Jewish Baseball News

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The San Francisco Giants took Game 1 of the 2010 World Series on Wednesday (10/27/2010), defeating the Texas Rangers 11-7.

Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, the lone Jew in the Series, had a mixed game. He scored once and reached base twice, drawing a walk in the 7th inning and getting an infield hit in the 8th. He also helped turn a double play.

But Kinsler hit into a bases-loaded double play in the 1st inning. And he was tagged out after rounding 1st base on his 8th-inning single. Kinsler thought 2B Freddy Sanchez’s wide throw went past 1B Aubrey Huff, but Huff dove to save the ball and then retired him.

Rangers previously invincible SP Cliff Lee took the loss, yielding six earned runs over 4-and-2/3 innings. Game 2 of the seven-game series takes place tonight (10/28/2010) in San Francisco.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Texas Rangers are headed to their first World Series in team history, and 2B Ian Kinsler is more than just along for the ride.

In Friday night’s 7-1 clincher against the New York Yankees (10/22/2010), the lone Jew remaining in the MLB playoffs stroked a double, hit a sacrifice fly, and drew a walk.

“It’s incredible,” Kinsler told MLB.com. “We set out all year to achieve our goal and in the clubhouse we never doubted it. A lot of people had doubts, but we never had doubts and we proved it.”

The 5th-year pro is among the Rangers’ post-season leaders in multiple categories:

• 9 RBIs (1st)
• .342 batting average (2nd)
• .409 on-base percentage (2nd)
• .658 slugging percentage (2nd)
• 5 walks (2nd)
• 5 extra-base hits (2nd/tie)
• 3 HRs (3rd)
• 2 doubles (3rd)

In fact, Kinslers’ 9 RBIs are more than any MLB player has had this post-season, and his .342 batting average ranks 3rd.

If SP Scott Feldman hadn’t gone 7-11 this season with a bloated 5.48 ERA, he might be joining Kinsler in the Fall Classic, but the Rangers understandably left him off the team’s post-season roster.

The 1st game of the 2010 World Series takes place Wednesday night (10/27/2010).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The prestigious Arizona Fall League has added a 6th Jewish player to its rosters, and his first appearance went well.

Mesa Solar Sox 2B Josh Satin, a New York Mets prospect who batted .311 during the regular minor-league season, reached base all four times Wednesday (10/20/2010) in a 6-3 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions. The 25-year-old singled twice and walked twice as the Sox outhit the Scorpions 10-8 but made 4 errors and went 1/6 with runners in scoring position. Satin, who played 1B, teamed with fellow Hebe Josh Zeid for a 3-to-1 putout in the 3rd inning. SP Zeid gave up 1 run over 3 innings while striking out two.

Over in the MLB, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler — the lone Jew remaining in the playoffs — went 2/4 and stole a base, but it wasn’t enough to forestall a 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees. The Rangers lead the 7-game American League Championship Series 3-2.

Game 6 of the series takes place Friday night — yep, the Sabbath — in Arlington.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees 10-3 on Tuesday (10/19/2010), giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series and leaving the team just one win away from its first World Series berth.

Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler chipped in, hitting an RBI single with two outs in the 7th inning and stealing second base moments later.

The last Jew to play in the World Series was Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis, in 2007. Youk went 2/9 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored as the Sox trounced the Colorado Rockies 4 games to zero.

In Arizona Fall League play yesterday:

• OF Ben Guez of the Surprise Rafters hit an RBI triple and drew a walk in a 5-4 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions. Guez is a Detroit Tigers prospect.
• 2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, hit an RBI double and reached base on an error in the Peoria Javelinas’ 6-5 loss to the Mesa Solar Sox. Though batting just .167 in 6 games, Kipnis is 2nd among AFL players with 7 RBIs.
• C Ryan Lavarnway, Kipnis’ teammate on the Javelinas, walked twice and tossed out 1 of 2 Solar Sox players who tried to steal second base. Lavarnway is a Boston Red Sox prospect.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Peoria Javelinas of the prestigious Arizona Fall League have 3 Jews on their roster, and all 3 shared the field Monday (10/18/2010) in a 4-2, 10-inning victory over the Mesa Solar Sox.

C Ryan Lavarnway, a Boston Red Sox prospect, singled, hit a sacrifice fly, threw out 1 of 2 runners who tried to steal 2nd base on him, and scored the winning run in the 10th inning. 2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, walked and scored in the 10th, as well. And RP Eric Berger pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Solar Sox P Josh Zeid didn’t play; he is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night (10/20/2010) against the Scottsdale Scorpions. (See Zeid’s interesting blog here.)

In other baseball news, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 0/4 in game 3 of the American League Championship Series, but his team didn’t suffer for it. The Rangers beat the New York Yankees 8-0 to take a 2-1 series lead.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (10/16/2010):

• In game 2 of the American League Championship Series, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 1/3 with an RBI triple and a sacrifice as the Rangers defeated the New York Yankess 7-2; the series is tied 1-1. Kinsler’s first trip to the MLB playoffs is going exceptionally well. Over 7 games, he is batting .391 (5th among all players) with 3 HRs (2nd/tie), 7 RBIs (1st), 4 walks (2nd/tie), a .481 on-base percentage (2nd), and a .870 slugging percentage (3rd).
• 2B Jason Kipnis went of the Peoria Javelinas went 1/2 with an RBI double in a 6-4 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions. Though he is batting just .188 after 4 games, the Cleveland Indians prospect has 6 RBIs, tying him for 3rd most among all Arizona Fall League players.
• C Ryan Lavarnway, also with the Javelinas, went 0/2 but walked twice in the 6-4 loss and gave up one stolen base. The Boston Red Sox prospect is batting .333 with 1 HR, 4 RBIs, and a .538 on-base percentage.

No Jewish baseball players were active on Sunday (10/17/2010).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Cleveland Indians prospect Jason Kipnis hit a 3-run HR and a 2-run triple Friday (10/16/2010) as the Peoria Javelinas routed the Peoria Saguaros 13-5.

The 5 RBIs were a welcome relief for the promising second baseman, who had gone hitless in his first 11 at-bats in the Arizona Fall League before smacking a triple. “I got to the point where I stopped trying to do too much,” Kipnis told MLB.com after the game. “I just worried about hard contact today.”

Fellow 2B (and Hebe) Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers had a tougher day. In the opening game of the American League Championship Series, the Rangers were leading the New York Yankees 5-1 when the Yanks scored 5 runs in the 8th inning. Kinsler led off the bottom of the 8th with a walk, but a baserunning error got him caught in a rundown and tagged out.

In non-baseball news, bachelor Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers reportedly attended a bash at Doug Reinhardt’s Hollywood Hills mansion. Reinhardt, a former minor-leaguer, is better known as an ex-boyfriend of socialite Paris Hilton. RadarOnline.com said the party guests included Brody Jenner, Stacy Keibler, Jasmine Waltz, and other young people Jewish Baseball News neither knows nor cares about.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — From the way he’s played lately, you wouldn’t guess this was B Ian Kinsler‘s first time in the MLB playoffs, or that he’d sat out more than a third of the Texas Rangers’ regular season with injuries.

The 28-year-old continued his mastery of the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday (10/12/2010), going 3/4 with 3 RBIs and crushing a 2-run HR in the top of the 9th inning to cap off a 5-1 win. The victory earned Texas a trip to New York to face the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

Overall, Kinsler has been among the top performers in the first round of the MLB playoffs. He leads all players in HRs (3/tie), RBIs (6), runs (5/tie), and on-base percentage (.500/tie); and he ranks second in batting average (.444) and slugging percentage (.944).

Kinsler is the only remaining Jewish player in the MLB playoffs. The first game of the Rangers/Yankees series takes place Friday (10/15/2010).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — We’ve been out to lunch for a few days. Here’s what’s happened in the MLB playoffs.

Valencia, Twins are out:

• On Saturday (10/9/2010), the New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins 6-1 to win the playoff series 3-0. Danny Valencia, the Twins’ rookie 3B, singled, walked and scored the team’s lone run. For the series, he went 2/9 (.222) with a double and 2 RBIs, walking once and striking out 3 times.

Kinsler, the only Jew still left in the playoffs, continues to play well:

• On Saturday (10/9/2010), 2B Ian Kinsler drew a walk and stroked his second HR of the playoffs in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. His 7th-inning HR had put the Rangers ahead 2-1. “I was hoping to be the difference,” Kinsler told MLB.com. “I wanted to be the difference. We needed six more outs.”
• On Sunday (10/10/2010), Kinsler singled, walked, and scored a run in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He also dropped a pop-up, allowing the Rays to score the first run of the game. It was his second error of the series.
• The fifth and final game of the Rangers/Rays series, which is tied 4-4, takes place Tuesday night (10/12/2010) in St. Petersburg. Through four games, Kinsler is batting a sizzling .357 (5/14) with 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here is your MLB playoff update for Thursday (Oct. 7, 2010):

• In just the second playoff game of his career, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers hit a solo HR and an RBI single in a 6-0 win over the (beloved) Tampa Bay Rays. Rays OF Gabe Kapler remains on the disabled list and thus is not part of the team’s playoff roster. Texas leads the 5-game series 2-0 (sob); Game 3 takes place Saturday in Texas.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 0/2 with one RBI in a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old’s sacrifice fly put the Twins ahead 1-0 in the 2nd inning, but the lead didn’t hold up. The Yanks lead the 5-game series 2-0; Game 3 takes place Saturday in New York.

With the Philadelphia Phillies attempting to reach their 3rd straight World Series, the Jewish Exponent recently published an interesting article on the team’s general manager, former OF Ruben Amaro Jr. Though Jews are not uncommon in the front offices of Major League baseball, Amaro — whose Mexican-born father also played in the pros — is not widely known as Jewish. But his mother, Judy Herman, was a Jew, and although Amaro was baptized, “We did Passover, Yom Kippur, Chanukah,” he told the Exponent. “We were exposed to both faiths pretty equally.” Amaro and his Catholic wife are raising their children Catholic.

Thanks to Jewish Baseball News reader Jack W. for the tip on the Exponent article.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here is your MLB playoffs update for Wednesday (Oct. 6, 2010):

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins hit a single and a game-tying walk in a 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees. Yankees’ SP C.C. Sabathia walked the 25-year-old on 4 pitches with the bases loaded to tie the game 4-4. Valencia’s chances of being named A.L. Rookie of the Year dimmed significantly in September, a month when rookie RP Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers gave up zero runs in 11 appearances to finish the season 4-3 with 40 saves and a 2.73 ERA.
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers singled and scored a run in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It was his first playoff appearance in a five-year career.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Sunday (10/3/2010):

• In the final game of an 18-year MLB career, Los Angeles Dodgers C Brad Ausmus showed he still has it, going 2/4 in a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. According to MLB.com:

(Ausmus) was saluted before the game with a video tribute from teammates current and past. In his first at-bat, he doubled down the right-field line and the dugout called for the ball. In his final at-bat, he singled, was replaced by a pinch-runner, received a standing ovation as he left the field and got a hero’s welcome in the dugout.

“The fans were extremely nice to me today for a guy who’s only been here two years in very limited duty,” said Ausmus. “And I really enjoyed today, but I’m ready, I’m ready to move on to non-playing things. It was a good feeling to know that even though I’ve never been an offensive player that you could say at least you ended your career on a high note. There’s an old saying in baseball, you’re only as good as your last at-bat. I can stick to that.”

Ausmus shared the limelight with Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who also is leaving the team.

• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 1/2 with a double in a 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. He finished an  injury-shortened regular season batting .286, with 9 HRs, 20 doubles, and 45 RBIs in 391 at-bats. Kinsler had his best walk-to-strikeout ratio ever, walking 56 times while striking out 57. His on-base percentage was .382, #2 in the A.L. behind teammate Josh Hamilton. Texas’ playoff series against the Tampa Bay Rays starts Wednesday (10/6/2010).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (9/25/2010):

• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers reached base 3 times and stole his 14th base of the season in a 4-3, playoff-clinching win over the Oakland A’s. The 28-year-old singled, doubled and walked.
• 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins hit a grand-slam HR and a solo HR in an 11-10, 13-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers. It was the second grand-slam of his remarkable rookie season. But Valencia had a tough 13th inning. Normally very reliable in the field, he made a critical error and then struck out with the bases loaded to end the game. The 25-year-old remains a top contender for Rookie of the Year. He leads all A.L. rookies in batting average (.327) and slugging percentage (.476) and ranks 3rd in RBIs (40).
• CF Sam Fuld of the Chicago Cubs went 2/4 with 2 RBIs in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. When the Cards intentionally walked Alfonso Soriano to get to Fuld, the 29-year-old fielding specialist made them pay, smacking a two-run single. As Jewish Baseball News reader Jessica R. points out, Fuld has been eyewitness to — and the awkward beneficiary of — several player injuries recently. A week ago, he moved up a notch in the depth chart temporarily when Cubs RF Tyler Colvin suffered a bizarre, broken-bat injury. Fuld started yesterday’s game because Marlon Byrd had been hit in the eye with a foul tip. And in the 5th inning, Fuld hit a line drive into the face of Cardinals P Blake Hawksworth. “You could tell Fuld felt awful,” Jessica says.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Friday (9/24/2010):

