By Ron Kaplan, contributor
More home runs.
Ryan Braun clouted a pair – a solo shot in the top of the first (#17) and a two-run bomb in the eighth (#18) — to help the Milwaukee Brewers (91-67) to a 12-4 win over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Braun is hot lately, going 5-for-13 with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs over his last five games.
Alex Bregman — who has earned the Rising Star Award from one blogger — had his 31st, one of two hits in five at-bats. It was a two-run variety, coming in the first inning of the Houston Astros’ 4-1 win over the host Toronto Blue Jays (71-87). It was the ‘Stros’ 100th victory of the year against 57 losses. Rowdy Tellez was 0-for-4 for the Jays; Kevin Pillar did not play.
Jewish Baseball News editor Scott Barancik notes that Tuesday’s three taters raised the Jewish total this year to 114, one short of the record of 115 set in 2016.
Robert Stock had a rare bad outing, blowing a save by giving up two runs on three hits (one strikeout) in the seventh inning as the San Diego Padres (63-95) fell in 12 to the host San Francisco Giants, 5-4.
Joc Pederson was 0-for-4 with a walk as the LA Dodgers (88-70) lost a heartbreaker to the host Arizona Diamondbacks on a walk-off, 4-3.
Max Fried, who is competing for a spot in Atlanta’s postseason bullpen, did not appear in the team’s (89-68) 7-3 win over the host NY Mets.
Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Pittsburgh Pirates (80-76) in their 6-0 win over the host Chicago Cubs.
Slumping Ian Kinsler and the Boston Red Sox saw their game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles rained out.
Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies fell one game under .500 with a 10-3 loss to the host Colorado Rockies.
By the way, in case you don’t hear from me for a bit, I’ll be vacationing in Merry Old England. Sorry to be missing the final week, especially the final game of David Wright’s injury-shortened career. Ah, what might have been…
Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.
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