JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Some pro ballplayers shine during the regular season but wilt under the pressure of playoff games.

So far, Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun isn’t one of them. Two games into the 2011 playoffs, the MVP candidate is 6-for-8 with two doubles, a HR (see it here), and 3 RBIs. His .750 batting average is the MLB’s highest.

Braun’s only other playoff stint came in 2008, when the Brewers battled the Philadelphia Phillies for a division championship. He hit .313 that series, 28 points higher than his .285 season average.

Texas Rangers P Scott Feldman showed similar grit in Friday night’s pitched 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Coming in for starter C.J. Wilson, who surrendered 6 earned runs on 8 hits (including 3 HRs) over 5 innings, Feldman shut down the Rays, giving up just 2 hits over 3 stellar innings while striking out 4.

Also participating in the 2011 playoffs is Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, who is hitting a more modest .250 with 1 double, 1 walk, and two RBIs. Rays OF Sam Fuld flied out in his sole playoff at-bat to date, a pinch-hit opportunity.

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