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 3/4 and scored once in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. A 9th-inning double was his 32nd two-bagger of the season, second-highest among N.L. rookies. Davis is tied for 3rd among N.L. rookies in HRs (18), RBIs (69) and runs (69), but also has the most strikeouts (132).
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers doubled, singled, and scored a run in a 10-3 win over the Oakland A’s. In a season shortened by injury, the 28-year-old Tucson, Ariz., native is batting .290 with 9 HRs, 45 RBIs, a .381 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases in 18 tries.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers smacked a 2-run single and an RBI double in a 6-2 win over the Florida Marlins. The 2007 N.L. Rookie of the Year is batting .308 with 23 HRs, 96 RBIs, a career-high 43 doubles, and 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Sunday (9/19/2010):

• In his first major-league start since 10/4/2009, CF Sam Fuld went 2/6 with an RBI double and a single to help the Chicago Cubs defeat the Florida Marlins, 13-3. As Jewish Baseball News reader Jessica R. points out, Fuld may get a few more starts due to a bizarre, broken-bat injury suffered Sunday by RF Tyler Colvin. ‘
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers reached base twice in a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Kinsler singled and drew a walk.
• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets singled twice and scored once in a 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s pitched a perfect 9th inning and struck out two batters to preserve a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The 30-year-old middle reliever has a 3.19 ERA, tops among MLB Jews, and is having one of his best months of the season. His September ERA is 1.93, second only to his May ERA of 0.71.

And now, your Jewish Baseball News Star of the Day:

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hit his third HR in the past 5 games, a two-run shot that accounted for both of the Brewers’ runs in a 9-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants. More impressive was Braun’s leaping catch over the outfield fence to rob the Giants’ Cody Ross of a home run. The play was so spectacular it inspired a separate article on MLB.com.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A number of Jews played baseball on Friday (9/17/2010), the eve of Yom Kippur. And while some played as if they were being punished, others performed quite well:

• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals may wish he hadn’t agreed to pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies. He failed to complete the first inning, giving up 6 earned runs on 6 hits and a walk while retiring just one batter in a 9-1 defeat. It didn’t help that a likely double-play ball struck the second-base umpire, allowing a run to score and keeping Philadelphia’s at-bat alive.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 3/5 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored in a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins had the opposite experience, going 2/3 with his 3rd major-league HR in a 3-1 loss to the Oakland A’s. Oakland RP Craig Breslow pitched 1-and-1/3 scoreless innings to earn his 16th hold of the season.
• Two Jewish major-leaguers — 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers and rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets — both went 0/3. Davis had gotten press coverage a day earlier by saying that he was leaving the decision about playing on Yom Kippur to his mother, who lost family in the Holocaust.

In minor-league championship games:

• CF James Rapoport of the “AAA” Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) hit 3 singles and stole 2 bases but couldn’t prevent a 10-6, extra-inning loss to the Tacoma Rainiers. Tacoma swept the Pacific League championship series, 3-0.
• RP Josh Zeid of the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies) did not play in Friday’s 2-1 win over the Greenville Drive. But on Thursday (9/16/2010), he pitched 3 perfect innings in the BlueClaws’ 6-1 win, striking out four. Lakewood leads the South Atlantic League championship series 2-1.
• The “Rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) didn’t play Friday because they lost the Pioneer League championship series the day before. RP Andrew Pevsner provided one of Ogden’s few bright spots in Thursday’s 14-3 loss to the Helena Brewers, pitching 3-and-1/3 perfect innings and striking out 4. Teammate Jake Lemmerman went 1/5 and scored a run.

And now, your Jewish Baseball News Star of the Day:

• 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AAA” Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Indians) hit for the cycle — single, double, triple and HR — en route to a 13-2 win over the Durham Bulls and Columbus’ first International League championship in 14 years. The 23-year-old was called-up to Columbus for the post-season after spending the regular season on Cleveland’s “AA” and “A-advanced” clubs. He batted .389 during the 4-game championship series while playing in the DH role.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Wednesday (9/15/2010):

It was a productive day for the four MLB’ers who took the field yesterday. The group went a combined 7/14 with 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and 4 runs scored, and all four players’ teams won:

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 2/5 with his 22nd HR and a game-tying, 9th-inning double in an 8-6 victory over the Houston Astros. It was the 4th straight two-hit game for Braun, who raised his average to .306 for the first time since June 29.
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 2/3 with a 2-run HR in an 11-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers. A year after joining baseball’s elite “30/30” club — he had 31 HRs and 31 stolen bases in 2009 — Kinsler has just 9 HRs and 13 stolen bases. But two lengthy stints on the disabled list in 2010 have shortened the 28-year-old’s season. Meanwhile, he has boosted his batting average from .253 in 2009 to .299 this season.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 2/4 with a double and a sacrifice fly in a 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. The 25-year-old also saved a run by forcing out a runner at home plate. Valencia leads all A.L. rookies with a .333 batting average and is a top contender for Rookie of the Year.
• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 1/3 with an RBI double in an 8-7, come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. A 1st-round pick (18th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft, Davis is batting .261 with 31 doubles, 2nd-most among N.L. rookies.

