Game Notes – 05/06/2025

Rather famously, Willie Mays’ introduction with the Giants in 1951 started with a few too many zeroes:  0-for-5, 0-for-3, 0-for-4.  That 0-for-12 start was, also rather famously, put to rest by a swing and a drive in the first inning on May 28: a solo homer to left against Warren Spahn and the Boston Braves.  Mays would go on to touch Spahn for a homer more times than any other pitcher he faced and no other batter has ever punished the Braves franchise with a longball more than him – it’s one of three franchises who can claim Mays as their top home run nemesis.

Freddie Freeman homered and singled in a loss to the Marlins on Tuesday, and now has 42 homers against the franchise, more than anyone (he had been tied with Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard).  This leadership versus a specific franchise puts Freeman in some rather stellar company; the top tallies and talliers against the current NL franchises:

Diamondbacks:  Barry Bonds (39)

Braves:  Willie Mays (83)

Cubs:  Willie Mays (92)

Reds:  Henry Aaron (97)

Rockies:  Barry Bonds (54)

Marlins:  Freddie Freeman (42)

Dodgers:  Willie Mays (98)

Brewers:  Reggie Jackson (62)

Mets:  Willie Stargell (60)

Phillies:  Met Ott and Ernie Banks (82)

Pirates:  Mel Ott (83)

Padres:  Barry Bonds (87)

Giants:  Stan Musial (89)

Cardinals:  Henry Aaron (91)

Expos/Nats:  Barry Bonds (65)

Chris Sale struck out 10 over six-and-two-thirds scoreless innings, giving the Braves’ lefty his 89th career game with double-digit K’s.  In the modern era, the 36-year-old is eighth in this category:  four games shy of tying Curt Schilling for seventh and eight behind Sandy Koufax for sixth.  If Sale can ultimately surpass Koufax, only Randy Johnson (with 212) will have had more among all southpaws.  

Pablo López struck out 11 over five innings and came away with a win in Minnesota’s 9-1 victory against Baltimore.  

~ López is the 65th pitcher in the modern era to rack up at least 11 K’s while not pitching any more than five innings.  He’s one of two to do it for the franchise, after Joe Ryan fanned 11 in five innings on September 22, 2021.  

~Lopez owns a 2.18 ERA in six appearances.  Among all Senators/Twins pitchers in the liveball era who had at least six starts through 36 team games, that 2.18 is tied for the 17th lowest, matching what Pete Redfern did in 1980.  Jim Kaat’s 1.11 in 1972 is the best anyone has done for the franchise since 1920.

Nathan Eovaldi improved to 3-2 on the year as the Rangers dropped the Red Sox, 6-1.  The right-hander now owns a 2.03 ERA that ranks as the sixth lowest in the AL and stands as the fourth best for any pitcher for the franchise with at least eight starts at this point in the season (36 team games).  The only ones to be lower:

Rick Honeycutt in 1983 (1.33)

Kenny Rogers in 1995 (1.58)    

Bert Blyleven in 1977 (1.97)

Bobby Witt, Jr. produced his second career walk-off hit to give the Royals a 4-3 win over the White Sox.  The shortstop has a ways to go to reach the top of the franchise’s leaderboard for game-ending hits, held by (no surprise) George Brett and his 13.

Justin Verlander (5.0 IP, 3 R) continued his winless streak, now at eight for the season.  This game marked the third this year that Verlander had been in line for a win when he exited the contest but the bullpen blew the chance; those three tie for the most in the Majors.  Over his past four starts, in which he is 0-1, the right-hander owns a 2.70 ERA.  It’s a weird beginning for Verlander, who entered the year with the sixth highest career winning percentage (.641) among the 50 pitchers in history with at least 500 starts.

Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor produced an unusual line in his club’s win over the Mets:  0 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI.  It’s the 86th time since 1901 a player has posted a crooked number in both the runs and RBI columns without the benefit of a hit and the second time someone with Arizona has done it, after Quinton McCracken in 2002.   Wally Schang is the lone player to have multiple games meeting these requirements.  The catcher had his first while playing for the Athletics in 1917 and then repeated the feat a dozen years later while representing the St. Louis Browns.  

Cal Raleigh delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single in the top of the ninth to give his Mariners a 4-3 lead: the big spark in an eventual 5-3 victory.  Raleigh hasn’t experienced the pinch-hitting role a whole lot – 47 times – but in those 47, he’s produced four homers and 11 RBI and owns a .907 OPS.  

~The 28-year-old Raleigh is tied with Ken Phelps for the most pinch-hit homers in Mariners history and his 11 RBI tie him with Ken Griffey, Jr. for the seventh most (here, Scott Bradley’s 23 lead the way).  

~Mariners History:  Highest OPS as a Pinch-Hitter (min. 40 PA)

.910     Henry Cotto

.909     Paul Sorrento

.907     Cal Raleigh

.814     Dylan Moore

.813     Greg Dobbs

~Since the Mariners have been around (1977), there are 1,920 players on record for having at least 40 pinch-hitting appearances.  Raleigh’s .907 OPS ranks in a tie for 73rd among this collection, which is led by Mark McGwire and his 1.264.  After him, the rest of the top five is manned by Jeff Manto (1.178), Joey Wendle (1.175), Mike Brousseau (1.172) and Bo Jackson (1.152).  Among these 1,920, Raleigh’s .609 slugging percentage in the situation comes in as the 22nd best.  The top two are the same as OPS, McGwire and Manto, and the third spot is helmed by Brousseau.  Then it’s Erik Kratz and Marcus Giles holding down fourth and fifth, respectively.  Giles’ brother, Brian, is one rung above Raleigh, at .614. 

Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.