Jewish Baseball News

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ryan Braun was 1-for-3 with two walks and his fourth stolen base as the Milwaukee Brewers (17-13) edged the host Cincinnati Reds, 6-5. Braun scored the game-tying run in the seventh.

Here are his stats through the first two months of the 2018 season:

Alex Bregman was 0-for-1 with two walks as the Houston Astros (20-10) broke the visiting NY Yankees’ nine-game winning streak, 2-1.

Ian Kinsler and the LA Angels (16-12) had the day off.

Joc Pederson had two RBIs thanks to his second triple of the year (see video below) and a sac fly, but the LA Dodgers (12-16) lost to the host Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-5.

Kevin Pillar was moved up to the fifth spot in the batting order. He was 1-for-5 with his 10th double and scored the second run for the Toronto Blue Jays (16-12) in their 7-5 win over the host Minnesota Twins.

Danny Valencia and the Baltimore Orioles (8-20) had the day off.

Richard Bleier (Orioles) was off yesterday.

Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves (16-11) were off yesterday.

Ryan Sherriff is on a rehab assignment for the St. Louis Cardinals (15-12), coming off a broken toe.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillis (16-12) fell to the host Miami Marlins, 8-4.

(click to see video)

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

MOT of the weekend honors goes to Kevin Pillar of the Toronto Blue Jays  (15-12, third place, AL East), who had another great series. On Friday, he doubled (#9) and tripled (#1) in four at-bats, driving in a run in a 6-4 loss. The next day he hit two solo homers in another loss, this time by a score of 9-4. Even when he made an out he hit the ball hard, as evidenced in this play (see below) when he lined a shot back to the box that was snared by the ageless wonder, pitcher Bartolo Colon, in the sixth inning. In a fluff piece hyping the release of the new Marvel movie,  Avengers: Infinity Wars, MLB.com compared Pillar with Spider-Man.

On Sunday, Pillar hit another home run (#4) as the Jays beat the Rangers, 7-2. This one also came with no one on base. Pillar was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers (16-13, fourth place, NL Central) @ Chicago Cubs: On Friday, Braun flied out as a pinch-hitter and remained in the game in left, going 0-for-1 in a subsequent at-bat in a 3-2 loss. He was 0-for-4 as the starting left-fielder in a 3-0 loss on Saturday. Yesterday, he had a single in four trips to the plate as the Cubs swept the series, 2-0.

Alex Bregman, Houston Astros (19-10, first place AL West) vs. Oakland A’s: Bregman was o-for-3 with a walk in Friday’s 8-1 loss. He had a single and a double to go with two walks in five plate appearances in Saturday’s 11-0 win. Yesterday, Bregman went 0-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitcher, a stolen base and two runs scored in an 8-4 win.

Ian Kinsler, LA Angels (16-12, third place, AL West) vs. NY Yankees: Kinsler was 0-for-3 with a walk in Friday’s 4-3, 10-inning loss. He was 1-for-4 on Saturday, an 11-1 drubbing. Yesterday, the Angels let the Yankees extend their winning streak to nine games with a 2-1 loss.  Kinsler was 1-for-5 with his first double of the year.

Joc Pederson, LA Dodgers (12-15, fourth place, NL West) @ San Francisco Giants: Pederson entered Friday’s game as a defensive replacement for Matt Kemp in the fourth inning and singled and walked in three plate appearances in a 6-4 loss. He had his best game of the year on Saturday in the first game of a double-header when he had four singles and a walk in six trips to the plate, driving in four runs in a 15-6 win. It was the first four-hit game of his major league career. Pederson was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in the nightcap, an 8-5 loss. He capped off his weekend with a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh in a 4-2 loss. Pederson is quietly putting together a very solid season, hitting .286 with a Jewish-best .403 on-base percentage and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9).

Speaking of Pederson, MLB.com said he has the “best player name” on the Dodgers: “If you added a “K” to Pederson’s first name, it wouldn’t work: He’d have to play football or be a wrestler. Losing the K makes him a baseball man.”

Richard Bleier, Baltimore Orioles (8-20, fifth place, AL East) vs. Detroit Tigers: Bleier pitched another perfect inning in a 6-0 victory on Friday, his only appearance in the series. He is 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA.

Danny Valencia, Orioles: Valencia was 1-for-4 with a run scored on Friday. He was 2-for-4 the next day in a 9-5 loss. He did not appear on Sunday’s game, a 5-3 win, due to a hamstring issue.

Max Fried, Atlanta Braves (16-11, tied second place, NL East) @ Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (16-11, tied second place, NL East): Fried was pressed into service on Friday when starter Julio Tehran had to exit the game with a back injury. Fried pitched pretty well, allowing one run on two hits (one of which was a home run) and a walk in three innings while striking out three, but he was nevertheless saddled with the 7-3. He was also 0-for-1 at the plate.

