Welcome back to Gnats of the Week! It’s the series where I pick the most clutch, influential and unexpected performances by under-the-radar MLB players in the past week. You won’t see Ronald Acuña Jr. or Jacob deGrom on this list — unless they’re on the opposition. You won’t even see Joey Gallo. Only the truly mediocre qualify, and the more anonymous the better.
What is a gnat? Simply put, they’re irritants. You know the type: little-known rookies and overlooked veterans who come out of nowhere to torment your team on a given night. Think of Steve Pearce erupting against the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series, or Pat Borders, who won fall classic MVP in 1992 after producing negative WAR the year before. It’s all about the unexpected.
These players are delightful stories, unless of course they’re playing your team. Then they’re the most daggum annoying thing you’ve ever seen. The gnats never fail!
This week in Gnat Central Station, we’re discussing a 28-year-old catcher’s breakout, a pair of wily veterans getting their due and the most baffling pinch hit you’ll ever see.
Honorable Mentions:
- James Kaprielian: 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 10 K vs. Red Sox on Sunday
- Ben Gamel: 3-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R vs. Max Fried, Braves on Monday
- Garrett Cooper: 3-3, 2 HR, BB vs. Dodgers on Wednesday
Third Runner-Up: Eric Haase
5-8, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 2.125 OPS vs. White Sox last weekend
While you spent your Fourth of July weekend kicking back with cold drink and a burger, Eric Haase had no time for such frivolities. The 28-year-old Tigers rookie was busy raking. Facing Dallas Keuchel and the first-place White Sox on Saturday, Haase earned the start in left field and collected the first multi-hit game of his career. Through four innings, he had the Tigers’ only two hits against Keuchel — the latter of which gave them the lead in just about the most dramatic of fashions. An inside-the-parker!
He does it again! Hammerin' Eric Haase with an Inside the Park home run to give the @tigers the lead! #DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/STdlZNssWQ
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) July 3, 2021
The pesky White Sox came back to take the lead in the following inning, but Haase was not finished. He enjoyed the home run, and decided to do it again, albeit a little more conventionally. Here’s the explosive final touch he put on Detroit’s W:
.@ehaase3 homered outside the park, just for good measure. pic.twitter.com/xHtHs4LG2s
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 3, 2021
Then, for even gooder measure, he followed it up with two more hits on Sunday against Lucas Giolito. He scored the game’s first run and drove in another, which proved to be the difference in a 6-5 win. For a Michigan-born kid who played 10 seasons in the minors prior to breaking out with Detroit this year, it was a fitting holiday tribute. Sorry, Sox.
Second Runner-Up: Wily Peralta
7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W vs. Rangers on Monday
Sticking with the Tigers, I gotta give some love to a gnat whose performance truly came out of nowhere this year. I saw some people on Twitter reacting to Wily Peralta’s strong work of late with takes like, “Wait, what? In the year 2021?” But the truth is, even “peak” Wily was not all that impressive. He’s eclipsed 1.0 positive WAR just once in his career, and I don’t say that to disparage the guy, but to show just how impressive it is that he’s doing this at age 32.
Last Monday, Peralta through seven flawless shutout frames in Texas. He had 10 whiffs and a 29% CSW rate. Yes, it’s the Rangers, but dayum. Did you know that he hasn’t pitched seven innings in a game without giving up a run since 2015? It’s true. We’re not sure how he’s doing it, but this pitch has helped:
Nobody's been able to hit the Wily Peralta split-change yet this season pic.twitter.com/te3FOFOQba
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) July 6, 2021
Another fun fact is that with Monday’s performance, Peralta now has two consecutive outings of 5+ IP, zero earned runs, 5+ strikeouts and zero walks. Prior to this season, he’d only done that ONE TIME in his entire career — July 13, 2014. That’s 124 starts, 800+ innings pitched and three occurrences, two of which came in one week. Keep on truckin’, Wily.
First Runner-Up: Brad Miller
3-5, 3 HR, 5 RBI vs. Cubs on Thursday
What a journey for “bamboo” Brad Miller. It all started in 2019, when he was picked up by the Phillies mid-season and sparked a brief winning streak in the clubhouse with his lucky bamboo plant. After spending last season filling in for the Cardinals, the veteran infielder returned to Philly this year and he’s brought his bat — and bamboo — back with him.
You’re about to see a man wearing three hats. Don’t worry, he earned them.
miller…FOR THREE! BANG! pic.twitter.com/hsHcIhNp8p
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 9, 2021
That’s right: not one, not two, but three home run hats for Brad Miller. He tore the Cubs pitching to shreds on Thursday night, launching balls out to right center in the third, fifth and seventh in an 8-0 Phillies win. The last one nearly tore a hole through the scoreboard:
A 3-HR game.
Have a day, Brad Miller. pic.twitter.com/BLkGamudWe
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2021
And to think, he almost wasn’t in the lineup. A frequent late-innings substitution, this game was Miller’s first start since June 30th. But Joe Girardi evidently liked the match-up, so he penciled him in place of Rhys Hoskins. And he proceeded to take down the Cubs almost single-handedly.
Must be something in the bamboo.
GNAT OF THE WEEK: Daniel Camarena
2.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 K; 1-1, HR, 4 RBI vs. Max Scherzer, Nats on Thursday
Who else? We may never see a less likely feat than Daniel Camarena’s grand slam against Max Scherzer on Thursday. It’s like the Bartolo Colón home run, except 10 times more difficult, 20 times more impactful, and oh yeah, it came in his second career plate appearance. SECOND! CAREER!
Give it another watch, and just savor the absurdity:
BORN AND RAISED IN SLAM DIEGO!!!!!@padres | #HungryForMore pic.twitter.com/9HeO3JfHrV
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) July 9, 2021
A few more fun facts, because I can’t help myself:
- Camarena was, in fact, born and raised in Slam Diego. He was drafted out of Cathedral Catholic High School, a 28-minute drive from Petco Park according to Google Maps.
- He recorded five hits in 28 career minor league at-bats, all singles.
- His granny was the fourth ever allowed by Max Scherzer to, like, anybody.
- The pitch was a solid two inches below the strike zone, and he hit it 416 feet at 107 mph. No other commentary here, just awe.
The slam got the Padres on the board after trailing 8-0, and they ended up coming all the way back to win 9-8. Immediately after detonating the Nationals’ very dignity as a ballclub, Camarena pitched a perfect fifth inning to keep it close. Did I mention he’s a rookie?
There’s really not much to say, other than, OOF, Nats fans. You might want to check out now if you haven’t already. But for everyone else, I’ll leave you with this brilliant Spanish radio call of the grand slam, courtesy of Cut4. Enjoy.
End your night with this elite Spanish radio call of Camarena’s grand slam!!!!! #HazloGrande pic.twitter.com/lfdLlGRrqq
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 9, 2021
Daniel, welcome to the Gnat Hall of Fame. Now featuring air conditioning!
(Photos by Gerry Angus, Leslie Plaza Johnson & Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Michael Packard (@designsbypack on Twitter & IG)
