Baseball Daily Dose: Dose: Buxton Makes the Leap

Poor Rochester.

My hometown team, the New Britain Rock Cats, used to be the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. For years I waited patiently for Byron Buxton, the top prospect in baseball, to make his way to New Britain.

It wasn’t meant to be. Buxton played just one game in the Hardware City before Minnesota abandoned the Rock Cats and moved their affiliate to Chattanooga. The great state of Connecticut was denied its baseball savior.

But at least New Britain got one game, one lousy 0-for-3, to remember him by. Rochester didn’t even get that.

Buxton finally got the call to the major leagues on Saturday. But instead of taking the conventional route to the bigs, he skipped Triple-A altogether. Buxton will make his major league debut Sunday having never set foot in the fine city of Rochester.

So what should we expect from Buxton? The 21-year-old hasn’t hit for a particularly high average (.283 this season) but he’s lightning quick and has a knack for driving in runs. Everyone is searching for the next Mike Trout and Buxton might just be it. With 20 stolen bases (fourth in the Southern League) and 37 RBI (also fourth), Buxton features a rare blend of power and speed.

Will it translate to the big leagues? We’ll find out Sunday at Texas. Ironically, it was former Rock Cat Torii Hunter who paved Buxton’s path to the major leagues. His two-game suspension opened up a roster spot that Buxton was more than happy to fill. Buxton’s preferred No. 7 was already in use (Joe Mauer) so he’ll go with 25 Sunday when he flies in from Birmingham.

Of course, Buxton won’t be the only top prospect making his debut on Sunday. While Buxton was packing his bags, the Indians announced shortstop Francisco Lindor would be making the trip to Detroit for Sunday’s series finale. Lindor might not be as good a hitter as Buxton but he’s just as coveted. The 21-year-old has drawn rave reviews with his play at shortstop and should become the everyday starter upon his arrival.

With Buxton, Lindor, Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Blake Swihart and Carlos Rodon all getting called up in the last two months, there’s never been a more exciting time to follow prospects—unless you’re from Rochester.

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Verlander’s Return a Mixed Bag

Sometimes it’s just good to see a familiar face.

Justin Verlander made his return Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at Comerica Park. Though not the power pitcher he once was, Verlander still showed good velocity on his fastball, mostly sitting in the mid-90s and occasionally hitting 97.

His biggest gaffe came in the fourth when he allowed a solo blast to Carlos Santana.  It was Santana’s sixth home run off Verlander, the most of any hitter not named Jim Thome. Santana is now the Indians’ all-time leader in home runs by a switch hitter with 105, one ahead of Carlos Baerga.

Verlander let up two runs and three hits over his five innings of work. He fooled hitters into five swing-and-misses and threw 11 of his 20 first-pitches for strikes. Manager Brad Ausmus kept his workload relatively light, pulling the plug on Verlander after just 87 pitches.

Another familiar face could be heading to Motown soon. Victor Martinez, out with knee inflammation since May 18, will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. The Tigers have gone just 9-14 during his absence.

Harper Leaves With Knee Injury

Bryce Harper’s day ended in the ninth when Michael Blazek beaned him in the left knee with a 95 mph fastball. Matt den Dekker pinch-ran for Harper and filled in at right field. Judging by his post-game remarks, Harper doesn’t think he’ll be in the lineup on Sunday.

Harper reached base in all five of his plate appearances and has now walked more times (52) than he’s struck out (51) this season. If he keeps it up, he’ll be the youngest player to do that since Albert Pujols in 2002.

Nationals starter Joe Ross pitched well, scattering two runs over eight solid innings. He set a team record by facing 51 hitters before finally allowing the first walk of his career.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Danny Espinosa made his debut at first base Saturday at the tender age of 28. The Nationals’ 5-2 win over Milwaukee pulled them within a half-game of the first-place Mets.

Clutch Latos Quiets Rockies

As a whole, it’s been a disappointing year for Mat Latos. But for one night, the 27-year-old pitched like an ace.

The Marlins right-hander silenced the Rockies over seven quality innings Saturday, allowing just one run and four hits. Latos racked up 11 Ks, his most since July 6, 2013 against the Mariners.

Giancarlo Stanton and Dee Gordon did the rest, combining for three hits and four RBI. Gordon chipped in with his 22nd steal of the year. That’s one more than Christian Yelich had when he led the team last season. Meanwhile, Stanton is up to 59 RBI, putting him on pace for 152. Preston Wilson’s team record (121) won’t stand a chance if Stanton stays healthy.

Despite coming out on the losing end, Troy Tulowitzki was able to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Tulo’s average has climbed 41 points during the streak (.266 to .307).