Ryan Sherriff of the St. Louis Cardinals (15-12, third place, NL Central), who has been on the disabled list, is doing a rehab stint with the franchise’s Triple-A club.

Finally: Hey, kids, do you know what day it is? That’s right; it’s National Bugs Bunny Day (kids, ask your grandparents.)

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of April 23-29, 2018:

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: None

• No standout performances worth noting last week.

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Robert Stock

• P Robert Stock (Padres/AA) had 2 perfect relief appearances, yielding no hits or walks across 2 total innings and earning his first save of the season. He is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA this season, has struck out 15 batters against 3 walks and earned a WHIP (walks/hits per inning) of 1.11. Earlier today (April 30), Stock was promoted to Triple-A for the first time in his pro career.

Mazel tov

• Three members of Team Israel’s 2017 World Baseball Classic roster — Zach Borenstein*, Cody Decker* and Ty Kelly* — each have six HRs so far this season, tying them for 4th best in the Pacific Coast League (AAA).
• P Corey Baker, who recently retired after a distinguished career as a St. Louis Cardinals prospect (and member of Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic), is earning plaudits as the Minnesota Twins’ new replay coordinator.

Other highlights

• OF Zach Borenstein* (Mets/AAA) hit just .231 last week (6-for-26), but 2 of his hits went for homers, and his 5 RBIs gave him 20 for the season, tied for 4th best in the Pacific Coast League.
• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .300 (3-for-10) with a double, 2 RBIs and a walk. He is hitting .357 this season, with 2 triples, 5 doubles and 10 RBIs in 56 at-bats. Stubbs also has thrown out 5 of 12 base-stealers.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays/AAA) hit .333 (4-for-12) with a double. He has hit safely in 6 of his last 7 games.
• RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit just .214 (3-for-14) but homered and managed to drive in 6 runs. His 13 RBIs are tied for 3rd on the Potomac Nationals.
• P Jeremy Bleich* (Athletics/AAA) bounced back from a rough outing on April 26 (0.2 IP, 4 ER) to toss 3.1 scoreless innings on April 29.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/High-A) pitched 2.1 shutout innings and earned his second save across 2 relief appearances, striking out 4 while yielding one hit and zero walks. So far this season he is 0-1 with a 1.54 ERA, 2 saves in 2 chances, 14 strikeouts against just 2 walks, and a WHIP of just 0.86.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AAA) held opponents scoreless in outings of 1 inning and 0.2 innings, yielding no hits and one walk while striking out 3 and earning his second win of the season. He is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA. 

Transactions

• P Robert Stock (Padres/AAA) was promoted to Triple-A from Double-A on April 30.
• C Andy Yerzy (Diamondbacks/A), who spent his first two pro seasons in rookie ball, reportedly will begin 2018 with Arizona’s Single-A team.
• C Jason Goldstein (Oakland/High-A) was placed on the disabled list on April 24.
• P Ryan Sherriff (St. Louis Cardinals) was sent to Triple-A on a rehab assignment on April 27.

Free agents

• Former major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Scott Feldman, Elliott Barzilli, Dalton Blumenfeld, Mike Meyers*, Troy Neiman*, Adam Sonabend, Maxx Tissenbaum and Jeremy Wolf.
• Ike Davis*, a former major leaguer who tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher in 2017, is rumored to have retired, but this is unconfirmed.

Disabled list

• C Jason Goldstein (Athletics/High-A), since April 24.
• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/High-A), since April 15.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 9.
• P R C Orlan* (Indians/AA).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 5.

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk.

Get your Jewish baseball news via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Danny Valencia — batting seventh and playing third base — was 2-for-4 and hit his third home run, but the Baltimore Orioles (6-19) lost to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 9-5. Richard Bleier did not appear for the O’s.

Kevin Pillar walked, doubled, and had a sacrifice fly in four plate appearances as the Toronto Blue Jays (14-10) lost to the visiting Boston Red Sox, 5-4.

Ryan Braun had a single and double in four at-bats, but the Milwaukee Brewers (16-10) lost a pitchers’ duel to the host Chicago Cubs, 1-0. He also made this nice play at his new position, first base:

Max Fried did not pitch for the Atlanta Braves (14-10) in their 7-4 win over the host Cincinnati Reds.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (15-9) lost to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-2.

The rest of the teams with MOTs had the day off.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Jew vs. Jew: Alex Bregman had a bases-clearing double (see video below) in the fourth inning to give the Houston Astros (17-9) a 3-0 lead and all the runs they would need in a 5-2 win over the visiting LA Angels (16-9). Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 in the losing cause.

Ryan Braun shows signs of coming out of his April doldrums, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored as the Milwaukee Brewers (16-9) beat the host KC Royals, 6-2. He is 5-for-8 in his last two games.

Joc Pederson was 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth to give the LA Dodgers their first run, but they ended up losing to the visiting Miami Marlins, 8-6. The Dodgers (11-12) made it interesting by scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays (14-9) fell to the visiting Boston Red Sox, 4-3.

Danny Valencia was 0-for-4 as the Baltimore Orioles (6-18) lost to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 8-4. Richard Bleier did not appear in the game. The oh-fer dropped Valencia’s batting average to .135. I happened to turn on the MLB Network the other day when he was up with men on base and struck out on three pitches. The announcers were not very complimentary, calling him a selfish player because they thought he was hellbent on hitting a home run.

Max Fried did not appear for the Atlanta Braves (13-10) in their 5-4 win over the host Cincinnati Reds. Bob Wechsler pointed out in an e-mail:

For the first time in history, two Jewish pitchers have an ERA of infinity during the same season.

Zach Weiss gave up two walks, two homers and four earned runs without recording an out before the Reds sent him back to the minors after one game earlier this month.

Yesterday, Max Fried made his season debut for the Braves and faced two batters — a walk and a game-winning homer. At least he had a 3.81 ERA in nine games last season.

This is not good, especially following Brad Goldberg’s 8.25 ERA in 11 games with last year’s White Sox.

Wechsler further suggested not making a card for this in the next go-around of the Jewish Major Leaguer set.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (15-8) beat the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-3.

(click to see video)

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

In another meeting of MOTs, Ian Kinsler was 1-for-3 for the LA Angels (16-8), who edged out the host Houston Astros, 8-7. Kinsler also walked twice and scored two runs, including the one that tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh when the Angels scored four times for an 8-5 lead. Alex Bregman brought the Astros (16-9) closer in the bottom of the frame, driving in a run on a single to make it 8-6. He also doubled (#5) and scored a run.

Ryan Braun served as DH and batted third for the Milwaukee Brewers (15-9) in their 5-2 win over the host Kansas City Royals. He was 2-for-3 with a run scored and his 15th RBI on a hard shot that bounced of the pitcher’s foot.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-4 with an RBI as the Toronto Blue Jays (14-8) beat the visiting Boston Red Sox, 4-3, on a 10th-inning, walk-off home run by Curtis Granderson.

Joc Pederson walked as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and remained in the game as the left-fielder for the LA Dodgers (12-10), going 0-for-1 in a subsequent at-bat. The Miami Marlins scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to win the game, 3-2.

Ryan Sherriff remains on the DL and so did not appear for the St. Louis Cardinals (13-9) in their 10-inning, 6-5 loss to the visiting NY Mets.

The 6-17 Baltimore Orioles ( Richard Bleier, Danny Valencia) saw their game with the Tampa Bay Rays postponed by rain.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies lost to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-4.

And welcome back Max Fried. The Atlanta Braves (12-10) recalled their top lefty prospect yesterday and his impact was felt immediately. And not in a good way. Fried, who made his major league debut last year and was doing very well in AAA, entered the game against the host Cincinnati Reds in the 12th inning and walked the first batter he faced. Scooter Gennett then launched a game-winning home run. It was Gennett’s second homer of the year; in fact both long balls came in this game. Final score: Reds 9, Braves 7, and an ERA of ∞ for Fried.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

In a meeting of MOTs on first-place teams. Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 for the LA Angels (15-8), who beat the host Houston Astros, 2-0. Alex Bregman was 0-for-3 with a walk for the ‘Stros (16-8), ending his brief (five-game) hitting streak.

Richard Bleier — one of the few bright spots for a dismal franchise — tossed a perfect inning, lowering his ERA to 0.57, in another loss for the Baltimore Orioles (6-17), although it was a close one: 2-1 to the visiting Cleveland Indians. Danny Valencia started as the Orioles’ third baseman, striking out three times and knocking a double in four at-bats.

Joc Pederson struck out as a pinch-hitter and remained in the game for the LA Dodgers (11-10) in their 2-1 win over the visiting Miami Marlins.

Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun will be happy when April is over.

The rest of the mishpucha had the day off.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Alex Bregman gets MOT of the Weekend honors. He had six hits in 13 at-bats plus two walks. Bregman had one double, scored twice, and drove in a pair as the Houston Astros (16-7, first in the AL West) swept the host Chicago White Sox — outscoring their opponents 27-2 — and extended their winning streak to six games. Bregman has a five-game hitting streak.

Following his pinch-hit home run on Thursday, Ryan Braun followed up with another the next day to help the Milwaukee Brewers (14-9, second in the NL Central) beat the visiting Florida Marlins, 8-0. His fourth homer of the year came with a man on in the fourth to give his team a 4-0 lead.

