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08/31/2009 12:58 PM ET
Pitchers of the Week
For the week ending August 30
By Josh Jackson / Special to MLB.com
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 Madison Bumgarner improved to 9-1 with seven masterful innings Wednesday. (Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)
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International League
Winston Abreu, Durham
0-0, 0.0 ERA, 4 G, 0 GS, 5.2 IP, 3 SV, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Rays farmhand Winston Abreu made four no-hit appearances and two perfect appearances this week, demonstrating his ability to shut the door out of the 'pen. He began the week by saving three consecutive games -- one against Syracuse on each Monday and Tuesday and another against Norfolk on Thursday. On Saturday, he worked two perfect innings against the Gwinnett Braves, who lead the circuit in walks and are second only to Abreu's Bulls in runs scored. If Tampa Bay can hang on in the American League Wild Card race, a September callup could be in the works for Abreu.
Pacific Coast League
Mitch Atkins, Iowa
2-0, 1.38 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 13 SO
Cubs prospect Mitch Atkins began to turn around a tough season this week, allowing two runs over his two wins. He tossed seven innings, striking out five and surrendering four hits -- one of which was a home run -- in Monday's victory against New Orleans, and then he struck out eight over seven shutout innings to beat Oklahoma City on Sunday. Although his outstanding starts only dropped his 2009 Triple-A ERA to 6.56, Atkins put himself in fourth place on the PCL leaderboard with his 121st strikeout.
Eastern League
Madison Bumgarner, Connecticut
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Madison Bumgarner, who's widely considered the top prospect in the stocked San Francisco system, may have only fanned two in this week's win, but don't be fooled: he's still baffling Eastern League hitters. His seven shutout frames inched his Double-A ERA down to 1.91, opponents are batting just .213 against him, and the victory brought his record to 9-1. And while he only picked up two Ks this week, that total still amounts to two times the walks he allowed. Since coming to the Eastern League in May, he's whiffed 68 and allowed just 29 bases-on-balls. Counting his scoreless outing on Wednesday, Bumgarner has allowed two runs or less in 15 of his 18 appearances for Connecticut.
Southern League
James Adkins, Chattanooga
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 9 SO
Dodgers prospect James Adkins, a 2007 first-rounder, demonstrated his ability to work out of trouble this week. On Monday, he allowed four hits and four walks and hit two batters over six innings of work, but he struck out five and didn't allow a runner to cross the plate, earning a win. In his next start on Sunday, his command was much better as he issued just one walk. He gave up four hits and struck out four, exiting after five shutout innings and ending up with a no-decision.
Texas League
Kyle Middleton, Midland
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
Oakland's Kyle Middleton wins his second Texas League Pitcher of the Week award in his first full month in the circuit, having tossed a complete-game shutout against Corpus Christi on Thursday. Middleton struck out seven and walked one while surrendering just four hits. Since joining the RockHounds on July 26, he's amassed a tidy ERA of 2.16 and allowed 35 hits over 50 innings pitched.
California League
Paul Oseguera, San Jose
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 15 SO
Paul Oseguera, the Giants' 16th-round selection in the 2006 Draft, only got one start this week, but he made it count. Oseguera struck out 15 over the course of a three-hit complete-game shutout on Thursday, marking the best performance of his professional career. This outing came after he was rocked out of the game in the fifth inning of his previous start, having allowed eight runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings on Aug. 22.
Carolina League
Alex Caldera, Winston-Salem
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
Royals prospect Alex Caldera carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a one-out double against Lynchburg on Thursday. After a passed ball, he worked himself out of that jam and kept the Hillcats' bats silent in the eighth to earn a win. The eight-inning outing is the longest of the season for Caldera, and he hasn't allowed an earned run since Aug. 13.
Florida State League
David Newmann, Charlotte
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
David Newmann, who was picked by the Rays in the fourth round of the '07 Draft, hurled a seven-inning complete-game shutout against Sarasota on Friday, giving up three hits and refusing to issue a walk while striking out eight and earning his eighth win of the season. Newmann's 122 punchouts are among tops in the league, and he's walked only 45 batters all season long.
Midwest League
Aaron Miller, Great Lakes
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
The Dodgers' first choice in the 2009 Draft, Aaron Miller came up to Great Lakes from the Arizona League on Aug. 2, and he's been a terrible problem for Midwest League hitters ever since. He showed just how good he can be this week, working six no-hit innings vs. Fort Wayne on Thursday, perfect but for plunking Allan Dykstra in the fifth. He got the next hitter to hit into a double play, though, and faced the minimum in the win. Since his promotion, Miller's fanned 34 and walked eight while posting a 3-1 record and a 1.65 ERA.
South Atlantic League
Luke Prihoda, Charleston
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 0 GS, 1 SV, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
Luke Prihoda, who signed with the Yankees out of an independent league in July, allowed one hit in each of his two appearances this week, posting a save and a win for the RiverDogs. On Thursday, in just his second save opportunity of the year, he shut down the the Rome Braves, and he pitched two dazzling innings to beat the Augusta GreenJackets on Saturday. Prihoda has not walked a single batter this year.
Appalachian League
Tyler Sample, Burlington
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
Royals 2008 draftee Tyler Sample was nearly unhittable in his two starts this week, coasting through six innings against Princeton on Tuesday and seven innings against Bluefield on Sunday. He gave up two hits and one walk in each game, striking out seven between the two. Sample has now won four consecutive decisions, and he's given up six earned runs over his last seven starts.
New York-Penn League
Kyle Lobstein, Hudson Valley
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
After striking out 10 over a five-inning start last week, Rays prospect Kyle Lobstein tossed seven innings of two-hit ball on Tuesday, picking up eight more punchouts along the way. Lobstein, a 2008 second-rounder, made his pro debut in the New York-Penn League earlier this year and has been getting better and better with every start. Tuesday's win was the second time in 12 starts he's thrown seven shutout innings.
Northwest League
Daniel Straily, Vancouver
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO
Oakland's 24th-round pick from this year's Draft, Daniel Straily earned his second straight win this week, whiffing 10 and walking one while allowing three hits over six shutout innings. He also hit a batter -- his third in as many games -- but control hasn't been much of a problem for him. He's fanned 61 and walked 17 in his young pro career.
Pioneer League
Scott Kelley, Idaho Falls
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 0 GS, 1 SV, 8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 SO
Royals '09 draftee Scott Kelley impressed this week, tossing 4 1/3 shutout innings in relief to earn a win against Ogden on Tuesday, and then coming in and throwing four more lights-out frames against Orem to earn a save on Sunday. He allowed just one hit and one walk while racking up eight strikeouts during Sunday's masterful appearance. Kelley hasn't allowed a single run in 15 Pioneer League innings.
Josh Jackson is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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