Jewish Baseball News

By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of June 12-18, 2017:

Stubbs

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Garrett Stubbs

C  Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AA) hit .308 (4-for-13) with one RBI and 5 walks while striking out just once last week. The USC alum is one of only three teammates this season with at least as many walks as strikeouts.

Sherriff

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Sherriff

• P Ryan Sherriff (Cardinals/AAA) made three one-inning appearances last week, and he was perfect in the first two, including earning a save. The third was one of his worst outings of the season, yielding 4 hits and 2 earned runs. But the 2011 draftee has been remarkably consistent in 2017, holding opponents scoreless in 22 of 28 games, yielding more than one earned run only twice, and succeeding in four out of 5 save opportunities.

Other highlights

• C Ryan Lavarnway* (Athletics/AAA) hit .333 (4-for-12) with an RBI and two walks.
• C Nick Rickles* (Phillies/AA) hit .300 (3-for-10) with a double and 2 RBIs.
• LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/AA), who was promoted to Double-A this month, went 0-for-3 last week but managed to score 2 runs on 4 walks. The base-on-balls prodigy has walked 44 times this season while striking out 36 times.
• RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit .261 (6-for-23) with a home run, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs and 3 walks.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/A) went 1-0 in two relief appearances, yielding one earned run and 4 hits over 5 combined innings to lower his ERA to 3.60. He walked none and struck out 4.
• P Marc Huberman (Cubs/A) pitched a combined 3.2 scoreless innings over 2 appearances, yielding 2 hits, a walk, and an unearned run while fanning 5.
• P Dean Kremer* (Dodgers/High-A) pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief, yielding a hit and no walks while striking out 3.
• P Jared Lakind* (Pirates/AA) earned his second save of the season on June 18. He retired all three batters he faced in the 11th inning, concluding with a game-ending strikeout.

Transactions

• P Kenny Koplove (Marlins) signed a contract with Miami and was assigned to its short-season team.
• C Tim Remes (Tigers) was promoted to Double-A on June 15.
• 1B Cody Decker* (Mets) was promoted to Triple-A on June 16. In 113 Double-A at-bats this season, Decker hit .257 with 7 HRs, 24 RBIs and an .854 on-base percentage.
• P Jeremy Bleich* (Dodgers) was promoted to Triple-A on June 16. The Stanford alum has performed far better at Triple-A than at Double-A this season, as reflected in ERA (1.86 versus 6.17), WHIP (0.83 versus 1.89) and opponent batting average (.200 versus .347).
• P Josh Zeid* (Cardinals/AAA) was activated June 13 from the temporarily inactive list.

Free agents

• Players believed to be seeking employment include former major leaguer Sam Fuld* and minor leaguers Raul Jacobson and Jason Richman.

Disabled list

• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A).
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA).
• P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA). Elbow.
• P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA).
• P Mitchell Ownowitz (Red Sox/High-A).

2017 draft picks

The following players selected in this month’s amateur draft are Jewish. The list may grow as additional athletes are verified by Jewish Baseball News and our friends at Jewish Sports Review.

1. Keith Weisenberg (P), Braves (Round 14, Pick #410)
2. Sam Delaplane (P), Mariners (23/693)
3. Jordan Scheftz (P), Indians (23/702)
4. Harrison Simon (P), Padres (24/708)
5. Preston Grand Pre (SS), Dodgers (24/730)
6. Zane Gurwitz (2B), Angels (26/775)
7. Elliott Barzilli (3B), Marlins (32/959)
8. Andy Rohloff (P), Giants (37/1116)
9. Dylan Horvitz (C), White Sox (38/1137)
10. Jacob Hoffman (SS), Athletics (40/1191)

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

Three home runs erev Shabbos? Sounds good to me.

Mazel of the weekend goes to Joc Pederson, who recently returned from the DL list. In three games against the host Cincinnati Reds, he was 4-for-12 with two home runs (one on Friday and four on the season), a double, four runs scored, and four RBIs as the LA Dodgers swept the series.

Scott Feldman did not appear over the weekend. He gets the call tonight against the Rays in Tampa Bay. Fun fact: he’s already tossed as many innings this year as he did in all of 2016.

Ian Kinsler hit his fifth home run — once more leading off a game — in a 13-4 win for the Detroit Tigers over the visiting Rays on Friday. It was their only win, pushing their record to 32-36. Kinsler was 2-for-12 with an additional RBI. He also made a sweet defensive play in Friday’s game.

Danny Valencia was 2-for-11, including home run #7 — yep, Friday — as the Seattle Mariners (34-37) took one of three from the host Texas Rangers

Kevin Pillar was 3-for-13 including his 17th double and 18th RBI as the Toronto Blue Jays (33-35) dropped two of three to the visiting Chicago White Sox.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-7 as the Houston Astros continue to struggle, relatively speaking. While they still own the best record in the Majors (46-24), they’ve lost eight of their last dozen games. Bregman did not appear in Saturday’s game as the ‘Stros lost two of three to the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Richard Bleier walked the only batter he faced all weekend (in Saturday’s 15-6 win) as the Baltimore Orioles (33-34) took two of three from the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Craig Breslow did not appear in the last three games of a four-game sweep the Minnesota Twins (34-33) suffered at the hands of the visiting Cleveland Indians that began on Thursday. He did strike out three batters in 2.1 shutout innings in the series opener, a nice turnaround from his previous two disastrous outings.

Ryan Braun is almost ready to begin a rehab assignment for the Milwaukee Brewers who, to be honest, have been doing all right without him.

Only telling you because Ty Kelly was a member of Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic: did you know that he was selected off waivers from the NY Mets by the Toronto Blue Jays (April 10) then purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies (April 22)? He drove in the Phillies’ only run in a 1-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on June 15. Jewish Baseball News doesn’t track Kelly’s stats because, while his mother is Jewish, he does not identify exclusively as such.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

A typically light Thursday night: only three MOTs in action, if you can call it that.

Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4 with his third stolen base and two runs scored as the Detroit Tigers (31-34) beat the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3.

Joc Pederson hit his seventh double in four at-bats and scored a run, but the LA Dodgers (41-26) fell to the host Cleveland Indians, 12-5.

Danny Valencia was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Seattle Mariners (33-35) lost to the host Minnesota Twins (34-29), 6-2. Craig Breslow did not appear in the game for the Twins.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (32-33) in their 5-2 loss to the host Chicago White Sox.

Ryan Braun remains on the DL for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was supposed to start working on fly balls yesterday as part of his rehab process.

Have a Happy Father’s Day!

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Danny Valencia was 2-for-5, scored a run, and notched his 35th RBI to help the Seattle Mariners (33-34) beat the host Minnesota Twins (33-29), 4-2. Craig Breslow did not appear for the Twins in this one.

Ian Kinsler hit his ninth double and scored the only run for the Detroit Tigers (30-34) in a 2-1 loss to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Joc Pederson was 1-for-3 and drove in his 12th run as the LA Dodgers (41-25) beat the host Cleveland Indians, 6-4.

Kevin Pillar was o-for-4 but walked once and scored twice as the Toronto Blue Jays (32-33) held off the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 7-6. Since his two-game suspension for using a homophobic slur, Pillar has seen his batting average plummet almost 50 points, from .308 to .257. Karma?

Alex Bregman did not start for the Houston Astros (45-22) but did appear as a pinch hitter, grounding out in the sixth innings in a 13-2 win over the visiting Texas Rangers. He remained in the game at third base but did not get another at bat. He was included in Hero Sports’ most recent Top Ten Defensive Plays of the Week, coming in at #6.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (32-32), who beat the host Chicago White Sox, 10-6.

Scott Feldman did not appear for the Cincinnati Reds (39-26) in their 4-2 loss to the host San Diego Padres.

Ryan Braun remains out of action for the Milwaukee Brewers (35-32).

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Joc Pederson returned to the lineup as the LA Dodgers (40-25) beat the host Cleveland Indians, 7-5. Pederson — batting eighth in the lineup — was 0-for-4 with a walk.

Ian Kinsler singled in five trips to the plate and scored a run, but the Detroit Tigers lost to the visiting Diamondbacks, 7-6, when Arizona scored a run in the ninth to break a 6-6 tie. The Tigers (30-33) scored all their runs in the sixth to even the score. No doubt their disappointing season to date has created a bit on tension for manager Brad Ausmus.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-3 in the Houston Astros’ 4-2 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers. The ‘Stros (44-22) still have the best record in the Majors but they’ve hit a bit of a bump in the road, losing six of their last 10 games.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts as the Toronto Blue Jays (31-33) lost to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 6-1. He did make another nice defensive play.

Scott Feldman had his regular meh game, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings as the Cincinnati Reds (29-35) lost to the host San Diego Padres, 6-2. He struck out six in taking the loss to even his record at 5-5.

Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless inning of relief, giving up a hit and a walk as the Baltimore Orioles (31-32) lost to the host Chicago White Sox, 6-1. He is becoming a “go-to” guy for the O’s, with a 1.83 ERA is 15 appearances (although ERA for short relievers aren’t very good indicators).

The Minnesota Twins (33-28) — without the service of Craig Breslow — obliterated the visiting Seattle Mariners (32-34), 20-7. Danny Valencia was 1-for-4 with his 34th RBI (32nd in the AL).

Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) remains on the DL.

After Valencia homered off Breslow, I’ll be revising my Jewish Home Run List. It’s just a spreadsheet but if anyone is interested, drop me a line at kaplanskorner@gmail.com.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Danny Valencia was not much of a chaver to landsman Craig Breslow last night as the Seattle Mariners (32-33) beat up on the host Minnesota Twins (32-28), 14-3. He hit a solo home run (#6) off of the suddenly struggling reliever in the eighth inning. Valencia also had a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly earlier in the game. He also made his fourth error of the year. Breslow, who allowed five runs in one inning in his previous outing, gave up two more in this one, boosting his ERA to 5.09. The way the Twins use him– an inning here, a fraction there —  it might be a while until he can get that down significantly.

The only other MOT in action last night was Alex Bregman who accounted for the sole run and one of the two hits by the Houston Astros (44-21) in their 6-1 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers. He also drew a walk in three plate appearances.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (31-31) in their 10-7 loss to the host Chicago White Sox.

Scott Feldman is scheduled to make the start tonight for the Cincinnati Reds against the Padres in San Diego. They lost to the Pods last night, 9-3.

Joc Pederson continues his rehab assignment with their AAA affiliate in Oklahoma City. What next?

Ryan Braun remains on the DL for the Milwaukee Brewers, but he’s getting closer to rehab.

According to Jewish Sports Review, there were no known Jewish players selected in the first two rounds of the MLB draft yesterday.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ian Kinsler had four singles in 14 at-bats as the Detroit Tigers (30-32) lost two of three to the host Boston Red Sox. He also scored twice and drove in a run.

Kevin Pillar was 3-for-14 over the weekend. Two of those hits, both doubles (15 and 16), came in Sunday’s 4-0 shutout of the host Seattle Mariners (31-33). Toronto (31-32) took two of three from the Mariners.

Danny Valencia was 1-for-9 with five strikeouts and an RBI for Seattle, serving as a pinch-hitter in the middle game.

Alex Bregman hit his seventh home run of the season on Friday as the Houston Astros lost to the visiting LA Angels, 9-4. It was his only hit in eight at-bats over the weekend (although he did draw 2 walks), and Houston (44-20) dropped two of the three games.

Richard Bleier was the only Orioles pitcher to come away unscathed as the host New York Yankees crushed Baltimore, 16-3, on Saturday. Bleier pitched 2 perfect innings of relief and struck out 2 in his only outing of the weekend.  The Yankees outscored the Birds 38-8 in the three-game sweep.

Craig Breslow was not so fortunate. In his only appearance, he allowed five runs on four hits and an intentional walk Sunday as the host San Francisco Giants beat his Minnesota Twins (32-20), 13-8. With one out against Breslow, the Giants put up: single, single, double, intentional walk, and triple. His ERA ballooned almost two full points, from 2.57 to 4.50.

Still, Breslow was more fortunate than Brad Goldberg, who was sent down by the Chicago White Sox on Friday. Goldberg appeared in just one game — June 3 against the Detroit Tigers — and gave up four earned runs in just a third of an inning.

Scott Feldman did not appear for the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend. His next scheduled start comes Tuesday against the Padres in San Diego.

In three minor-league rehab games over the weekend, Joc Pederson was 3-for-9 with 2 HRs and 4 RBIs. In fact, the Los Angeles Dodger — who is recovering from a concussion — homered on the first pitch he saw Friday to help Oklahoma City (AAA) to a 12-6 win over Round Rock. There is still no time table for his return to the Dodgers.

Ryan Braun remains on the DL for the Milwaukee Brewers, also without a timetable for his return

And although I rarely write about Jews in the minors, it’s worth noting that our old friend Cody Decker hit a go-ahead grand slam on Friday to lead the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (AA) past the Harrisburg Senators, 10-6.

The MLB draft starts tonight. Stay tuned to Jewish Baseball News and our friends at Jewish Sports Review for information on Jewish players selected.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of June 5-11, 2017.

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

Decker

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Cody Decker*

1B Cody Decker* (Mets/AA) hit .250 (3-for-12) with 2 HRs, 6 RBIs and a walk. With 7 HRs in 101 at-bats, he’s averaging one round-tripper every 14.4 at-bats.

Gold

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Gold

• P Brandon Gold (Rockies/A), a second-year prospect enjoying his first season as a starter, tossed the best start of his career on June 8, pitching 6 shutout innings en route to a 2-0 win. Gold yielded just 3 hits and one walk while striking out 5.

Other highlights

• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/A) hit .381 (8-for-21) with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs.
• C Nick Rickles* (Phillies/AA) hit .444 (4-for-9) with a home run, double, walk and one RBI. Since being traded to the Phillies’ organization on May 25, the 27-year-old has hit .310 with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs in 29 at-bats and has thrown out 4 of 8 attempted base-stealers.
• P Alex Katz (Orioles/High-A) pitched four shutout innings over two appearances, striking out 7 while yielding 3 hits and 2 walks.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/High-A) has pitched a total of 7.2 innings since returning to the mound for the first time since 2015. So far, he’s 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA and has struck out 10 batters while walking zero.

Transactions

• P Brad Goldberg* (White Sox/AAA) was sent back to Triple-A after making his MLB debut June 3.
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA) came off the disabled list long enough to go 1-for-4 with a walk over two games but then returned to the list on June 11.
• C Adam Sonabend (Giants/AA) came off the disabled list. In his first game back, he went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.
• P Marc Huberman (Cubs/A), who began the season at Single-A before being promoted to High-A, was sent back down June 10.
• P Josh Zeid* (Cardinals/AAA) was placed on the temporary inactive list June 8.
• P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/A) returned to active play after less than a week at extended spring training.
• P Jeremy Bleich (Dodgers/AA) was placed on the disabled list June 10.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Red Sox/High-A) was placed on the disabled list June 11.
• P Zack Thornton*, who last played organized ball in 2016 (Mets/AAA), has joined the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League. In 6 innings spread across 6 appearances, Thornton is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA.
• P Alec Grosser, whose four-year stint with the Atlanta Braves’ franchise began out of high school in 2013, says he will be studying full-time at Delaware State University and hopes to join the school’s football team as a walk-on.
• 2B Maxx Tissenbaum, who played for three franchises during a 5-year minor-league career, tied an independent CanAm League record on June 6 by scoring 6 runs in a single 9-inning game. The 25-year-old is hitting .367 this season with 5 HRs and 16 RBIs in 90 at-bats.

Free agents

• Players believed to be seeking employment include former major leaguer Sam Fuld* and minor leaguers Raul Jacobson, Kenny Koplove and Jason Richman.

Disabled list

• P Jeremy Bleich* (Dodgers/AA).
• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A).
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA).
• P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA). Elbow.
• P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA).
• P Mitchell Ownowitz (Red Sox/High-A).

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.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

The “good” Scott Feldman showed up yesterday, throwing seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and no walks, and striking out four to lead the Cincinnati Reds (29-30) to a 5-2 win to sweep the four-game series over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Feldman’s win, his fifth, was only the 13th in the Majors this season in which a pitcher pitched at least 7 scoreless innings, gave up four or fewer hits, and walked nobody.

Ian Kinsler had a pretty good day, too, going 3-for-4 with his eighth double, two runs scored, and his second stolen base. Too bad the Detroit Tigers (29-30) fell to the visiting LA Angels, 11-4.

Richard Bleier gave up three hits but no runs  in one inning of relief as the Baltimore Orioles (31-27) lost to the host Washington Nationals, 6-1.

Danny Valencia was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Minnesota Twins (30-26) held off his Seattle Mariners (30-31), 2-1. Craig Breslow did not appear for the Twins.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-3 with a walk as the Houston Astros (43-18) beat the host KC Royals, 6-1.

Brad Goldberg, who did not appear for the Chicago White Sox (25-33) in their 7-5 loss to the host Tampa Bay Rays, was optioned back to Triple-A after just one appearance.

No game for Kevin Pillar and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) and Joc Pederson (LA Dodgers) remain on the DL.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Kevin Pillar launched a two-out, three-run homer (his 8th) in the top of the second to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 4-1 lead over the Oakland As. The home team came back to tie things up and send the game into extra innings. The Jays (29-31) ended up with a 7-5 win. It was Pillar’s only hit in four at-bats although he was hit by a pitch and scored a second run.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, but the Houston Astros (42-18) fell to the host KC Royals, 7-5. He did have this amusing moment.

Ian Kinsler was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored as the Detroit Tigers got back to the .500 mark (29-29) thanks to a 4-0 shutout over the visiting LA Angels. He did have this amusing moment/brain freeze. The Detroit Jewish News ran a story about Kinsler and Tigers manager Brad Ausmus “connecting with their Jewish roots.”

Danny Valencia was 0-for-4, striking out twice, but the Seattle Mariners reached the .500 point (30-30) thanks to two runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the visiting Minnesota Twins (29-26), 6-5. Craig Breslow did not appear for the Twins.

Richard Bleier retired the only batter he faced as the Baltimore Orioles (31-26) beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-6.

Scott Feldman did not appear for the Cincinnati Reds (28-30) in their 6-4 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. He gets the start this afternoon.

Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Chicago White Sox (25-32) in their 3-1 loss to the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) and Joc Pederson (LA Dodgers) remain on the disabled list, although Pederson is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Friday.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Welcome back, Kinsler. Ian returned to action for the Detroit Tigers last night. He hit his seventh double and walked in five trips to the plate in a 5-3 loss to the visiting LA Angels. The loss pushed the Tigers to a game under the .500 mark, at 28-29. Brad Ausmus’ concerns? The Tigers had won six of nine during Kinsler’s absence.

Danny Valencia kept up his hot hitting, although he was “just” 1-for-3 with 3 RBIs and a walk in a 12-3 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins. Valencia, who set a franchise record last week with nine straight hits, cracked his 10th double — a bases-clearing shot as part of a seven-run fourth inning — and scored twice. Craig Breslow pitched 1.1 innings for the Twins, gave up two hits, struck out one and threw a wild pitch, but he did not allow either of the two runners he inherited to score.

All good things must come to an end, and that’s what happened to the Houston Astros’ 11-game winning streak. They lost to the host KC Royals, 9-7, with Alex Bregman going hitless in five at-bats. The ‘Stros still have the best record in the Majors at 42-17.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays ( 28-31) fell t the host Oakland A’s, 4-1.

Scott Feldman did not appear for the Cincinnati Reds (27-30) in their 13-1 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, but not-an-MOT Scooter Gennett sure did. He was 5-for-5 with four home runs to tie a Major League record, driving in all but three of the Reds’ runs.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore orioles in their 6-5, 10-inning win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Chicago White Sox in their 4-2 win over the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) and Joc Pederson (LA Dodgers) remain on the disabled list, although Pederson is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Friday. Braun is putting his time off to good use: Tikun Olam.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Short and sweet: Just two MOTs in action last night.

Alex Bregman entered the game between the Houston Astros (42-16) and host KC Royals as a defensive replacement. He singled in his only at bat and scored a run as his team stretched their winning streak to 11 with a 7-2 victory.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-4 with his 14th double, scoring a run and driving in another, but the Toronto Blue Jays (28-30) lost to the host Oakland Athletics, 5-3. The New York Times published this story — “Toronto’s Kevin Pillar Is Using an Ugly Word as a Catalyst for Change” — on the recent situation in which the ballplayer used a homophobic slur and was hit with a two-game suspension, and how he’s seeking to redeem himself.

Scott Feldman did not appear for the Cincinnati Reds (26-30) in their 4-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

No other MOT teams were in action.

Ian Kinsler (Detroit Tigers) is eligible to come off the disabled list today, while Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) and Joc Pederson (LA Dodgers) remain on the list.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Danny Valencia had the best weekend of the JMLs as the Seattle Mariners (28-30) swept the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. On Friday, he drove in a season-high five RBIs thanks to a three-run homer, bases-loaded walk and RBI single (see video below). He also added his ninth double in the 12-4 win. The next day, Valencia was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in a 9-4 victory — and he turned an unassisted double play, to boot. He cooled off a bit on Sunday with only two hits and a run scored in three at-bats before coming out for a pinch-hitter in a 7-1 Mariners win, but those two hits gave him a Mariners record of nine in a row. He raised his batting average 23 points (.260 to .283) during the three-game span.

Mixed mazel: On the one hand, congratulations are in order for the newest Jewish Major Leaguer: Brad Goldberg, a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher who made his debut with the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. On the other hand, he had a rough go of it, retiring just one batter while giving up four earned runs on three hits (including a home run) and a walk as the host Detroit Tigers — still without the services of Ian Kinsler — won, 10-1. In terms of pitchers making their MLB debut in a relief role, Goldberg’s game ERA (108.00) was the worst since 2008 and tied for 21st-worst in MLB history, according to Jewish Baseball News editor Scott Barancik. Others ahead of Goldberg on the list include retired JML Scott Schoeneweis, who gave up 5 ERs over 0.1 innings in his MLB debut but went on to last 12 seasons. Is there a strong correlation between pitching debuts and career success in the Majors? We don’t know, but plenty of good hitters find it tough going in the beginning. Remember Alex Bregman’s 1-for-32 start last year? Kevin Pillar also struggled at the beginning of his debut MLB season. Both men, obviously, have gone on to impressive Major League careers.

Scott Feldman had one of those games again. He lasted just 4.1 innings on Saturday, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits including a home run. He walked three and struck out just one but came away with a no-decision as the Cincinnati Reds (25-30) fell to the visiting Atlanta Braves, 6-5 in 12 innings.

Alex Bregman struggled again, going 0-for-10 with three strikeouts and two walks, but the Houston Astros improved to 41-16, sweeping their intrastate rivalry against the host Texas Rangers and stretching their winning streak to 10.

Kevin Pillar is showing some signs of life after a dull stretch. He was 3-for-12 with a walk and his ninth stolen base as the Toronto Blue Jays (28-29) took two of three from the visiting NY Yankees.