Braun also singled in that game. The following night, he was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. He went hitless in four at-bats on Saturday as Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep.

Kevin Pillar was 2-for-11 from Saturday through Sunday as the Toronto Blue Jays (13-8, second in AL East) lost two of three to the host NY Yankees. Pillar struck out five times, walked once, and stole his fourth base of the year.

Ian Kinsler was 2-for-12 with a run scored as the LA Angels (14-8, second in AL West) dropped two of three to the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Joc Pederson started each game in the weekend series for the LA Dodgers (10-10, third in NL West). He was 0-for-2 on Friday with a walk in a 5-2 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals. The next day, Pederson was 2-for-4 with his first home run of the year, a solo shot to dead center off National’s ace Stephen Strasburg to start off the scoring in the Dodgers’ 4-0 win. It was especially sweet because it came on Pederson’s 26th birthday!

Richard Bleier earned his third hold on Friday, allowing two hits, a walk, and a strikeout in two innings as the Baltimore Orioles (6-16, fifth in the AL East) beat the visiting Cleveland Indians, 3-1. It was his only appearance for the weekend.

Danny Valencia grounded out as a pinch-hitter yesterday, his only appearance in the three-game set of which the Indians won two.

Ryan Sherriff remains on the disabled list for the St. Louis Cardinals (13-8, first in NL Central). The second-year reliever is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment next week.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies completed a four-game sweep of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to improve to 14-7, second in the AL East. Can he keep his players happy?

Remember Ryan Kalish fondly: he announced his retirement at the age of 30 due to chronic knee problems. HT to Bob Wechsler, author of the The Jewish Baseball Card Book and Day by Day in Jewish Sports History, who reported:

Outfielder Ryan Kalish has retired, Peter Gammons tweets. Kalish, who played the final game of his career on Friday with New Britain of the independent Atlantic League, is stepping away because of knee issues, per Gammons. Now 30, Kalish was once a promising prospect with the Red Sox, who grabbed him in the ninth round of the 2006 draft. Injuries were problematic throughout Kalish’s career, though, which helps to explain why he only amassed 422 major league plate appearances between the BoSox and Cubs. Kalish was a .245/.297/.349 hitter with four homers and 16 stolen bases in the majors.

Craig Breslow, on the other hand, just keeps going and going and…

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of April 16-22, 2018:

Borenstein

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Zach Borenstein

OF Zach Borenstein* (Mets/AAA) is making a strong case for a call-up this season. Last week, he hit .348 (8-for-23) with a home run, 5 doubles and 6 walks. For the season, he is hitting .323 with 4 HRs, 15 RBIs (tied for 7th in the Pacific Coast League) and a .440 on-base percentage.

Delaplane

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Sam Delaplane

• P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/A), a 2017 draftee, had a banner week, earning 2 saves in two appearances. The 23rd-round pick tossed a total of 1.2 perfect innings, yielding no hits or walks while striking out 4. Delaplane has 12 strikeouts over 5.2 innings this season and just one walk.

Other highlights

• 1B Cody Decker* (Diamondbacks/AAA) hit .333 (6-for-18) with 2 HRs, a double, 4 RBIs and 3 walks. His 6 home runs this season are tied for 3rd in the Pacific Coast League.
• C Scott Manea (Mets/A) hit .250 (4-for-16) with 2 home runs, 3 RBIs and 3 walks. The power surge was unexpected; since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016, Manea had hit only one home run.
• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .444 (8-for-18) with 3 doubles, 5 RBIs and a stolen base. His .370 season average is tied for 11th in the Pacific Coast League. MLB.com ranks him Houston’s #24 prospect, and so far this season, Stubbs has thrown out 4 of 7 attempted base-stealers.
• 2B Adam Walton (Diamondbacks/High-A) hit .286 (6-for-21) with a home run, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs, 3 walks and 2 stolen bases).
• C Nick Rickles* (Phillies/AAA), who normally squats behind the batter’s box, took the mound on April 17 for the first time as a pro. He pitched a scoreless 9th inning for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, allowing only one runner — a hit batsman — to reach base.
• P Brad Goldberg* (White Sox/AA) pitched 2 scoreless innings across 2 relief appearances, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out 2.
• P Alex Katz* (Orioles/A) pitched a total of 5 innings across 2 appearances, yielding one earned run on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 and earning a win. He is 1-0 with one save and a 1.80 ERA this season.
• P Dean Kremer* (Dodgers/High-A) was strong in an April 20 start, yielding one earned run on 5 hits and no walks over 5 innings while striking out 8.
• P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/High-A) earned his first win of the season on April 19. The southpaw yielded 2 earned runs on 7 hits and a walk over 6 innings while striking out 5.

