Brad Brach

Brad Brach
Brach with the Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves – No. 46
Pitcher
Born: (1986-04-12) April 12, 1986
Freehold Township, New Jersey
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 31, 2011, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics
(through September 28, 2018)
Win–loss record 31–23
Earned run average 3.08
Strikeouts 482
Saves 33
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Brad Brach (/brɑːk/ brahk;[1] born April 12, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously pitched in MLB for the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles. Brach was an All-Star in 2016.

Amateur career

Brach grew up in Freehold Township, New Jersey, where he attended Freehold Township High School.[2] He was a starting pitcher for Monmouth University through his senior year and he holds the school record for career victories and strike-outs.[3]

Professional career

San Diego Padres

Brach was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 42nd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft; he was signed by the Padres' Northeast Scouting Director, Jim Bretz.[3] Brach spent 2009 with the Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps and 2010 with the Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm pitching in relief. He was named the California League's Pitcher of the Year for 2010 after posting a 2.47 ERA and saving a league record 41 games in 62 appearances.[4] Brach began 2011 with the Double-A San Antonio Missions and was promoted to the Triple-A Tucson Padres in July. Between the two clubs he posted a 2.89 ERA and 94 strike-outs in 71​2⁄3 innings.

Brach pitching for the San Diego Padres in 2012

Brach was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on August 31, 2011,[4] working 1​1⁄3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He stayed with the Padres through September, appearing in eight more games and finishing with a 5.14 ERA and 11 strike-outs.

Brach made the Padres' 2012 Opening Day roster, replacing an injured Tim Stauffer.[5] He was optioned to Triple-A Tucson on April 16 after five relief appearances, but was recalled on May 4.[6] He was optioned to Tucson again on June 28 to make room on the roster when Andrew Cashner returned as a starter, but was recalled on July 4 when Cashner was placed on the disabled list.[7] Brach remained with the Padres through the rest of 2012, posting a 3.78 ERA in 67 total appearances and striking out 75 against 33 walks in 66​2⁄3 innings.

Brach was designated for assignment by the Padres on November 20, 2013.

Baltimore Orioles

Brach was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on November 25, 2013 in exchange for minor league RHP Devin Jones.[8]

Brach played had a solid year in his first season with the O's, as he appeared in 46 regular season games with a 3.18 ERA. He struck out 54 batters, having a 7.8 K/9 ratio. Brach recorded his first ever win in the MLB Playoffs on October 3, 2014 against the Detroit Tigers.[9]

In 2015, Brach had the best year of his career to date, as he appeared in 62 games out of the bullpen, throwing 79​1⁄3 innings, pitching to a 2.72 ERA and a 5-3 record. He held opponents to a .203 average and had 10.1 K/9.

In 2016, Brach was named to his first career All-Star game, along with fellow Orioles pitcher, Zach Britton. (Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, and Mark Trumbo were also selected from the Orioles).[10] Through the first half of the 2016 campaign, Brach posted a 6-1 record, 0.91 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP to accompany 58 strikeouts and 15 walks in 49​1⁄3 innings.[11] He led all Major League relievers in WAR at the break. Despite struggling in the second half, Brach finished the season making 71 appearances, throwing 79 innings, striking out a career-high 92 batters while picking up a career-high ten wins, 24 Holds, two saves and pitched to a 2.05 ERA. He tossed 1​1⁄3 innings and struck out two batters in the Orioles Wild Card game loss.

Brach opened the 2017 as the Orioles eighth inning, setup man. He assumed the role of closer early on in the season after teammate Zach Britton was placed on the DL. On April 19, 20th & 21st, Brach earned saves in consecutive games. He became the fourth pitcher in Orioles history to record perfect saves in three consecutive days.

Atlanta Braves

On July 29, 2018, Brach was traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for international signing bonus slot money.[12]

Pitching style

Brach throws mostly just two pitches: a four-seam fastball at 90-94 mph and a slider at 80-85. Occasionally, he adds a splitter to lefties.[13][14]

Personal life

Brach lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, singer-songwriter Jenae Cherry, who was born in Wonder Lake, Illinois.[15] Brach's younger brother, Brett also pitched for Monmouth and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He played minor league baseball until 2014.

References

  1. ↑ Folkemer, Paul. "Orioles Option Evan Meek, Recall Brad Brach for Bullpen Help," PressBox Baltimore, Friday, May 2, 2014.
  2. ↑ Staff. "Brach's no-hitter paces Hawks' win" Archived July 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., Atlanticville, April 19, 2007. Accessed April 4, 2013. "Brad Brach did something no Monmouth University pitcher has done in 17 years, pitch a no-hitter.... The Hawks' ace, a junior from Freehold Township, was two outs from a perfect game when he issued a walk to the Blackbirds' Dan Etkin with one out in the ninth on a 3-2 pitch.... At Freehold Township, Brach was the ace on the Patriot team that won the A North Division title and advanced to the Central Jersey Group IV final."
  3. 1 2 Brock, Corey (September 15, 2011). "Brach Beat Long Odds to Reach Padres Bullpen: Rookie Righthander Was Selected in 42nd Round of 2008 Draft". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Center, Bill (August 31, 2011). "Pregame Preview: Plunging Padres end trip in L.A." The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Padres place Tim Stauffer on DL". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Padres recall RHP Brad Brach from Triple-A Tucson". Padres Press Release. MLB.com. May 4, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Padres place RHP Andrew Cashner on 15-day DL, recall RHP Brad Brach from Triple-A Tucson". Padres Press Release. MLB.com. July 4, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ Adams, Steve (November 25, 2013). "Orioles Acquire Brad Brach From Padres". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  9. ↑ http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/31000/brad-brach. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ http://m.mlb.com/news/article/188071682/2016-mlb-all-star-game-rosters-announced/
  11. ↑ http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/31000/brad-brach
  12. ↑ Park, Do-Hyoung (July 29, 2018). "Braves land righty reliever Brach from O's". MLB.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  13. ↑ "PITCHf/x Player Card: Brad Brach". BrooksBaseball.net. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  14. ↑ Hayes, Reggie (September 8, 2009). "Brach relishes role as cleanup guy". News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, IN). Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  15. ↑ http://www.planitnorthwest.com/articles/2013/09/03/9f7e8e38b1d64915b5e94bed09e041f7/index.xml#.UqKY_KwUaSo
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