Jewish Baseball News

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

A very light night for baseball, with only two of the boys in action.

Ryan Braun, batting second these days, had his best showing in awhile with two singles, a double (#16), and a run scored, but the Minnesota Twins overcame a 4-1 deficit to beat the Milwaukee Brewers (59-55), 5-4.

In a replay of 1909 World Series opponents, Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 as the Detroit Tigers (51-60) were shut out by the host Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-0. Owner of the Pirates at the time: Barney Dreyfuss, the only Jew with a plaque in the Hall of Fame besides Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (56-56) in their 6-2 win over the host LA Angels.

Worth noting: Ike Davis struck out the side in his debut as a pitcher. Granted it was with the Dodgers’ affiliate in the Arizona League, but you have to start somewhere.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of July 31-August 6, 2017:

Gailen

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Blake Gailen*

LF Blake Gailen* (Dodgers/AA) had a career game on August 5, going 3-for-5 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs. It was his second two-homer game since being signing with Los Angeles out of the independent Atlantic League on June 29. For the week, Gailen hit .333 (6-for-18) with 3 HRs, 8 RBIs and a walk.

Rosenberg

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Kenny Rosenberg

• P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/A) won his third straight decision in dominant fashion on August 3, pitching 7 shutout innings on 3 hits, one walk and 9 strikeouts. His 107 strikeouts in just 86 innings amount to 11.2 per 9 innings, tops among all Midwest League pitchers with 80-plus innings.

Other highlights

• CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/AA) hit .333 (9-for-27) with a double, 4 RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. He began the week with a bang, going 8-for-14 in the first three games before going 1-for-13 in the last four.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays/AAA) hit safely in all 6 games he played last week, hitting .381 (8-for-21) with 2 doubles, 2 walks and 4 RBIs.
• SS Elliott Barzilli (Marlins/rookie), a 2017 draftee, hit .375 (3-for-8) with a home run, double and 3 RBIs.
• OF Justin Cohen (Marlins/rookie), a former catcher now playing in the outfield, hit .333 (5-for-15) with a double, triple and 3 walks.
• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/High-A) hit .400 (6-for-15) with a HR, 5 RBIs and a walk.
• C Ryan Gold (Blue Jays/rookie) hit .417 (5-for-12) with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs.
• C Jason Goldstein (Athletics/A) hit .444 (4-for-9) with 2 doubles and 3 walks.
• 2B Adam Walton (Diamondbacks/A) hit .407 (11-for-27) with a homer, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs and a stolen base.
• 2B Zane Gurwitz (Angels/rookie), a 2017 draftee, hit a torrid .533 (8-for-15) after returning from Single-A to L.A.’s rookie-league team. He smacked 3 doubles and stole 2 bases.
• P Ike Davis* (Dodgers/rookie) — yes, you read that right: pitcher Ike Davis — struck out the side in an inning of relief with L.A.’s rookie-league team. As this article explains, the Dodgers hope to repurpose the power-hitting first baseman as a pitcher.
• P Ryan Sherriff* (Cardinals/AAA) pitched 2.1 perfect innings of relief on August 4, yielding no runs, hits or walks while striking out 5. So far this season he is 5-1 with a 3.49 ERA, 5 saves in 6 chances, and is yielding just 1.06 walks/hits per innings, 10th-best in the Pacific Coast league among pitchers with at least 40 innings.
• P Jeremy Bleich* (Dodgers/AAA) pitched 4 shutout innings over 3 appearances and earned his first save of the season. Since being promoted to Triple-A, he is 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA, 34 strikeouts in 38.1 innings, and just 4 walks.
• P Robert Stock (Reds/AA), who played catcher during his first three minor-league seasons, remains agile with a bat. His pinch-hit single on August 6 left him with a .750 season average (3-for-4). In his last 10 appearances on the mound, Stock is 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/High-A) pitched 3 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and no walks while striking out one.
• P Kenny Koplove (Marlins/A-short-season) pitched 2 near-perfect innings on August 6, yielding no hits or earned runs and one walk while striking out 3.
• P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 4 shutout innings of relief on August 2, yielding 4 hits and no walks while striking out 5. The Eastern Michigan University alum has 27 strikeouts in 16.2 innings this season but just 4 walks.
• P Spencer Kulman (Padres/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief on August 1, yielding 2 hits and no walks while striking out 4.

Transactions

• P Max Fried (Braves) was promoted from Double-A to Atlanta’s major-league roster on August 5.
• C Nick Rickles* (Phillies/AAA) was promoted to Triple-A on August 4. At Double-A, he hit .274 with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs in 95 at-bats.
• C Ryan Lavarnway* (Athletics/AAA) was designated for assignment by Oakland on August 4.
• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A on August 5.
• P Craig Breslow, who was released by the Minnesota Twins on July 29, signed a minor-league contract with the Cleveland Indians on August 4.
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/rookie) came off the disabled list on July 31 and was assigned to the franchise’s rookie-league team on August 3.
• C Tim Remes (Tigers/AA) was promoted from High-A to Double-A on August 1.
• P Marc Huberman (Cubs/High-A) was promoted from Single-A to High-A on August 5.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/Salem) was promoted from Single-A to High-A on August 3.
• C Adam Sonabend (Giants/A) came off the disabled list on August 5.
• 2B Zane Gurwitz (Angels/rookie) was reassigned from Single-A to L.A.’s rookie-league club on August 1.

Free agents

• Players believed to be seeking employment include minor leaguer Corey Baker* and former major leaguer Sam Fuld*.

Disabled list

• SS Preston Grand Pre (Dodgers/rookie), since July 30.
• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A), since May 26.
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 19.
• P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A), since April 12.
• P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA), since April 6.

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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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Kevin Pillar was 3-for-9 in two games (he missed Friday’s opener) with two runs scored as the Toronto Blue Jays (52-59) lost two of three to the host Houston Astros (71-40). Alex Bregman had one hit in each game, all for extra bases: his 13th home run on Friday, 28th double on Saturday, and third triple yesterday. The homer — a two-run shot to the opposite field — was part of a nine-run eruption by the ‘Stros in the fourth inning. Bregman’s record for the weekend included three walks, two runs scored, and four RBIs.

Danny Valencia also hit lucky #13. His two-run bomb opened the scoring in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday between his Seattle Mariners (57-56) and the host KC Royals. He also had his third triple and a single, leaving him a double shy of a cycle. Valencia sat out the nightcap. On Friday, he was 0-for-2 with two sac flies. Is Valencia in danger of losing playing time now that the Mariners have acquired Yonder Alonso?

Ian Kinsler was 4-for-12 with a double and a run scored as the Detroit Tigers (51-59) lost two of the last three games in a four-game set to the host Baltimore Orioles (55-56). Three of his hits came in yesterday’s 12-3 loss. Richard Bleier had another scoreless outing in that one, going 2.1 innings and allowing two hits, although he never faced Kinsler. In his last 10 appearances, Bleier has given up just two earned runs (three total) in 17 innings (see article).

Ryan Braun split his time between left field and DH as the Milwaukee Brewers (59-54) took two of three from the host Tampa Bay Rays. Braun had two singles in 11 at-bats with two Ks and a walk. The two teams combined for just eight runs over the three meetings, with the Brewers winning the first two by shutouts.

Joc Pederson was 0-for-6 as the LA Dodgers (79-32) swept the host NY Mets, a series that also included two shutouts. He walked twice in the Friday game and stole just his second base of the season. Pederson is hitless in his late eight games.

Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Chicago White Sox (41-68), who suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the host Boston Red Sox.

Used to be, years ago, that we would read about these things in the “agate” section of the sports page, the tiny fonts that gave us information about who was traded or injured or released. In the on-line version we have the Oakland A’s designating Ryan Lavarnway for assignment late last week. Lavarnway — a pillar of Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic — has had two cups of coffee for  the A’s so far this season, totaling 11 at-bats over six games with two singles, a double, and two RBI. Here’s hoping he lands somewhere soon, especially since today is his 30th birthday!

Looks like Craig Breslow may have found a new home: The Cleveland Indians signed him to a minor league contract over the weekend. Mazel tov! And Scott Feldman will supposedly be returning soon to the Cincinnati Reds.