Transactions

• C Jason Goldstein (Oakland/High-A) was assigned to the Stockton Ports.
• P Spencer Kulman (Padres/A-short-season), an undrafted free agent signed by the Padres in 2017, was assigned to the Tri-City Devils.
• P Joey Wagman*, a former minor-leaguer, signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League.
• P Kenny Koplove, a former minor-leaguer, signed with the Sussex County Miners of the independent CanAm Association.
• P Cory Jones, a former minor-leaguer, signed with the Sussex County Miners of the independent CanAm Association.
• P Marc Huberman, a former minor-leaguer, signed with the Rockland Boulders of the independent CanAm Association.
• C Maxx Tissenbaum, a former minor-leaguer, was released by the Quebec Les Capitals of the independent CanAm Association.

Free agents

• Former major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Scott Feldman, Elliott Barzilli, Dalton Blumenfeld, Mike Meyers*, Troy Neiman*, Adam Sonabend, Maxx Tissenbaum and Jeremy Wolf.
• Ike Davis*, a former major leaguer who tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher in 2017, is rumored to have retired, but this is unconfirmed.

Disabled list

• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/High-A), since April 15.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 9.
• P R C Orlan* (Indians/AA).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 5.

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk.

Get your Jewish baseball news via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ryan Braun is nursing a sore calf and so did not start for the Milwaukee Brewers (11-9), but he did deliver a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the sixth, part of the seven runs the Brew Crew put up in the frame (so he didn’t have to run very hard). It was the fourth long ball for Braun this year and gave him an even 1,000 runs batted in for his career. Only two other Jewish players — Hank Greenberg and Shawn Green — have reached that milestone.

Ian Kinsler accounted for 25 percent of the LA Angels’ hit total with a single in four at-bats as his team (13-6) fell to the visiting Boston Red Sox juggernaut, 8-2.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-3 as the Toronto Blue Jays (12-6) lost to the host NY Yankees, 4-3. Despite the decision, the Jays are off to their best start in a decade.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-4 with a run scored as the Houston Astros (13-7) beat the host Seattle Mariners, 9-2. He made another one of his strong throws from foul territory in a game which featured this odd triple play:

Neither Danny Valencia nor Richard Bleier appeared in the Baltimore Orioles’ 13-4 loss to the host Detroit Tigers. It was the Orioles’ sixth loss in a row, dropping them to 5-14, worst in the AL East.

Joc Pederson and the LA Dodgers (8-9) had Thursday off.

Ryan Sherriff remains on the disabled list for the St. Louis Cardinals (10-8), who lost to the host Chicago Cubs, 8-5.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (11-7) shut out the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-0.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Danny Valencia, serving as the DH and batting fifth, drilled his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the second. But his Baltimore Orioles (5-13) lost again to the host Detroit Tigers, this time on a walk-off home run by Dixon Machado (his first of the year). Richard Bleier lowered his ERA to 0.71, retiring the only two batters he faced, one via strikeout.

Kevin Pillar belted two more doubles and a single in five at bats as the host Toronto Blue Jays (12-5) scored eight runs in the eighth to crush the KC Royals, 15-5. He also scored twice and drove one across the plate.

Joc Pederson started in left, batted sixth, and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI as the LA Dodgers (8-9) beat the host San Diego Padres, 13-4. There was this little snafu in the field, however, despite a valiant and athletic effort by Joc:

Ian Kinsler had one-third of the LA Angels’ six hits (he also walked) in a 9-0 loss to the visiting Boston Red Sox. The Angels are 13-5.

Ryan Braun did not appear for the Milwaukee Brewers (10-9) in their 2-0 shutout win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds. This time it was a calf injury that kept him out of the lineup. Hope this isn’t going to be a pattern. Braun missed 58 games in 2017 and 29 the year before.

The Houston Astros (12-7) scored six runs in the seventh to beat the host Seattle Mariners, 7-1. They did this without the services of the struggling Alex Bregman, who was given the night off.

Ryan Sherriff remains on the DL for the St. Louis Cardinals (10-7), who saw their game with the host Chicago Cubs postponed by weather. This is getting monotonous.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (10-7) lost to the host Atlanta Braves, 7-3.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

The Toronto Blue Jays (11-5, second in AL East) swept their doubleheader against the visiting Kansas City Royals, 11-3 and 5-4, the latter game taking 10 innings. In the opener — with both teams wearing uniform number ’42’ since they were rained out of the festivities on Jackie Robinson Day on the 15th — Kevin Pillar had a two-RBI double as the Jays put up six runs in the sixth, his only hit in four at-bats. He also scored a run. In the nightcap, Pillar was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored, including the game-winner (see video).

Danny Valencia, playing DH, struck out twice and walked in three plate appearances as the Baltimore Orioles (5-12, fourth in AL East) lost 4-2 to the host Detroit Tigers. Richard Bleier did not pitch for the O’s in this one.

Ryan Braun singled and doubled in four at-bats as the Milwaukee Brewers (9-9, third in NL Central) shut out the visiting Cincinnati Reds, 2-0.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-4 with a walk, batting fifth instead of his usual second spot in the lineup, in the Houston Astros’ 4-1 win over the host Miami Marlins. The Astros are 11-7, second in the AL West.

Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 as the LA Angels (13-4, first in AL West) were trounced by the host Boston Red Sox, 10-1. According to this article from MLB.com, Kinsler has a shot at joining the 300 HR/300 stolen base club. But being closer to age 36 than 35 and with 235 home runs and 227 stolen bases right now, and given his recent health issues, that strikes me as a very outside shot. Braun — just about a year younger than Kinsler — has 305 dingers but a relatively low 195 stolen bases.

Joc Pederson entered the game for the LA Dodgers (7-9, third in NL West) against the host San Diego Padres as a defensive replacement in the seventh and did not come to bat, coming out for a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning of what would end up a 12-inning, 7-3 win for the visitors.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies improved to 10-6, good for second in the NL East, following their 5-1 win over the host Atlanta Braves in 10 innings. Seems like he’s learning after some early-season issues.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Alex Bregman was 0-for-4 as the Houston Astros (10-7) dropped a tough one to the host Seattle Mariners, 2-1.

Joc Pederson walked as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning for the LA Dodgers (6-9) in their 10-4 win over the host San Diego Padres. He remained in the game and went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored. Joc may be batting just .148, but he has five walks and only two strikeouts in 27 at-bats.

Speaking of Joc, it looks like we just missed seeing him on the mound in LA’s 15-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 2. In years past, Ike Davis took a turn on the hill. Sam Fuld, too. Both have an ERA of 0.00. I always get a kick out of stuff like that.

Ryan Braun had a pinch-hit groundout in the ninth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers (8-9) lost to the visiting Cincinnati Reds, 10-4. Meanwhile, if you want to see a wicked impersonation of Braun’s batting-deck routine, check out this video of Brewers catcher Jeff Bandy.

The Patriots’ Day game between the Baltimore Orioles (Richard Bleier, Danny Valencia) and Boston Red Sox was cancelled due to weather, as was the one between the St. Louis Cardinals (Ryan Sherriff, DL) and host Chicago Cubs, and the one between the host Toronto Blue Jays (Kevin Pillar) and Kansas City Royals. Ian Kinsler and the LA Angels had the day off.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (9-6) lost to the host Atlanta Braves, 2-1.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

It’s always a dilemma when a Member of the Tribe plays against my Mets. On the one hand, I want him to do well. On the other hand, I want the Mets to win. I got the best of both worlds on Friday when Ryan Braun hit one out (see video), but his Milwaukee Brewers (8-8, third in the NL Central) lost to the host New Yorkers, 6-5. It was Braun’s only hit in four at-bats, good for two runs in the sixth inning off Steve Matz. It was also the 305th tater for Braun, putting him just 26 away from tying Hank Greenberg’s record among Jewish Major Leaguers.

Braun was 1-for-3 with a stolen base on Saturday — part of a 5-1 Brewers win— but came out of the game with back stiffness. He did not play in Sunday’s 3-2 Mets win, which took place in raw, nasty weather.

Alex Bregman was 2-for-13 over the weekend as the Houston Astros (10-6, second in AL West) lost two of three to the host Texas Rangers. Both of his hits came in Saturday’s game.

Baltimore Orioles reliever Richard Bleier pitched 2.1 innings yesterday, allowing three hits and striking out a pair in a 3-1 loss to the host Boston Red Sox. It was his only appearance for the weekend — and lowered his season ERA to a svelte 0.75.

Danny Valencia started at third base in the Friday and Saturday games, going a collective 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts. The Orioles (5-11, fourth in the AL East) all three games over the weekend.

Ian Kinsler played well Friday, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two stolen bases, and a sacrifice fly that drove in the deciding run in a 5-4 win over the host Kansas City Royals. He did not play on Saturday (and not because he’s shomer Shabbos); yesterday’s game was postponed. The LA Angels are 13-3, tops in the AL West.

Kevin Pillar had a single and a double (#3) in four at-bats and drove in a run Friday as the Toronto Blue Jays (9-5, second in the AL East) beat the host Cleveland Indians, 8-4. Both the Saturday and Sunday games were postponed.

