MLB Monday (September 14-20, 2020)

By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of September 14-20, 2020:

Mazel tov

• P Ryan Sheriff (Rays) earned his first career save on September 18, pitching a perfect inning of relief on just 9 pitches to preserve a 2-1 win. The southpaw has yet to give up an earned run this season.
• Ryan Braun (Brewers), the all-time Jewish home run leader, hit his 350th career round-tripper on September 16 (see video). Jewish Baseball News contributor Ethel H. assembled some relevant facts:
  • Braun’s 351 HRs rank fifth among active players, behind Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Edwin Encarnacion and  Nelson Cruz
  • His first home came off Padres right-hander Justin Germano, on May 26, 2007
  • 111 of Braun’s home runs have come with the score tied
  • Braun has had two three-homer games
  • So far in 2020, Braun has homered 7 times in 117 appearances, or 6.0%, the third highest home-run percentage of his career

Stats to share

• As of today, ESPN’s Cy Young Predictor has Max Fried (Atlanta) tied with the Cubs’ Yu Darvish for the N.L. lead. Fried leads the Majors with a 7-0 record, and according to Forbes, his schedule is tougher than Darvish’s (7-3).
• Meanwhile, Darvish’s 2020 salary ($22-million) is 39 times Fried’s ($565,000). After prorating for the shortened 2020 season, Fried will be paid just $216,000.
• After 55 innings this season, Fried has yet to give up a home run. No other MLB pitcher with at least 23 innings under his belt can say the same.
• P Dean Kremer (Orioles) is only the second pitcher in MLB history to notch the following stats in each of his first three career starts: 5 or more innings, one or fewer runs, 4 or fewer hits, and 6 or more strikeouts (see article).
• After hitting just .170 in August, Ryan Braun (Milwaukee) is hitting .400 in September, with 5 HRs, 8 extra-base hits, and 16 RBIs in just 40 at-bats.
• After recording a 5.79 ERA in August and allowing batters to hit .300, Richard Bleier (Marlins) has a 1.17 ERA so far in September, bringing his season ERA down to 2.35.

At the plate

• OF Ryan Braun (Brewers) hit .409 last week (9-for-22) with 3 HRs, 2 doubles, 9 RBIs, one walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a .458 on-base percentage.
• OF Kevin Pillar (Rockies) hit .409 (9-for-22) with a double, one RBI, a walk, and a .435 OBP. Since joining Colorado on Sept. 1, Pillar is hitting .290 (18-for-62) with a home run, triple, 2 doubles, 8 RBIs, and a .323 OBP.
• 3B Alex Bregman (Astros) hit .222 (4-for-18) with a double, 2 RBIs, 4 walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a .391 OBP.
• OF Joc Pederson (Dodgers), who spent part of the week on the paternity list, hit .000 (0-for-6) with 4 strikeouts.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays) remained on the injured list with a right knee strain.

On the mound

• Dean Kremer (Orioles) pitched 5 innings of one-run ball on September 17, yielding 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out six. After three starts, the rookie has a 1.69 ERA.
• Max Fried (Braves), back from the injured list, improved his record to 7-0 on September 18. The 26-year-old pitched 5 innings of one-run ball, yielding 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 and hitting one batter. His ERA is a slim 1.96.
• Ryan Sherriff (Rays) tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless ball across 3 games, yielding 3 hits and a walk while earning a save.
• Richard Bleier (Marlins) tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless ball across 3 appearances, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out 2.
• Rob Kaminsky (Cardinals) pitched 0.2 innings of relief on September 15, yielding an earned run on 2 hits and a walk in an 18-3 loss to Milwaukee. St. Louis later sent the rookie — who has a 1.93 ERA across 5 appearances — to the team’s alternate training site.
• Robert Stock (Red Sox) tossed 4 innings of scoreless relief across 2 games, yielding a hit and 2 walks while striking out 3.

Miscellanea

• Cardinals pitcher Rob Kaminsky faced off against Brewers batter Ryan Braun with the bases loaded on September 15. C Yadier Molina was called for interference when Braun’s bat struck his glove hand, forcing in a run (see video).
• In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, John Thorn, the official historian for Major League Baseball, talks about being born to Holocaust survivors in a displaced persons camp, going to an Orthodox Hebrew school, and how Judaism is “a central part of my life and my worldview, though I am no longer religious.”

Minor League notes

• Several athletes who have played in the Majors this season are now at their team’s so-called alternative training site:
  • Ryan Lavarnway (Marlins)
  • Garrett Stubbs (Astros)
  • Rob Kaminsky (Cardinals)

Injured list

• 1B Rowdy Tellez, since September 9.

Get your Jewish Baseball News updates via E-mail, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram