Washington Nationals Minor Leagues: Players Of The Week (7/20-7/26)
By Ricky Keeler
(Photo Credit: MILB.com)
Syracuse Chiefs (40-63)
Hitter Of The Week: INF Jason Martinson (.249, 17 HR, 45 RBI’s)
All season long, we have talked about how Jason Martinson has been the best power hitter on the Chiefs squad. That trend continued this past week. The 26-year-old hit two home runs this week and went 7-for-25 at the plate with three RBI’s. Martinson went 3-for-4 on July 22 against the Buffalo Bison (Toronto Blue Jays) with a two-run homer.
However, Martinson’s highlight performance came in yesterday’s game against the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs (Philadelphia Phillies). In the 13th inning, he hit deciding solo home run to give the Chiefs a 5-4 win. He is hitting .296 this month with seven home runs and 17 RBI’s. Those are the most totals he has had in any month this season.
Honorable Mention: OF Tony Gwynn Jr. (.244, 1 HR, 25 RBI’s)
While Gwynn Jr. has not had a great season as far as stats go, he makes the slideshow this week for the game he had yesterday against Lehigh Valley. In the win, he went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs scored. The 32-year-old outfielder went 9-for-16 at the plate this weekend and he has six hits in his last nine at-bats.
Despite some struggles at times, Gwynn Jr. is having a good month of July at the plate. In 17 games, he is hitting .333 with six RBI”s and has drawn 12 walks. In his last ten games, he is batting .433.
Pitcher Of The Week: SP Taylor Hill (3-5, 4.92 ERA)
The Chiefs did not get any wins from their starting pitchers this past week, but the pitcher who had one of the best performances was Taylor Hill. The 26-year-old right-hander went six innings against Buffalo on July 22. He gave up two runs on four hits, struck out five, and walked one on 96 pitches, but took the loss.
While Hill has not won a game since May 14 against Gwinnett (eight starts), his start against Buffalo showed signs that he might be turning it around. Hill, who has spent time with Syracuse and the Nats this season, gave up fewer than four runs in an outing for the first time since June 28.
Honorable Mention: P P.J. Walters (5-3, 5.56)
Walters made two appearances with the Chiefs this week, one as a starter and one as a reliever. While he gave up five runs on eight hits over four innings against Buffalo on July 20, he was able to pitch in a high-pressure situation against Lehigh Valley yesterday.
In four innings of relief, the 30-year-old right-hander gave up no runs on three hits, struck out eight, and walked none in the win. While Walters has a 6.15 ERA in five starts with the Chiefs, his ERA is over a full run less as a reliever (4.67 ERA in six appearances).
Next: Double-A