Martin Earns Second Player of the Week Award

Durham Bulls starter J.D. Martin has been named International League Pitcher of the Week for the second time, this nod for the period from July 22-28. Martin, who leads all of Minor League Baseball with 13 victories, becomes the first member of the Bulls to earn two Player of the Week awards in the same season since Jeremy Hellickson in 2010. Syracuse's Zach Walters was named IL Batter of the Week. Martin and Walters were both previously honored the week of June 10-16.

Martin, fresh off of his scoreless appearance in the Triple-A All-Star Game, won both of his starts this week to push his MiLB-leading victory total to 13 and lower his ERA to 2.76. The veteran right-hander tossed a season-high 8.0-inning gem last Monday at Gwinnett, holding the Braves to just four hits while striking out six. Saturday night in Columbus, Martin picked up his 13th victory behind 6.0 innings of six-hit, two-walk baseball. He surrendered two runs (one earned) and struck out four in the 4-2 Bulls win. Martin is now one victory shy of tying Durham's Triple-A single-season record of 14, set by Richard De Los Santos in 2010.

A native of Ridgecrest, CA, Martin has anchored a rotation that has led the Bulls to a professional baseball-leading 69 wins. The 30-year-old is in his first season in the Tampa Bay organization after signing as a free agent this January. He is a veteran of 24 starts in the major leagues, having all come with the Nationals between 2009 and 2010.