while Jameson Taillon also did well in seven innings of work (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K). The lone Cincy run came in the bottom of the third when Gavin Lux doubled to drive in Matt McLain. The Reds’ sweep of the Cubs puts them into the third NL wildcard spot as of now (they are tied with NY, but have the tie-breaker advantage.)

• NYY 7, BAL 1 - Both starters did well in this one: Cam Schlittler (5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) and Kyle Bradish (6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K). The Orioles’ run came from a HR by Samuel Basallo in the 5th inning, with the Yankees scoring one in the top of the sixth to tie the game and eventually lead to extras. New York exploded in the top of the tenth for six runs, with Ben Rice (who was 4-5 on the day) hitting a grand slam and Jazz Chisholm Jr. adding on a solo HR too. Having already used Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and David Bednar, the Yankees turned to Camilo Doval and he closed out the game in the bottom of the tenth.

• LAA 1, COL 3 - The Angels scored one in the top of the first, but then Kyle Freeland settled in and did quite well over six innings (6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K). Caden Dana also did well (6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), but allowed two runs including a HR by rookie Blaine Crim. Three Rockies’ relievers pitched scoreless innings, including Victor Vodnik who secured his 10th save.

• MIA 4, TEX 2 - Eury Pérez struck out 9 in just 4 innings (4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K), and the Marlins tallied 11 hits, including Otto Lopez going 3-4 with a double, and Graham Pauley going 2-4 with a triple. Wyatt Langford was 1-2 with a HR and 2 walks in the losing effort.

• SFG 3, LAD 1 - This was a pitchers’ duel, with Emmet Sheehan striking out 10 and only allowing one hit through seven innings (7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K), while Giants’ rookie Trevor McDonald did well in his first major league start (second game), allowing only one run over six innings (6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). Blake Treinen struggled for LA in the eighth, allowing three hits, two walks, and 3 runs, while San Francisco’s three relievers kept the Dodgers from scoring, with Ryan Walker picking up his 16th save.

• PHI 2, AZ 9 - The D-Backs jumped on Ranger Suárez early in this one (4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K), including Corbin Carroll hitting a 3-run HR in the second inning. Arizona added solo homers later by Tim Tawa and Jorge Barrosa, the first of his major league career. Overall they tallied 15 hits, with Ketel Marte 2-4 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI, and Gabriel Moreno 3-5 with an RBI. Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six shutout innings (6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), and Nabil Crismatt closed it out with two strikeouts in the ninth.

• SEA 7, HOU 3 - The Mariners scored seven runs in the second inning, including a grand slam by J.P. Crawford and 2-run HR by Cal Raleigh, his MLB-leading 58th of the year. Logan Gilbert did well (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K), and while Isaac Paredes hit his 20th HR of the year in the eighth inning, that would be the end of Houston’s attempted comeback.

• BOS 3, TBR 7 - In the bottom of the first the Rays scored three (two earned) off Boston’s rookie starter Connelly Early (4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K). Brandon Lowe added a solo HR in the sixth, his 30th of the year. Christopher Morel went 2-4 with a double and 4 RBI, and Joe Boyle did well in a short start, striking out 9 in 4.1 innings (4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K).

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 Mariners beat the Astros again, so Seattle is now up by three in the AL West.

• Cleveland and Houston remain tied for the final AL Wildcard spot… but the Guardians are ahead in the first tie-break statistics, which is head-to-head record. So the Astros are currently on the outside looking in.

• Similarly, the Reds and Mets are now tied, but the Reds have the 4-2 head-to-head record, so as of now the Reds have the third sport.

• Current Wild Card Leaders: In the AL it is NYY/BOS/CLE; in the NL it is CHC/SDP/CIN. See MLB’s 2025 Postseason Watch for the current bracket and more.

Today’s Trivia Question

On 9/15 I noted that Johnny Mize had six games in his career with 3 HR. What two players since have tied his record with six games with 3 HR each?

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

• MIL SP Brandon Woodruff - 15-day IL (right lat strain)

League Leaders

We are nearing the end of the season, and we don’t have a 50-SB player yet… but José Caballero is getting close:

• 48 - NYY José Caballero

• 43 - TBR Chandler Simpson

• 40 - CLE José Ramírez

• 38 - PIT Oneil Cruz

• 37 - KCR Bobby Witt Jr.