American League Quick Hits: Carlos Correa is the third Astro to hit two home runs in his first four games. The others were Ken Caminiti and Glen Davis … Mariners DH Nelson Cruz singled off Astros starter Collin McHugh to drive in a run. It was only his second RBI in his last 14 games … Rays left-hander Matt Moore will throw 80 pitches Monday in a rehab start for High-A Charlotte. He’s working his way back from Tommy John surgery … Rays ace Chris Archer has fanned 43 batters over his last four starts. In that span, he’s allowed just one walk … It’s June 14 and the Rays have already used 43 players this season. That’s as many as they used all of last year … David DeJesus drew his 500th career walk on Saturday. That’s 43rd-most among active players … The Rays hosted the White Sox the same day the Lightning hosted the Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s the first time since May 9, 1971 that an MLB game and a Stanley Cup game have occurred in the same city with teams from the same markets … The Blue Jays’ 10-game winning streak is their longest since June of 2013. It’s their fifth double-digit win streak in franchise history … Russell Martin committed three passed balls on Saturday and has nine on the year. He had three passed balls all of last season … Blue Jays legend Carlos Delgado was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. So were Felipe Alou, Corey Koskie and Matt Stairs … Pablo Sandoval exited Saturday’s game after feeling tightness in his right quad. He’s hit .348 since getting benched last week … Despite his struggles, David Ortiz is still hitting a respectable .285 with eight homers against right-handers this season… After losing Saturday, the Red Sox are now 9-28 when their opponent scores first … Here’s Terry Francona with some great insight on Miguel Cabrera: “You’re never going to always get him out.” Well said, Terry … Orioles reliever Brian Matusz will be reinstated on Sunday. He was banned eight games for pitching with a foreign substance … Opponents have hit .429 against Jeff Samardzija in the first inning this year. His first-inning ERA is 11.08 … The Arkansas Travelers, Double-A affiliate of the Angels, drew 10 walks in one inning Friday night. In related news, I’ve walked once in my softball league this year … Every Texas starter had a hit on Saturday. Elvis Andrus was the last to get one, waiting until the sixth to get his first hit … Joey Gallo’s home run Saturday was the fourth-longest in the history of Globe Life Park. His solo blast traveled 461 feet … A scoring change gave Mitch Moreland a double on a play that was originally scored an error on Friday night. The hit raised Moreland’s average from .300 to .308 while raising Brian Duensing’s ERA from 9.00 to 10.50 … Mike Pelfrey began the day with the fourth-lowest ERA in the American League but ended at 13th … Aaron Hicks was a late scratch Saturday. He tweaked his elbow at batting practice … The Royals placed Jason Vargas on the disabled list Saturday with a left flexor strain. Postseason hero Brandon Finnegan was called up to take his place … Chris Martin threw three wild pitches in one inning on Saturday. No Yankees reliever had done that since Ken Clay in 1979 … Alex Rodriguez became the second player in MLB history to reach 2,000 RBI on Saturday. He’s now five hits away from 3,000 … Sergio Santos allowed a home run to the first hitter he faced as a Yankee on Saturday … David Lough’s homer off Santos was the Orioles’ first pinch-hit home run since June 23, 2014 … Nolan Reimold tripled Saturday for the first time since September 27, 2011 … The Orioles will look to extend their winning streak to seven games on Sunday. It would be their longest streak since 2005 when they won eight straight … Albert Pujols is on a serious heater. This is the second time in his career he’s homered 10 times in a 15-game span. The other instance came in April 2006.

National League Quick Hits: The Cardinals began the day Saturday with a 2.66 ERA. No team has had an ERA that low since the Astros in 1981 … Cardinals 1B Mark Reynolds is tied for the team lead with seven infield hits. That’s not what you’d expect from a guy with 227 career homers … Yadier Molina has 18 multi-hit games this season. That puts him in a tie with Derek Norris and Buster Posey for the most among National League catchers … Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has fanned 18 hitters this season without allowing a walk. No Dodger has had that many Ks without a walk to begin a year since 1991 … Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Jake Peavy (back) will need at least three more rehab starts. That buys Ryan Vogelsong some extra time in the rotation … Kris Bryant is the first player to have two 10-game hitting streaks in a rookie season since Bill Madlock in 1974 … Yonder Alonso played third base on Saturday. It was his first start there since 2011 … Danny Muno committed three errors Saturday in his third career start at third base … Kirk Nieuwenhuis is back with the Mets. New York claimed him off waivers after the Angels designated him for assignment on Wednesday … Gerrit Cole became the fastest Pirate to reach 10 wins since Vernon Law in 1960. The Pirates won the World Series that year so maybe it’s a good sign … Todd Frazier’s double Saturday was the 100th of his career … The Padres, Nationals and Rays agreed to a three-team trade last December but couldn’t complete the deal until Saturday when San Diego finally sent shortstop Trea Turner to Washington. That’s because teams have to wait a year to trade players after they draft them. Turner will report to Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday.

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