Today in Jewish baseball history
1948 — Moe Savransky pitches a five-hitter as the Sunbury (Pa.) Reds defeat the Wilmington Blue Rocks 3-1 in the second game of an Interstate League doubleheader. Savransky strikes out 12, including four in the fifth inning.
1957 — Eddie Picker pitches a three-hitter to win his 12th game of the season as the Kokomo Dodgers defeat the first-place Clinton Pirates 6-1 in the Midwest League.
1961 — Art Shamsky hits a two-run homer to tie the game with two out in the ninth inning, and the Macon Peaches go on to defeat the Asheville Tourists 4-3 in the Sally League.
1966 –– Art Shamsky of Cincinnati enters the game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement with Pittsburgh leading the Reds 7-6 and hits three consecutive home runs in the Pirates’ 14-11 victory in 13 innings. His two-run homer in the eighth puts the Reds ahead 8-7. His solo homer in the 10th ties the game 9-9, and another two-run homer in the 11th ties the score again at 11-11. He is the first National League player and third in major-league history to homer twice in extra innings. Game summary
1979 — Ross Baumgarten allows two hits, walks three and strikes out five as the Chicago White Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. Game summary
2008 — Kevin Youkilis hits two home runs, including a two-run shot in the eighth inning, as the Boston Red Sox outlast the Texas Rangers 19-17, tying a 58-year American League record for total runs in a game. The Red Sox score 10 runs in the first inning off Scott Feldman, but the Rangers rally to take a 15-14 lead in the sixth inning. Ian Kinsler hits a double and homer for Texas — both in the fifth inning. Feldman becomes the first pitcher to allow 12 runs and not take the loss since Gene Packard of the St. Louis Cardinals got the win in a 16-12 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 3, 1918. Game summary
2019 — Ian Kinsler hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in the San Diego Padres’ 10-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The homer in Kinsler’s final major-league at-bat is the 257th of his career and hit No. 1,999. Game summary
2024 — Alex Bregman and Houston Astros teammate Yordan Alvarez are named American League Co-Players of the Week. Bregman batted .444 with three homers and six RBIs in six games.
Birthday
Joe Bonowitz, 1899 — Career minor-league outfielder with 2,925 hits from 1918 to 1936.
MLB debuts
Moe Franklin, 1941 — Lines out to second base as pinch hitter in eighth inning of Tigers’ 4-1 loss to Indians.
Jason Hirsh, 2006 — Starting pitcher takes the loss, going four innings and allowing four runs, seven hits — including three home runs — and two walks while striking out four in Astros’ 6-3 loss to Padres. Also strikes out in lone plate appearance. Forms all-Jewish battery with catcher Brad Ausmus.
Final MLB games
Barry Latman, 1967 — Retires all six batters he faces in seventh and eighth innings of Astros’ 7-3 loss to Braves.
Tony Cogan, 2001 — Faces two batters in seventh-inning relief appearance, yielding a single and walk in Royals’ 6-4 loss to Tigers.
Ian Kinsler, 2019 — The All-Star second baseman pitches the ninth inning allowing one hit, two walks and a hit batter while forcing a double play in the Padres’ 10-4 loss to the Rays. He also hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth — his 1,999th career hit.
In memoriam
Bill “Chick” Starr, catcher, 1991 (age 80)
Recent transactions (2025)
Arizona Diamondbacks signed free-agent 1B Matt Mervis to a minor-league contract and assigned him to the Triple-A Reno Aces,
Houston Astros recalled LHP Colton Gordon from the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders placed RHP Eric Reyzelman on the 7-day injured list.
Triple-A Sacramento River Cats transferred OF Hunter Bishop to the Development List.
Princeton OF Caden Shapiro assigned to rookie Florida Complex League Pirates.
Northwestern C Bennett Markinson assigned to Florida Complex League Phillies.
New York Yankees optioned RHP Jake Bird to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Mets assigned RHP Ben Simon to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies from the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones.