Long Beach State players succeeding in Major League Baseball

Other than Jered Weaver’s rough outing for the Angels on Wednesday, there’s been plenty of good news lately for former Long Beach State players in Major League Baseball.

In one of the more surprising stories across MLB, Marco Estrada is having a breakout season for the Toronto Blue Jays. The former Dirtbag and eight-year pro held the Boston Red Sox hitless though seven iings of work last Sunday on the way to his fourth win of the season. It’s the third time in the last two years that he’s taken a no-hitter into the eighth iing.

Estrada, who will make his next start Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, has a 2.41 ERA this season, ranked fourth in the American League, with an impressive 0.98 WHIP, second in the AL.

“He’s a master at his craft,” Toronto manager John Gibbons told the Associated Press. “He’s not going to light you up with that changeup, but he’s a pitcher, a very good pitcher. He’s been doing that for two years. It shouldn’t surprise anybody.”

Estrada, who is a fly-ball pitcher and has struggled giving up home runs, hasn’t given up more than five hits in any of his last eight starts.

Also in Toronto, Troy Tulowitzki is on the disabled list yet again, but one of the best shortstops in Dirtbags history said last Sunday that he’s getting better and could be back sooner than later without the need for a rehab assignment. The All-Star has been nursing a quadriceps injury since May 28. Tulowitzki has struggled this season and is hitting .204, down 90 points from his career batting average, with eight home runs in 167 at bats.

Also in the AL East, Evan Longoria has been carrying the Tampa Bay Rays this season, and the former Dirtbags third baseman won the American League Player of the Week last week.

It’s Longoria’s seventh AL weekly award since 2013. In seven games last week, he hit .464 with five homers, nine RBIs and seven runs scored. In Miesota, he became the first Rays player to homer in each game of a four-game series.

“The community has embraced me and my family,” Longoria told USA Today last week about being the face of the Tampa Bay organization. “It’s tough to call any other place home. I was bo and raised in (Southe Califoia), but Tampa Bay has been home to me. I’m not a big boater and I don’t know what I’m doing when I’m fishing. But I do enjoy waking up and seeing the water, seeing what the weather is doing out there.”

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Nick Vincent is finding renewed life in Seattle after being traded from the San Diego Padres at the start of the season. The fourth-year professional has a 2.16 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 22 appearances, which is second-most among Seattle relievers. According to ESPN Fantasy Baseball Rankings, he was the No. 41 pitcher in the league last week.

Matt Duffy, a Long Beach State and Lakewood High product, continues to hold down third base for the San Francisco Giants. The second-year pro is going though a bit of slump recently, but his defense has kept him in the lineup. Duffy only has four hits in his last 23 at bats, but has a .970 fielding percentage.

Speaking of offensive struggles, Day Espinosa hasn’t produced at the plate for the Washington Nationals, but the former Dirtbags shortstop has stayed in the lineup thanks to his defensive acumen. He has only five errors in 56 appearances and carries a .977 fielding percentage.

Bryan Shaw got off to a slow start for the Cleveland Indians, but the relief pitcher has bounced back with five consecutive scoreless appearances recently. In a three-game span in April, he gave up nine runs in just 2 1/3 iings. In the 17 games (15.2 iings) following, he has a 1.15 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP.

MLB Draft

The first-year players draft, which starts Thursday afteoon, will likely include a handful of Dirtbags such as All-Americans Garrett Hampson and Chris Mathewson.