Joc Pederson walked as a pinch-hitter for the LA Dodgers (5-9, fifth in NL West) on Friday in a 7-2 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. He started Saturday’s game, going 1-for-4 and driving in the only run for LA in a 9-1 loss. Pederson entered the game on Sunday as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and remained in the game, going 0-for-1 at the plate.

The Cincinnati Reds (2-13, fifth in NL Central) sent rookie pitcher Zack Weiss back to AAA Louisville.

Ryan Sherriff remains on the disabled list for the St. Louis Cardinals (9-7, second in NL Central).

And how do you like Gabe Kapler now? After a rocky start, the Philadelphia Phillies are 9-5, second in the NL East (see article).

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Welcome to the first edition of Minor-League Monday for the 2018 season.

Here are your highlights from April 5–15, 2018:

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Cody Decker

Decker

1B Cody Decker* (Diamondbacks/AAA) began the season in Double-A but was wisely promoted. In 26 at-bats at the Triple-A level, he hit .269 with 4 home runs — tied for #2 in the Pacific Coast League — and 8 RBIs. One of the most memorable games in Decker’s illustrious minor-league career took place April 9, when he went 4-for-4 with 2 HRs, a double, a walk and 3 RBIs.

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Matthew Gorst

Gorst

• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/High-A) pitched 5 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and one walk while striking out 3. Gorst saw significant action with Boston during MLB Spring Training this season, going 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 7 relief appearances.

Other highlights

• C Michael Barash (Angels/AA) started the 2018 season with a bang, hitting the first pitch he saw on Opening Day for a home run.
• OF Zach Borenstein* (Mets/AAA) hit .308 (12-for-39) during the April 5-15 period, and his 10 RBIs tied for 12th most in the Pacific Coast League. In one three-game stretch, he homered in every game and drove in a total of 8 runs.
• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/High-A) hit .296 (8-for-27) with 3 doubles, 6 RBIs and only one strikeout.
• C Scott Manea (Mets/A), an undrafted free agent signed in 2016, hit .438 (7-for-16) with 3 doubles and 2 RBIs.
• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .321 (9-for-28) with 2 triples, a double and 3 RBIs.
• RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit .293 (12-for-41) with 2 HRs, 3 doubles and a triple.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AAA) had a rough go of it in his Major League debut on April 9, not too surprising given that he spent all of 2017 at the High-A or Double-A levels. But Weiss quickly got his sea legs after being sent down to Triple-A, pitching a perfect inning of relief on April 15 to earn a save.
• P Jeremy Bleich* (Athletics/AAA) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings across 3 games, yielding 2 hits and no walks while striking out 2.
• P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/A), a 2017 draftee, pitched 4 innings of one-run ball across 2 games, yielding 4 hits and a walk while striking out an impressive 8 batters. In his rookie season, Delaplane struck out 50 batters in 33 innings while walking only 9.
• P Max Fried (Braves/AAA), who pitched in nine MLB games in 2017, started two games during the April 5-15 period, one each in Double-A and Triple-A. In 10.1 combined innings over those two games, Fried yielded 8 hits, one earned run and 5 walks while striking out 12.
• P Alex Katz* (Orioles/A) earned a 1.80 ERA and a save over 3 relief appearances. He yielded 4 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings while striking out 7.
• P Robert Stock (Padres/AA), who came close to landing a spot on San Diego’s Opening Day roster, earned a 3.00 ERA over 3 appearances, yielding 3 hits, 2 walks and an earned run in 3 innings while striking out 6.

Transactions

• P Max Fried (Braves/AAA) was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A on April 12.
• 1B Cody Decker* (Diamondbacks/AAA) was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A on April 8.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AAA) was sent from the Major League roster to Triple-A on April 14.
• CF Blake Gailen*, who hit .300 for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Double-A team in 2017, was released. He subsequently signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League. (See our Player page for a more comprehensive list of Jews playing in independent leagues — i.e., leagues not affiliated with MLB.)

Free agents

• Former minor- and major-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Scott Feldman, Corey Baker*, Elliott Barzilli, Dalton Blumenfeld, Mike Meyers*, Troy Neiman*, Adam Sonabend, Joey Wagman* and Jeremy Wolf.
• Ike Davis*, a former major leaguer who tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher in 2017, is rumored to have retired, but this is unconfirmed.

Disabled list

• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/High-A), since April 15.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 9.
• P R.C. Orlan* (Indians/AA).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 5.

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk.