Richard Bleier tossed two innings, giving up a hit and walking one, in Saturday’s 5-2 Baltimore loss to the visiting Boston Red Sox. He also closed out the game on Sunday, giving up a hit and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning as the Orioles (29-26) lost, 7-3.

Craig Breslow did not appear for the Minnesota Twins (29-24) in their series against the LA Angels.

Kinsler, Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers), and Joc Pederson (LA Dodgers) remain on the disabled list.

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 the forthcoming 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 May 29 – June 4, 2017. Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk:

Rickles

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Nick Rickles*

C  Nick Rickles* (Phillies/AA) hit .385 (5-for-13) in his first full week with the Philadelphia Phillies franchise, highlighted by a two-HR, 5 RBI performance on June 3. It was the second two-HR game in his 7-year minor-league career and tied his career high for most RBIs in a game.

Weiss

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Zack Weiss

• P Zack Weiss (Reds/High-A), who last played in 2015, finally escaped the disabled list and was nearly perfect in his two relief appearances last week, yielding one hit and no walks over a combined 2.1 innings while striking out 4.

Other highlights

• P Brad Goldberg* (White Sox) was promoted from Triple-A on June 3 and made his Major League debut the same day. In the minors this season, Goldberg is 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 4 saves in 5 chances.
• CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/High-A) hit .320 (8-for-25) with a double, 4 RBIs, 3 walks and 2 stolen bases. He leads the Modesto Nuts in batting average (.320), on-base percentage (.419), OPS (.844) and stolen bases (11 in 12 tries). Bishop has just one error in the outfield, giving him a .992 fielding percentage.
• 1B Cody Decker* (Mets/AA) hit .368 (7-for-19) with 4 doubles and 4 RBIs. He leads the Binghamton Rumble Ponies with a .528 slugging percentage and an OPS of .902.
• LF Mike Meyers* (Red Sox/High-A) hit .348 (8-for-23) with a double and 4 RBIs.
• LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/AA) hit an RBI double in his Double-A debut on June 4.
• P Corey Baker* (Cardinals/AA) held opponents scoreless in two relief outings, yielding 3 hits and no walks over a combined 3.2 innings while striking out 2.
• P Ryan Sherriff (Cardinals/AAA) ran his scoreless relief streak to 10 innings over 8 appearances. He is 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA, 3 saves in 3 chances, and only 1.09 hits/walks per inning.

Transactions

• P Brad Goldberg* was called up by the Chicago White Sox on June 3 and made his MLB debut the same day.
• LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/AA) was promoted from Single-A on June 3, skipping High-A entirely.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/High-A) came off the disabled list and made his season debut on May 31.
• P Jason Richman (Rangers/High-A) was released on May 31.
• P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/A), who is 2-3 with a 3.95 ERA and a save so far this season, was assigned to extended spring training.
• P Henry Hirsch, a former minor-leaguer with the Pirates, signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.
• 3B Zach Goldstein, a Southern New Hampshire University third baseman who was named Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Player of the Year in 2017, signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. Playing in his first professional game on June 2, Goldstein went 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
• C Nick Rickles* (Phillies/AA), who was traded by the Nationals in late May, made his debut with Philadelphia’s Double-A team on May 31.

Free agents

• Players believed to be seeking employment include former major leaguer Sam Fuld* and minor leaguers Michael Fagan, Alec Grosser, Raul Jacobson, Kenny Koplove, Jason Richman and Zack Thornton*.

Disabled list

• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A).
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA).
• C Adam Sonabend (Giants/AA)
• P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA). Elbow.
• P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA).

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.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Oh-no. Only two MOTs played last night, and they went a collective 0-for-8.

Kevin Pillar‘s batting woes continued as the Toronto Blue Jays were blasted by the visiting NY Yankees, 12-2. Pillar was 0-for4. He will be making a donation to two Toronto-area LGBTQ organizations as an apology for his use of an anti-gay slur last month, according to media reports.

Same deal for Danny Valencia in the Seattle Mariners’ 6-3 loss to the visiting Colorado Rockies, although he did drive in a run on a sacrifice fly.

C’est tout. Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles in their 7-5 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox and Craig Breslow did not get into the Minnesota Twins’ 4-2 win over the host LA Angels.

Ian Kinsler, Ryan Braun, and Joc Pederson remain on the DL.

Have a great weekend.

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 the forthcoming Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Mazel of the Day: Alex Bregman hit his third home run in three games and fifth in his last 10, one of six the Houston Astros (38-16) launched in their 17-6 pummeling of the host Minnesota Twins (26-23). He also singled and drove in a second run in six trips to the plate.

Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Twins, walking one and giving up one hit, although he allowed one of two inherited runners to score.

Danny Valencia was 2-for-4 with a double (#8), a run scored, and two RBIs as the Seattle Mariners shut out the Colorado Rockies, 5-0.

Kevin Pillar was given the game as the Toronto Blue Jays (26-27) beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds (24-28), 5-4. Scott Feldman did not appear for the Reds. The Jays are on a hot streak, winning eight of their last 10 to move to within a game of .500. But they’re still bringing up the rear in the AL East.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (27-24) in their 10-4 win over the host NY Yankees.

Ian Kinsler (Detroit Tigers), Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers), and Joc Pederson (LA Dodgers) remain on the disabled list.

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 the forthcoming Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

With three MOTs on the disabled list, two others sitting in bullpens, and Scott Feldman starting every fifth game, there’s slim pickings when it comes to reporting on who did what these days.

The Houston Astros keep tinkering with Alex Bregman’s spot in the lineup, including batting 9th last night. He responded by going 2-for-3 with his fifth homer, a single, sacrifice fly and two RBIs to help the Astros (37-16) beat the host Minnesota Twins (26-22), 7-2. The home run was Bregman’s 4th in the last nine games. Craig Breslow did not appear for the Twins,

Richard Bleier allowed one hit and one hit batsman in a scoreless ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles (26-24) lost to the visiting NY Yankees, 8-3.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-2 but reached base twice — a walk and a hit by pitch — as the Toronto Blue Jays (25-27) beat the the visiting Cincinnati Reds, 6-4. He’s been in a bit of a rough spot, with just two hits in his last 20 at bats (the aftereffects of his suspension for his anti-gay slur?) and has seen his batting average drop from .315 on May 13 to .278. Feldman did not appear in the game for the Reds.

Danny Valencia was 0-for-4 with a walk –ending a seven-game hitting streak — for the Seattle Mariners (24-29) who beat the host Colorado Rockies, 10-4.

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 the forthcoming Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

It had to happen sooner or later: Craig Breslow had a bad outing. Although looking at the highlights of the game, it seems the Minnesota Twins’ (26-21) defense let him down. They scored seven runs in the fifth against Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros to take a 7-2 lead. But the ‘Stros showed why they’re the best in baseball this year (36-16) by roaring back for 11 tallies in the eighth (and three more in the ninth) for a 16-8 win. Breslow came on in that fateful eighth and allowed three runs on three hits, retiring just one batter as he took his first loss of the season, His ERA almost doubled, from 1.47 to 2.89. Bregman was 2-for-5 with his fourth homer of the year, a two-run job which did not come against his landsman.

The Toronto Blue Jays (24-27) demolished the visiting Cincinnati Reds, 17-2. They cracked 23 hits, but none came off the bat of Kevin Pillar, who at 0-for-6 was the only starter not to reach base. He did contribute this nice play, however:

Scott Feldman did not appear for the Reds (24-26).

Danny Valencia had two singles and his seventh double in five at-bats as the Seattle Mariners (23-29) held off the host Colorado Rockies, 6-5. Valencia drove in his 17th run, which proved to be the game-winner.

Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (26-23), who broke their seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the visiting NY Yankees.

Ian Kinsler (hamstring), Ryan Braun (calf), and Joc Pederson remain on the disabled list. Pederson is still having concussion symptoms and may not come off the DL when eligible.

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 the forthcoming 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 May 22-28, 2017. Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk:

Nate Freiman

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Nate Freiman*

1B Nate Freiman*, a former Major Leaguer playing for Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League, hit .471 (8-for-17) with 2 HRs, a double, triple, 5 RBIs, 7 walks and only one strikeout. Freiman is hitting .316 for the season and ranks second on Pericos with a 1.033 OPS.

Kenny Rosenberg

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Kenny Rosenberg

• P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/A) was dominant in a May 26 shutout, yielding just 3 hits and a walk while striking out 7 for his first win of the season. Rosenberg’s ERA (4.21) is its lowest since his first appearance of the season.

Other highlights

• C Ryan Lavarnway* (Athletics/AAA) had a memorable day on May 28. In the first game of a doubleheader, the former Major Leaguer threw his first professional pitches, coming on with the bases loaded and two outs in the 7th and inducing an inning-ending groundout on 2 pitches. In game 2, Lavarnway returned to the catcher’s role and stroked a walk-off hit (see video).
• C Michael Barash (Angels/High-A) hit .381 (8-for-21) with 4 doubles, a HR, 6 RBIs and 2 walks. Barash leads the Inland Empire 66ers with 11 doubles.
• CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/High-A) hit .412 (7-for-17) with a triple, one RBI, and five walks. The 2015 draft pick leads the Modesto Nuts in average (.320), on-base percentage (.423) and OPS (.857).
• LF Mike Meyers* (Red Sox/High-A) hit .444 (8-for-18) with a HR, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, 2 walks and a stolen base.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays/AAA) hit .429 (9-for-21) with 3 doubles, a triple, 6 RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. After hitting .194 in April, Tellez is hitting .278 in May with 14 RBIs and a .352 on-base percentage.
• LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/A) hit just .227 (5-for-22), but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The 2015 draft pick also drove in 5 runs, drew 6 walks, and stole 4 bases in 5 tries.
• P Ryan Sherriff* (Cardinals/AAA) was perfect in 2 relief appearances, yielding no hits or walks across 3 combined innings while striking out 3. Sherriff’s ERA in May is 2.03, versus 6.52 in April. For the season, he is giving up just 1.13 walks and hits per inning.
• P Brandon Gold (Rockies/A) has given up a lot of hits this season (59 in 43 innings), but he’s stingy with walks, yielding just 6 while fanning 42 batters.
• P Brad Goldberg* (White Sox/AAA) trimmed his season ERA to 2.08 with two scoreless appearances, yielding 3 hits and a walk across 3 combined innings while striking out 4.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/A) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings across 2 outings, yielding 2 hits and no walks while fanning 3.
• P Jared Lakind* (Pittsburgh/AA) pitched 5 scoreless innings across 2 games, giving up 4 hits and no walks while striking out 4 and notching his first win of the season.
• P Joey Wagman* (Oakland/High-A) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings across 2 appearances, yielding 2 hits and a walk while striking out 3.

Transactions

• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A) was placed on the disabled list.
• P Robert Stock (Reds/AA) was promoted to Double-A.
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA) was placed on the disabled list.

Free agents

• Players believed to be seeking employment include former major leaguer Sam Fuld* and minor leaguers Michael Fagan, Alec Grosser, Henry Hirsch, Raul Jacobson, Kenny Koplove and Zack Thornton*.

Disabled list

• P Gabe Cramer* (Royals/High-A).
• 1B Ike Davis* (Dodgers/AAA).
• C Adam Sonabend (Giants/AA)
• P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA). Elbow.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AA). Elbow.
• P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA).

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.

Get your Jewish baseball news via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-5 on Friday, striking out twice as the Toronto Blue Jays (23-27) held off the visiting Texas Rangers, 7-6. The Rangers scored three in the top of the ninth to make things interesting. On Saturday, Pillar was 0-for-4 with another strikeout in a 3-1 win.  He doubled and scored the Jays’ only run in the first inning of a 3-1 loss on Sunday. Although the Jays are last in the AL East, 7.5 games out of first place, things have improved dramatically: Toronto is 15-10 in May after going 8-17 in April.

Danny Valencia was 1-for-4 and grounded into a double play in the Seattle Mariners’ 3-0 loss to the host Boston Red Sox on Friday. He repeated the feat on Saturday, this time in a 6-0 loss. And Sunday ended in another shutout, a 5-0 Mariners win. Valencia was 1-for-4 in that one. The Mariners are last in the AL West with a record of 22-29.

Alex Bregman struck out twice in three trips to the plate on Friday as the Houston Astros were shut out by the visiting Baltimore Orioles, 2-0. He singled and scored a run on Saturday in a 5-2 win. He did not play in Sunday’s finale, an 8-4 Astros win. Houston leads the AL West with the best record in the majors, 35-16.

Richard Bleier pitched a perfect inning for the Orioles (25-23, third in the AL East) on Saturday, his only appearance for the weekend.

Craig Breslow pitched another perfect inning on Friday as the Minnesota Twins (26-20, first in the AL Central) fell to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 5-2. He gave up two hits in 1.2 scoreless innings yesterday in an 8-6, 15-inning loss. At 6 hours and 26 minutes, it was the longest MLB game of the season so far.

Scott Feldman made one mistake in his start yesterday for the Cincinnati Reds: a three-run homer as part of a four-run inning. Otherwise he pitched well enough to secure an 8-4 win over the host Philadelphia Phillies. Feldman pitched five frames, giving up eight hits and no walks, striking out four and hitting a batter to even his record at 4-4. The Reds are fourth in the NL Central at 24-25.

Ian Kinsler walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning of an 8-2 loss to the host Chicago White Sox in the first game of what was supposed to be a doubleheader. The second game was postponed by rain. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list prior to Saturday’s games because of a balky hamstring. The Tigers are 23-27, fourth in the AL Central

Joc Pederson and Ryan Braun are on the concussion and regular DLs, respectively, for the LA Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee leads the NL Central — surprisingly — with a 27-20 mark. The Dodgers are 31-20, second in the NL West.

Finally — just for fun — here’s something you don’t see every day (although you would never know it by the unimpressed announcing.

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 the forthcoming Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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