• 36 - CIN Elly De La Cruz

• 36 - PHI Trea Turner

• 35 - CHC Pete Crow-Armstrong

• 35 - NYM Juan Soto

• 33 - CHW Luis Robert Jr.

• 33 - STL Victor Scott II

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 September 22…

• 1924: Charlie Gehringer makes his debut. “Future Hall of Fame member Charlie Gehringer makes his debut with the Detroit Tigers; he is inserted as a defensive replacement at second base in the 8th inning of an 8-1 win over Boston.”

• 1925: Ouch… seven outs in three plate appearances! “Burleigh Grimes of the Brooklyn Robins accounts for seven outs in just three plate appearances. The Dodgers pitcher hits into two double plays, then into a triple play.”

• 1936: Biggest double shutout ever. “The Detroit Tigers sweep the St. Louis Browns, 12-0 and 14-0, to record the biggest double shutout in major league history.”

• 1948: Stan Musial goes 5-5… again. “For the fourth time this season, Stan Musial has five hits in five at-bats to set a National League record and tie the major league mark established by Ty Cobb. Stan the Man's hits, which include a double and home run, come off five different pitchers on five consecutive pitches in the Cardinals' 8-2 victory at Braves Field in Boston.”

• 1954: Rookie Karl Spooner strikes out 15. “Karl Spooner of the Brooklyn Dodgers becomes the first pitcher to strike out 15 in his major league debut as the Dodgers beat the New York Giants, 3-0.”

• 1957: Duke Snider hits the last HR at Ebbets Field. “Duke Snider's 7th-inning homer off future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts will prove to be the last one ever hit at Ebbets Field.”

• 1961: Jim Gentile ties record with fifth grand slam of the year. “Jim Gentile hits his fifth grand slam of the year to tie the major league record established in 1955 by Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks. Each of the Orioles first baseman’s four-run homers has come with Chuck Estrada pitching for Baltimore.”

• 1968: Cesar Tovar plays all nine positions. “Cesar Tovar plays one inning at each position for the Minnesota Twins, becoming only the second major leaguer in history to do it. Bert Campaneris of the Oakland Athletics was the first, earlier this season.”

• 1973: Al Bumbry ties record with three triples. “Al Bumbry ties the Major League record with three triples as the Orioles clinch the division title.”

• 1977: Bert Blyleven throws a no-hitter. “Bert Blyleven tosses a 6-0 no-hitter for the Texas Rangers against the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.”

• 1990: Andre Dawson becomes the second member of the 300/300/2000 club. “Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base in an 11-5 loss to the New York Mets, becoming only the second player in major league history with 300 home runs, 300 steals and 2,000 hits. Willie Mays is the other.”

• 1993: The Rockies set new attendance record in their first season. “The Colorado Rockies play their final home game of their inaugural season and finish with a major league home attendance record. The Rockies played before 4,483,350 fans at Mile High Stadium this year."

• 1996: Barry Larkin becomes the first SS with a 30-30 season. “Barry Larkin becomes the first shortstop to become a member of the 30-30 club when he goes deep off Donovan Osborne in the 5th inning in the Reds' 6-3 victory over St. Louis. The future Hall of Fame infielder joins teammate Eric Davis as only the second Cincinnati player to accomplish the feat.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉

Bob Lemon (1920)

• Hall of Famer

• 13-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1946-1958, all with the Cleveland Indians

• Seven-time All-Star

• Won 20+ games seven times, and led the AL in wins with a 23-11 record in 1950, 23-7 record in 1954, and 18-10 record

• A workhorse, he led the AL in innings four times and complete games five times

• Won two games in the 1948 World Series to help the Indians win the championship

• Was a capable batsman for a pitcher, with a .232 average, 37 HR, and 54 doubles in 1,183 AB

• Overall had a 207-128 (.618) record, 3.23 ERA, and 119 ERA+

Urban Shocker (1890)

• 13-year major league career, spanning from 1916-1928, with the Browns and Yankees

• Won 20+ games in four consecutive seasons, including leading the AL in wins with a 27-12 record in 1921

• Overall had a 187-117 (.615) record, 3.17 ERA, 124 ERA+

Carlos Correa (1994)

• Was the first-overall draft pick by the Astros in 2012

• AL Rookie of the Year in 2015 after hitting 22 HR, 14 SB, and a .279 average

• Three-time All-Star, and Gold Glove Award winner as a SS in 2021

• Has so far hit 20+ HR six times

• After playing for the Twins for three and a half years was traded back to the Astros at the deadline this year

• So far, has 200 HR, a .275/.352/.464 slash line, and a 124 OPS+

Hooks Dauss (1889)

• 15-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1912-1926, entirely with the Detroit Tigers

• Won 20+ games three times

• Born George August Dauss, got the nickname "Hooks" because of his curveball

• A bit wild and so had a high walk rate and led the AL in hit batters three times

• Overall had a a 223-182 (.551) record, a 3.30 ERA, and a 102 ERA+

Larry Dierker (1946)

• 14-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1964-1977, almost all with the Astros

• Two-time All-Star, including in 1969 with a 20-13 record, 2.33 ERA, and 232 K

• Overall had a 139-123 (.531) record, 3.31 ERA, 103 ERA+

• Managed the Astros from 1997-2001, with four division titles and an overall .556 winning percentage

Vince Coleman (1961)

• 13-year major league career, spanning from 1985-1997, with the first half spent with the Cardinals, and the second half spread across five clubs

• Won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1985 after stealing 110 bases and scoring 107 runs

• Led the NL in SB in six consecutive seasons, including having 100+ SB in each of his first three

• Two-time All-Star

• Overall had 752 SB, 859 runs, and a .264 average

In addition to Carlos Correa, other currently active players who were born on September 22 include HOU Jeremy Peña and MIA Calvin Faucher.

Today’s Matchups

Today we have a very short slate of only three Monday games, as most teams are either travelling or otherwise have the day off. The three games today are:

• WAS vs. ATL with two big strikeout pitchers in MacKenzie Gore (4.00 ERA, 182 K in 157.2 IP) and Chris Sale (2.35 ERA, 150 K in 115 IP).

• MIL vs. SDP also has two solid starters in Freddy Peralta (2.65 ERA, 195 K in 169.2 IP) and Nick Pivetta (2.81 ERA, 185 K in 176 IP).

• STL vs. SFG has rookie Michael McGreevy (4.08 ERA, 53 K in 86 IP) up against future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander (3.75 ERA, 127 K in 141.2 IP).

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:

• MIL Christian Yelich, 6-16 with 2 HR and 2 doubles vs. SDP Nick Pivetta

• ATL Michael Harris II, only 3-14 but with 2 HR vs. WAS MacKenzie Gore

• STL Nolan Gorman, small sample but is 2-5 with 2 HR vs. SFG Justin Verlander

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:

• ATL Marcell Ozuna, 7-17 with a HR and a double vs. WAS MacKenzie Gore

• ATL Ozzie Albies, 5-15 with a HR and 2 doubles vs. WAS MacKenzie Gore

Who is streaking?

Active hit streaks

• 12 - MIA Augstín Ramírez

• 11 - AZ Geraldo Perdomo

• 10 - SDP Luis Arraez

• 10 - NYM Francisco Lindor

• 9 - LAD Shohei Ohtani

• 9 - ATL Ha-Seong Kim

• 9 - NYM Starling Marte

• 8 - MIL Sal Frelick

• 8 - NYM Pete Alonso

• 8 - SEA Josh Naylor

• 8 - KCR Salvador Perez

• 7 - AZ Corbin Carroll

• 7 - MIA Jakob Marsee

Active HR streaks

• 2 - PIT Joey Bart

• 2 - SEA Cal Raleigh

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:

• SDP Manny Machado, 1-11 with 6 K vs. MIL Freddy Peralta

• WAS Paul DeJong, 1-9 with 6 K vs. ATL Chris Sale

⚾ Enjoy the games today!⚾
 

Today’s Trivia Answer

In addition to Johnny Mize, the two more recent players who have had six games with 3 HR are Sammy Sosa and Mookie Betts. There have been five players who have had five games with 3 HR: Dave Kingman, Joe Carter, Mark McGwire, Carlos Delgado, and Álex Rodríguez.

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.

• Here's what's at stake in the final week of the 2025 season, by MLB writers, 9/21/2025

• They broke out in April -- but did they keep it up?, by Jeffrey Lutz at MLB, 9/21/2025

• Is 2025 really the 'year of the pitch mix'?, by David Adler at MLB, 9/21/2025

• 5 Baseball Cards that Keep Summer Burning Bright, at Wax Pack Gods Newsletter, 9/21/2025

• There's a new record for the largest game of catch, all to honor Yogi, by Dan Cichalski at MLB, 9/21/2025

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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