With one final outing scheduled before the the All-Star break, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Marco Estrada is three home runs away from setting the National League record for most homers allowed before the break, per ESPN's Jayson Stark.
Estrada surrendered his 27th long ball of the season in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, with Phillies second baseman Chase Utley doing the honors. Despite all the home runs and his ugly 4.96 ERA, Estrada only saw his record fall to a still-respectable 7-6 with the loss.
While his season has largely been defined by negatives, the 31-year-old right-hander should be able to avoid an unfortunate piece of history, as his final start before the break will come Saturday against a St. Louis Cardinals team that ranks last in the National League with just 53 home runs this season.
When he faced the Cardinals on April 15, Estrada put forth one of his two homer-less performances this season, though he still allowed three runs over six innings.
According to ESPN's Stark, the National League record of 29 first-half home runs allowed is shared by Phil Niekro, Fergie Jenkins and Jose Lima.
As for the season-long mark, Lima stands alone in that category, having served up 48 long balls during the 2000 campaign while playing for the Houston Astros, per Baseball Almanac.
Including both leagues, Bert Blyleven set the standard by allowing 50 home runs as a member of the Minnesota Twins in 1986.
Judging by his 4.96 ERA, Estrada likely won't remain in the rotation long enough to challenge either Blyleven or Lima if he keeps going this way.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments