Byron Buxton spent the summer as a rumor before he was a lineup card. The Phillies made calls on him. The Twins said no, and kept saying no, until the deadline passed and Buxton stayed a Twin. Tonight Philadelphia shows up anyway, not with a trade package, just a roster and a schedule, to play the guy they tried to take home.
There is no version of this where the front office subplot shows up on the scoreboard. Buxton does not hit better or worse because a division that wanted him is standing in the other dugout. But the coincidence is right there, undeniable, the two halves of a summer-long storyline sharing an outfield for nine innings.
The number in front of Buxton tonight has nothing to do with any of that. One and a half home runs, over or under, same as it would be against anyone else. The story got you to read this far. The call is yours.