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2018 archives

• Games played August 27-September 2, 2018
• Games played August 20-26, 2018
• Games played August 13-19, 2018
• Games played August 6-12, 2018
• Games played July 30-August 5, 2018
• Games played July 23-29, 2018
• Games played July 16-22, 2018
• Games played July 9-15, 2018
• Games played July 2-8, 2018
• Games played June 25-July 1, 2018
• Games played June 18-24, 2018
• Games played June 11-17, 2018
• Games played June 4-10, 2018
• Games played May 28-June 3, 2018
• Games played May 21-27, 2018
• Games played May 14-20, 2018
• Games played May 7-13, 2018
• Games played April 30-May 6, 2018
• Games played April 23-29, 2018
• Games played April 16-22, 2018
• Games played April 5-15, 2018

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ian Kinsler returned to action in style as the LA Angels (11-3) defeated the host Kansas City Royals, 7-1. Kinsler — who had been on the disabled list with a pulled groin — launched the second pitch he saw into the stands for a lead-off home run, the 47th of his career (235 total). It was his only hit in five at-bats.

Zach Weiss made his Major League debut for the Cincinnati Reds (2-10) against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals (6-7). The word “inauspicious” immediately comes to mind: He gave up back-to-back home runs to the first batters he faced and then walked the next two before coming out. This means he has an ERA of infinity, since he did not retire anyone. Nevertheless, a big day for Zach and Jewish baseball fans everywhere. May his next outing be a success.

Every other MOT had the day off.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Alex Bregman had his breakout game of the young season, going 4-for-6 with a double, home run, and an RBI (see video below), but the Houston Astros (9-4) nevertheless lost to the host Minnesota Twins, 9-8.

Richard Bleier earned his second hold of the season with one shutout inning as the Baltimore Orioles (5-8) held off the visiting Toronto Blue Jays (8-5), 5-3. Bleier’s performance lowered his ERA below the 1.00 threshold. Danny Valencia did not appear for the O’s. Toronto’s Kevin Pillar was 1-for-4 with a two-out RBI.

Joc Pederson started in left and batted second, doubling once in five at-bats and scoring a run as the LA Dodgers were crushed by the host Oakland A’s, 16-6.

Ryan Braun was 0-for-4 with a strikeout as the Milwaukee Brewers (7-6) held off a late rally by the host St. Louis Cardinals for a 3-2 win. Just five runs short of 1,000 RBIs, Braun has driven in more runs since his 2007 debut than all but five other players (see article). Ryan Sherriff is on the disabled list for the Cardinals (5-7).

The LA Angels (10-3) beat the host Texas Rangers, 7-2. Ian Kinsler is expected to return to action tonight from the disabled list as the Halos visit the Kansas City Royals.

Click photo to watch video

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (6-5) beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds in 12 innings, 4-3. Maybe I’m just paying attention because Kapler’s a MOT, but I don’t remember any rookie manager getting so much attention for such strange things, not to mention the kerfuffle over him pulling starter Aaron Nola on Opening Day.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Kevin Pillar was 2-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays (8-4) beat the host Baltimore Orioles (4-8), 2-1, behind the strong pitching of Aaron Sanchez, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Neither Richard Bleier nor Danny Valencia appeared for the Os.

Alex Bregman (see article) singled in three at-bats and walked as the Houston Astros (9-3) fell to the host Minnesota Twins, 4-1. Bregman was also picked off first.

Joc Pederson struck out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning as the LA Dodgers (4-6) shut out the visiting Oakland Athletics, 4-0. Is a new position in the offing?

Ryan Braun did not appear for the Milwaukee Brewers (6-6) in their 5-3 loss to the host St. Louis Cardinals (5-6). Ryan Sherriff is on the disabled list for the Cards.

The LA Angels (9-3) beat up on the Texas Rangers, 11-1, without the services of Ian Kinsler, who now expects to make his return from the DL on Thursday.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies evened their record at 5-5 with a 6-1 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Former major leaguers Josh Zeid and Nate Freiman have launched a digital show called The Launch Angle. You can watch it live or see replays using the Fancred app.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ryan Braun was 1-for-5 as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the host St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4, in 10 innings. He also tossed out a hitter trying to stretch a double into a triple (see below). According to ShepherdExpress.com, “Braun needs five more runs batted in to become the 285th player in MLB history, the ninth active player and just the second Brewer with 1,000 in their careers (Robin Yount had 1,406).”

Ryan Sherriff is on the DL for the Cards with a fractured toe.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored as the Toronto Blue Jays (7-4) defeated the host Baltimore Orioles, 7-1. Danny Valencia was 0-for-3 as the DH for the Orioles and came out for a pinch-hitter in the eighth. Richard Bleier did not pitch for the O’s (4-7).

Alex Bregman was 0-for-2 with two walks for the Houston Astros (9-2) in their 2-0 blanking of the host Minnesota Twins.

Joc Pederson and the LA Dodgers (3-6) were off.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (4-5) outlasted the visiting Cincinnati Reds, 6-5.

Ian Kinsler was eligible to come off the DL for the LA Angels (8-3) today, but that might not happen.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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