Yard Goats Starting Pitcher Rico Garcia Named Eastern League Pitcher of Week

Yard Goats Starting Pitcher Rico Garcia Named Eastern League Pitcher of Week   
Right-hander earned EL leading 8^th victory in yesterday's win

(Hartford, CT) The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, has been informed by the Eastern League that right-handed starting pitcher Rico Garcia was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week today. The Honolulu, Hawaii native won both of his starts this week, going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and registered 15 strikeouts in 12 innings of work. He is the first Yard Goats player to win an Eastern League weekly award since infielder Brendan Rodgers, now in the Major Leagues with the Rockies, was named EL Player of the Week last April. Garcia helped the Yard Goats to a 4-2 homestand winning both starts against Yankees and Mets affiliates, and lifting the Yard Goats to first place in the EL Eastern Division Standings with seven games remaining in the first half.  
Garcia, 25, is leading the Eastern League with 8 wins, ranks second in EL with 85 strikeouts, winning percentage (.889), opposing batting average (.178), and ranks third in WHIP (0.91). He earned his first win this week in six no-hit innings on Tuesday against Trenton while striking out nine of the first 11 batters faced. Then, he followed that outing by working six solid innings, allowing just one run, in the Yard Goats 3-1 win yesterday against Binghamton. Garcia has won his last four starts and eight of his last nine starts since April 18^th.      
The right-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in Yard Goats history, and is 14-3 with a 2.08 ERA in 23 career starts at Hartford. His career ERA is the best in franchise history and he ranks third all-time in wins. He was promoted to the Yard Goats last July and has been with Hartford all of this season. Garcia is the only Yard Goats pitcher ever to record 10 or more strikeouts in a game three times, and established a new single game strikeouts mark of 11, twice this season.      
     
The Yard Goats begin a two-city six game road trip tomorrow night in Akron, Ohio and return to Dunkin' Donuts Park next Tuesday, June 18^th to host the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles affiliate) at 7:05 PM. Tickets for all home games may be purchased by calling the Yard Goats at 860-246-GOAT (4628), online at www.yardgoatsbaseball.com, or in person by visiting the Click It or Ticket Box Office at Dunkin' Donuts Park.