Max Fried

In another agate move, the Atlanta Braves called up pitcher Max Fried, one of those “highly touted” prospects who finds himself struggling in the pros. The 23-year-old lefty was just 2-11 with a 5.92 ERA in 19 starts for the team’s Mississippi affiliate in the Southern League (AA), where he walked 43 and struck out 85 in 86.2 innings. Fried has yet to appear in a major league game and until he does he’s not official.

I wonder if the Mets will bring up Cody Decker? The heart and soul of Team Israel is with their AAA affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, after spending some time with their AA club in Binghamton. Don’t know how I feel about this description from AmazinAvenue.com, announcing a recent accomplishment in a game against the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Saturday: “The new pitcher, Jacob Rhame, left a big fat one for Cody Decker down and away, and the Jew bid adieu to that miscue, socking it over the left field wall for a game-tying three-run homer.” Between the two teams, Decker has 10 doubles and 10 homers in 68 games.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Max Fried, a 23-year-old pitcher picked 7th overall in the 2012 draft, was called up today by the Atlanta Braves.

Fried

Fried’s call-up is nothing less than surprising. The 6’4″ southpaw missed most of 2014 and all of 2015 with injuries and Tommy John surgery, and he didn’t exceed Single-A ball until this season, when Atlanta skipped him past High-A and straight to Double-A. Moreover, Fried has struggled at Double-A, striking out a batter per inning but earning a 2-11 record with a 5.92 ERA.

Fried recently has had more success by pitching shorter stints, however. Historically a starter, he will join Atlanta’s bullpen.

Fried reportedly will make his Major League debut tonight against Miami. Doing so would make him the 12th Jewish player in the Majors this season.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Congrats to Ian Kinsler. He became the fifth MOT to reach 10 home runs this year, thanks to a leadoff shot to start the game. He also walked and scored another run in four plate appearances as the Detroit Tigers (50-57) beat the host Baltimore Orioles (53-55), 7-5. It was the fifth time this year and 45th in his career that Kinsler began a game with a bang.  Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Orioles, allowing one hit, and reducing his ERA to an A.L.-best 1.56 ERA (see story).

Danny Valencia hit his 12th home run and 17th double for the Seattle Mariners (55-55), who lost to the host KC Royals, 6-4. Valencia, who also walked and scored an additional run, leads all JMLs with 54 RBsI. The solo shot — an opposite field job — came in the fourth inning to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead but had to be reviewed before becoming official.

Alex Bregman had two singles and a double (#27) in four at-bats, stealing twice, scoring once and driving in a run, but the Houston Astros (69-39) nevertheless lost to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3.

Brad Goldberg gave up a run on two hits in 1.1 innings and still got his ERA down, to an even — if ugly — 9.00 as the Chicago White Sox (41-65) lost to the host Boston Red Sox, 9-5.

Joc Pederson popped up on the first pitch he saw as a pinch-hitter as the LA Dodgers (76-32) beat the host Atlanta Braves, 7-4.

Ryan Braun did not appear for the Milwaukee Brewers (57-53) in their 2-1 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

The other Ryan (Lavarnway) did not appear for the Oakland As (48-61) in their 11-2 loss to the host San Francisco Giants.

Kevin Pillar and the Toronto Blue Jays had the day off.

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By Ethel Hilsenroth, contributor

It’s August, and Richard Bleier‘s ERA this season is 1.56.

That’s after pitching in 31 games for the Baltimore Orioles. A total of 40.1 innings.

How special is that? Well, to put it in perspective, not one other American League pitcher who has pitched 40 or more innings this season has as low an Earned Run Average.

Not Craig Kimbrel up in Boston (1.61 ERA, with 25 saves). Not Andrew Miller in Cleveland (1.67 ERA). Not four-time All Star Dellin Betances of the Yankees (2.48 ERA).

Having an exceptionally low ERA is not remarkable for Bleier. After all, as a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University (which has also turned out pitcher Chris Sale), he led the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 2.09 ERA. And in 2015, Bleier had the lowest ERA (2.57) of all minor league pitchers in the Washington Nationals’ minor-league system. As a rookie with the New York Yankees last season, he had a 1.96 ERA in 23 appearances.

But what’s striking about his low ERA, in this age of focus on strikeouts, is how Bleier achieves it. In contrast to Bleier, so far this season Kimbrel has led the AL in strikeouts per 9 innings (among all pitchers who have pitched 40 innings), with an average of 16.32. Betances is second in the league, at 16.20. Miller is a few paces behind, with an average of 13.0.

Bleier? So far this season he has averaged 4.02 strikeouts per 9 innings. That is the absolute worst, dead last, of all pitchers in the AL who have pitched at least 40 innings. And yet when it comes to ERA, Bleier is at the other end of the spectrum.

How does he do it? Pitching to contact. Bleier doesn’t throw the ball past the batter. He throws it to the batter, more or less, encouraging the hitter to take a whack at it. With his excellent control and ball movement, Bleier entices the batter to hit a pitch he expects the batter to go after, but which he has placed where the hitter has the lowest probability of causing damage.

And he serves up his enticing offerings right away. This season, batters he has faced have averaged 3.39 pitches per plate appearance. That’s the second-lowest average among all AL pitchers with at least 40 innings under their belt. At the other end of the spectrum? Kimbrel, with 4.50 pitches per plate appearance.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that in his 2016 MLB debut with the New York Yankees, Bleier retired two Toronto Blue Jays batters on a total of 3 pitches.

Bleier also tricks batters into hitting an abundance of ground balls. For every fly ball hit off him, there are 2.16 grounders. That’s the third-highest grounder rate among A.L. pitchers with 40+ innings recorded.

So for Bleier, when it comes to ERA, these are the best of times. Strikeouts? The worst of times. But at the end of the day, all that matters is how many runners cross the plate, and Bleier is quietly living up to the adage attributed to four-time Cy Young Award-winner Greg Maddux.

“The key to pitching is to have the ability to throw a strike when they’re taking,” Maddux once said, “and throw a ball when the hitter is swinging.”

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Note: “Ethel Hilsenroth” is the pen name of an attorney who writes for Jewish Baseball News.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ryan Braun singled and doubled in four at-bats, but the Milwaukee Brewers (56-53) came up short in a 5-4 decision to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Ian Kinsler scored one of two runs the Detroit Tigers (49-57) plated to shut out the host NY Yankees, 2-0. Kinsler was 1-for-4 in the game, which endured multiple rain delays.

Same line for Kevin Pillar as the Toronto Blue Jays (51-57) beat the host Chicago White Sox, 5-1. Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Sox.

Ryan Lavarnway was 1-for-3 as the starting catcher for the Oakland A’s (48-60) in a 6-1 win over the host San Francisco Giants.

Danny Valencia was 1-for-4 as the Seattle Mariners (55-54) lost to the host Texas Rangers, 5-1.

Alex Bregman‘s 26th double was his only hit in three plate appearances as the Houston Astros (69-38) were shut out by the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 3-0.

Joc Pederson was 0-for-4 with an RBI as the LA Dodgers (75-32) lost to the host Atlanta Braves, 5-3.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (53-54) in their 6-0 shutout of the visiting KC Royals.

From Cincinnati.com: “Veteran right-hander Scott Feldman threw a three-inning simulated game Wednesday at PNC Park as he works back from knee soreness that landed him on the disabled list two weeks ago. [Manager Bryan] Price wants to see how Feldman feels Thursday before deciding if the 34-year-old will need a rehab outing in the minors before being activated.”

By the way, just because the non-waiver trading deadline has passed doesn’t mean deals can’t still be made. The major difference is that the players involved would not be eligible for post-season play. So we still hear buzzings about people like Braun, Feldman and Kinsler moving to a different location.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

August already? Where did the time go?

Alex Bregman cracked home run #12, a solo shot, and drove in another run, but the Houston Astros (69-37) still lost to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 6-4.

Ryan Braun was 1-for-4 and drove in the first run of the game on a ground out to help the Milwaukee Brewers (56-52) beat the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2. He also had an assist to throw out a runner at the plate in the top of the third to keep the Cards off the scoreboard for the moment. The assist was the 58th of Braun’s career, the fourth-highest total among active left fielders.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3 with two walks as the Toronto Blue Jays (50-57) beat the host Chicago White Sox (41-63), 8-4. Pillar also stole a base (#13), was caught stealing (#5), and had an assist (#8) on a play at the plate. Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Sox.

Danny Valencia singled twice in five at-bats, scored one, and drove in another as the Seattle Mariners (55-53) outlasted the host Texas Rangers, 8-7.

Joc Pederson was 0-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch as the LA Dodgers (75-31) held off the host Atlanta Braves, 3-2.

Ryan Lavarnway singled as a pinch hitter in the Oakland As’ (47-60) 10-4 loss to the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4 as the Detroit Tigers (47-58) edged the host NY Yankees, 4-3. He’s the only laggard still in single-digit home runs, with nine.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (52-54) in their 7-2 win over the visiting KC Royals.

Nothing new to report on Cincinnati Reds starter Scott Feldman.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

So despite all the rumors, none of the MOTs moved prior to the non-waiver trade deadline yesterday at 4 p.m.

Brad Goldberg had the best outing of his young Major League career, getting his ERA under 10 thanks to two innings of scoreless relief in which he gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out one. The Chicago White Sox scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays (49-57), 7-6. In fact, the Pale Hose scored all their runs over the last three frames to overcome the six-run deficit. Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Busy night for Alex Bregman. He singled, doubled (#25), walked once, stole his 10th base, scored three runs, and drove in two, one coming on a sacrifice fly, as the Houston Astros (69-36) beat the visiting Tamp Bay Rays, 14-7.

Ian Kinsler was 1-for-5 as the Detroit Tigers (47-57) lost to the host NY Yankees, 8-3.

Danny Valencia was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI as the Seattle Mariners (54-43) beat the host Texas Rangers, 6-4.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (51-54) in their 2-1 win over the visiting KC Royals.

Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Oakland As (47-59) in their 8-5 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Ryan Braun‘s, Joc Pederson‘s and Scott Feldman‘s teams had the day off.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of July 24-30, 2017:

Thomas

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Jake Thomas

LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/High-A) hit .389 (7-for-18) with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs and 5 walks last week. His .436 on-base percentage ranks 8th-best among all minor leaguers this season.

Richman

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Jason Richman

• P Jason Richman (Dodgers/High-A) was near-perfect in three relief appearances last week, giving up no runs, no hits and one walk across 5 innings while striking out 2 and earning a win. Richman was released by the Texas Rangers on May 31 but signed with Los Angeles two weeks later.

Other highlights

• LF Zach Borenstein* (Diamondbacks/AAA) hit .375 (9-for-24) with a home run, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs and a walk, although he also struck out 10 times. For the season, Borenstein is hitting .273 with 15 HRs and 59 RBIs.
• C Andy Yerzy (Diamondbacks/rookie) hit .333 (6-for-18) with a home run, a double, 4 RBIs and 3 walks.
• SS Scotty Burcham* (Rockies/High-A) hit .318 (7-for-22) with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, a walk and 2 stolen bases.
• CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/AA) hit .318 (7-for-22) with a double, 2 walks and 2 stolen bases. He is hitting .303 since being promoted to Double-A on July 22.
• RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit .318 (7-for-22) with a home run, double, 3 walks and 4 RBIs.
• LF Blake Gailen* (Dodgers/AA) hit .313 (5-for-16) with 3 doubles and 4 RBIs.
• C Michael Barash (Angels/High-A) hit just .200 (4-for-20) but made the most of it, stroking 2 doubles and a home run while driving in 5 runs and adding 2 walks.
• P Jake Fishman (Blue Jays/A-short-season) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings across two games. In nine games this season, including one at the rookie-league level, he has a 0.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just 2 walks. Fishman recently was profiled by a Canadian website.
• P Keith Weisenberg (Braves/rookie), a 2017 draftee, was perfect in two relief appearances, yielding no hits or walks across 4.2 innings while striking out 7.
• P Spencer Kulman (Padres/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 2 perfect innings on July 27, yielding no hits or walks while striking out one. In five games since being signed, he is 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AA) earned 2 more saves to bring his season total to 8. In his last 10 games, Weiss is 2-1 with 7 saves and a 1.69 ERA.
• P Max Fried (Braves/AA), a former 1st-round draft pick who is struggling this season (2-11, 6.21 ERA), pitched his second straight scoreless start on July 27, yielding one hit and 2 walks over 3 innings while striking out 2.
• P Kenny Koplove (Marlins/A-short-season) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding one hit and no walks while fanning 2.
• P Troy Neiman* (Rockies/AA) pitched 6 innings of one-run ball across 3 appearances, yielding 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6.
• P R.C. Orlan* (Nationals/High-A) pitched 2 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 2 hits and no walks while striking out one.

Transactions

• C Ryan Lavarnway* (Athletics) was called-up from Triple-A on July 27.
• P Craig Breslow was designated for assignment by the Minnesota Twins on July 24 and released outright on July 29.
• LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/High-A) was sent down from Double-A to High-A on July 24.
• SS Preston Grand Pre (Dodgers/rookie), a 2017 draftee, was placed on the 60-day disabled list on July 30.

Free agents

• Players believed to be seeking employment include major leaguer Craig Breslow and minor leaguer Corey Baker*. Former major leaguer Sam Fuld* recently said he may be at the end of his career.

Disabled list

• SS Preston Grand Pre (Dodgers/rookie), since July 30.
• C Adam Sonabend (Giants/A), since July 12.
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA), since July 10.
• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A), since May 26.
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 19.
• P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A), since April 12.
• P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA), since April 6.

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

Kevin Pillar hit his 12th home run on Sunday in one of the great comebacks in memory as the Toronto Blue Jays scored seven times in the bottom of the ninth to beat the visiting LA Angels, 11-10. Pillar’s long knock came with one man on base and decreased the deficit to 10-6. The Jays (49-56) pulled off the accomplishment with a walk-off grand slam by Steve Pearce, his second walk-off grand salami in four days. It was Toronto’s only win in three games. Pillar had one other hit in the game, and the pair accounted for his weekend total in seven at bats (he appeared as a defensive substitute in Saturday’s meeting).

Alex Bregman‘s solo shot (#11) accounted for the only run for the Houston Astros (68-36) in their 13-1 loss to the host Detroit Tigers. He was 2-for-11 for the three games, two of which were won by the Tigers (46-56). Bregman is recouping from a recent hamstring injury but managed to avoid going on the DL.

Ian Kinsler was 2-for-9, including his 17th double, 29th RBI, and eighth stolen base. He missed yesterday’s finale.

Ryan Braun just missed a two-run homer in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2-1 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Friday. He singled, doubled (#14), walked twice, and drove in the Brewers’ only run the next day in a 2-1 loss and was 0-for-4 yesterday in another defeat. The Brewers (55-52) have lost seven of their last ten games and are 14-15 since Braun returned from the disabled list on June 27, falling out of first place and trailing the Cubs by two and a half.

Ryan Lavarnway got the start on Friday and responded by going 2-for-3, including a two-run double, in the Oakland Athletics’ 6-3 loss to the visiting Minnesota Twins. He appeared in the other two games as well, going hitless in two at-bats with a walk. The As — 46-59 — took two of the three games.

The Twins made it official, releasing veteran lefty reliever Craig Breslow after designating him for assignment recently. Here’s hoping someone picks him up.

Danny Valencia was 2-for-11 with an RBI as the Seattle Mariners (53-53) took two of three from the visiting NY Mets.

Joc Pederson was 2-for-6 with a double (#16) as the LA Dodgers (74-31) swept the visiting San Francisco Giants. And here’s another example of why Pederson is a mensch.

Richard Bleier struck out three batters and gave up a hit in two scoreless innings of work on Friday as the Baltimore Orioles (50-56) lost to the host Texas Rangers, 8-2. They took the series two games to one, but the big news was Rangers’ third baseman Andre Beltre becoming the 31st player to get 3,000 hits. Mazel tov, Andre.

Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Chicago White Sox (40-62), who lost two of three to the visiting Cleveland Indians.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Scott Feldman, who is on the disabled list, reportedly is coming along nicely and may not need any rehab games.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

A bleak day except for one brief shining moment.

Joc Pederson hit his 11th home run, a solo shot in the fourth inning to put the LA Dodgers on the board in a game that they would eventually win, 6-5, over the visiting Minnesota Twins. The victory put LA 40 games over .500 at 71-31. It was the only hit for Pederson in three at bats (he came out for a pinch-hitter in the eighth).

In fact it was the only hit for an MOT, period.