In minor-league championship games:

• Playing in the DH role, 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AAA” Columbus Clippers went 1/4 with a double in a 4-0 triumph over the Durham Bulls. Columbus leads the five-game International League championship series 2-0.
• CF James Rapoport of the “AAA” Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) went 1/4 with a sacrifice fly in an 11-7 loss to the Tacoma Rainiers. Tacoma leads the five-game Pacific Coast League championship series 2-0.
• SP Jason Knapp of the “A” Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians) struck out 6 batters over 3 and 1/3 innings and gave up 2 earned runs in a 9-6 win over the Clinton LumberKings. Lake County leads the five-game Midwest League championship series 1-0.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (9/14/2010):

• In his fourth game back since injuring a hamstring, rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins hit a game-tying single, drew a walk, and scored 2 runs in a 9-3 defeat of the Chicago White Sox. Valencia leads all A.L. rookies with a .329 batting average and is a top contender for Rookie of the Year, despite having only 231 at-bats.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a single and a solo HR in a 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros. It was the third straight two-hit game for Braun, who is batting .390 over the past 10 games. For the season, the 26-year-old is hitting .305 with 21 HRs, 37 doubles, 86 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He is one of five Brewers with more than 20 HRs.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers reached base four times in an 11-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers, hitting an RBI single and walking three times. Separately on Tuesday, the MLB issued Kinsler a one-game suspension for participating in an on-field celebration of Saturday’s 7-6 win over the New York Yankees after being ejected earlier in the game. Kinsler is appealing the suspension (see interview).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (9/11/2010):

• 2B Ian Kinsler went 2/4 and hit a game-tying double in the 9th inning en route to a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees. Despite battling injuries much of the season, Kinsler is batting .296 with 8 HRs, 41 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and a .381 on-base percentage.
• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals struck out a season-high 8 batters and walked just one in a 4-1 loss to the Florida Marlins. Marquis gave up five hits and two earned runs over six innings. The 32-year-old veteran is 2-8 but has reduced his ERA from a bloated 14.33 to 6.60 over his past five starts.

Injury update:

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins is hitless in two games since recovering from a tight right hamstring that sidelined him for a week. Valencia was 10/16 in the 4 games prior to his injury but is 0/8 since. His batting average has fallen to a still-impressive .333.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 4/4 and drove in 3 runs in a 4-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies, his second 4-hit game this month. A 1st-round pick (18th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft, Davis smacked his 29th double of the season — second most among NL rookies — along with two singles. The 23-year-old is having a great September, batting .471 with 3 HRs and 10 RBIs in 10 games. As MLB.com points out, the lefty is batting a surprising .314 against southpaws.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Friday (9/10/2010).

Two Jews played a role in the Texas Rangers’ extra-inning win over the New York Yankees:

• 2B Ian Kinsler went 2/4, drew a walk, and scored 3 runs as the Rangers defeated the Yanks 6-5 in 13 innings. He was ejected in the 10th inning after arguing a called third strike that replays showed was slightly inside. Despite battling injuries much of the season, Kinsler is batting .294 with 8 HRs, 40 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and a .378 on-base percentage.
• SP Scott Feldman — the 11th and final Rangers pitcher of the game, a team record — pitched a scoreless 13th inning to earn the win. It wasn’t easy: Feldman gave up two hits and a walk before getting out of a bases-loaded jam. He is 7-10 with a 5.47 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 43 walks in 135 innings.

In other MLB news:

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets doubled, singled and scored a run in an 8-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. A 1st-round pick (18th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft, Davis is tied for 2nd among N.L. rookies in HRs (18), and he’s ranked 3^rd in RBIs (64) and runs scored (63). He is batting .258 with a .346 on-base percentage.
• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s pitched a scoreless 8th inning en route to a 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The 30-year-old middle reliever struck out two and walked one. For the season, he is 4-4 with a 3.41 ERA, 13 holds and 2 saves. He has 63 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings pitched and has held opposing hitters to a .199 batting average.

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