• Ryan Braun, 0-for-4 in an 8-5 loss by the Milwaukee Brewers (54-49) to the host Washington Nationals.
• Ian Kinsler, 0-for-2 in a 16-2 blowout loss for the Detroit Tigers (45-55) to the visiting KC Royals. He came out for a defensive replacement after the Royals scored nine runs in the top of the seventh.
• Kevin Pillar, 0-for-3 in the Toronto Blue Jays’ (47-54) come-from-behind, 3-2 win over the visiting Oakland A’s, scoring all their runs on a two-run homer and a solo blast in the bottom of the ninth.
• Danny Valencia, 0-for-4 in a 4-0 shutout loss by the Seattle Mariners (51-52) to the visiting Boston Red Sox.
• The bad performances weren’t limited to just the hitters. Brad Goldberg gave up a run on three hits and a walk (one strikeout) in 1.2 innings of the Chicago White Sox’s 8-3 loss to the visiting Cubs. Given all those men on base, it’s surprising he gave up only one run. His ERA is now 14.73 and you wonder how much longer he’ll remain with the team. Then again, with the Pale Hose 20 games under .500 (39-59), they might as well let him get this out of his system.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles  (48-53) in their 5-1 loss to the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Alex Bregman missed last night’s 9-0 loss by his Houston Astros (67-34) to the host Philadelphia Phillies. He’s listed as day-to-day and might be back on Friday.

According to a UPI report (who knew there’s still a UPI?), “Reds RHP Scott Feldman (right knee) is making progress with his throwing program. Manager Bryan Price said Feldman would join the team this weekend in Miami to continue his rehab.”

And here’s a bizarre incident, non-JML related, but entertaining nonetheless. You know, the announcers complained, but if you’re gonna show up the umpires — who traditionally have little sense in the humor department — you have to expect something like this. And get off my lawn.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

No home runs last night. In fact, Jewish batters went just 4-for-21.

Alex Bregman had been relatively unscathed this year, but that ended when he injured his hamstring running out a triple (#2) in his only at bat as the Houston Astros (67-33) shut out the host Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0. That came as the Astros’ first hit of the game in the top of the third. Bregman came around to score on a sacrifice fly but did not return to the field for the bottom of the third. According to Astros’ manager A.J. Hinch, “He got back to the dugout and complained a little bit of some tightness…. Nowadays that’s an immediate removal the way the situation is and our depth. He’s day to day.”

Joc Pederson had a double (#15) and a walk in four plate appearances for the LA Dodgers (70-31) in their 6-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins. Pederson scored two runs and drove in the game-tying run so he accounted for half of the team’s production. He was also a hand in the field, too.

Ryan Braun was 1-for-5 as the Milwaukee Brewers  (54-48) shut out the Washington Nationals, 8-0. He also scored and had an RBI.

Danny Valencia was 1-for-5 with three strikeouts as the Seattle Mariners (51-51) scored two in the bottom of the 13th to beat the visiting Boston Red Sox, 6-5. He came out of the game for a pinch-runner in the 10th.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-4 for the Toronto Blue Jays (46-54) in their 4-1 win over the visiting Oakland A’s.

Ian Kinsler was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Detroit Tigers (45-54) lost to the visiting KC Royals, 3-1. This is what gets me this time of year: the sports pundits keep harping about the trade deadline. They started even earlier this year, trying to generate excitement. Not really interested in all the rumors, tho I can see where some find it fun. But don’t tell me so-and-so tried to make a deal. They didn’t complete it. case closed.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (48-52) in their 5-4 loss to the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Chicago White Sox in their 7-2 loss to the host and cross-town rivals, the Cubs.

No word on the status of Craig Breslow, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Twins. With the trading deadline coming up, I’m sure he’ll end up somewhere, despite his recent struggles.

Scott Feldman remains on the disabled list for the Cincinnati Reds (41-59), who lost to the host NY Yankees, 4-2. When you allow a run to score on a triple play, you almost deserve to lose.

Harrison Bader, whose father is Jewish but whose own religious identity is unknown to Jewish Baseball News, was the hero in his MLB debut last night with the St. Louis Cardinals. The outfielder doubled in the 9th inning and then scored the winning run on a shallow sacrifice fly to right field.