Pitchers of the Week

International League
Sean Smith, Buffalo
2-0, 0.79 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11.1 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO
Smith picked up a win in both of his starts this week, hurling six scoreless innings in Ottawa on Tuesday and allowing a run over 5 1/3 innings against Indianapolis on Sunday. The 23-year-old right-hander has yielded just three runs over 22 2/3 innings pitched since being inserted into the Bisons' starting rotation at the beginning of the month.

Pacific Coast League
Yovani Gallardo, Nashville
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO
The 21-year-old Gallardo allowed just one hit over six shutout innings against Albuquerque on Thursday, marking the third time this season he's allowed one hit over a start of six innings or more. Gallardo's 11 strikeouts in Thursday's masterful outing increased his season total to a Minor League-leading 66.

Eastern League
Jim Magrane, Harrisburg
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
Magrane's start on Friday was his best since being inserted into the Harrisburg's starting rotation at the beginning of the month. The 28-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and three walks over 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Senators defeated Trenton, 4-1. Magrane earned the victory, his first since August 1 of last season.

Southern League
James Houser, Montgomery
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2GS, 11.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO
Houser notched a couple of wins this week, increasing his run of consecutive victories to 14 (he finished the 2006 season with 11 straight wins as a member of the California League's Visalia Oaks). The southpaw hurled 6 1/3 scoreless innings against West Tenn on Tuesday and five more against Birmingham on Sunday. Houser has compiled an impressive 2.48 ERA over 32 2/3 innings pitched this season.

Texas League
Michael Madsen, Midland
2-0, 1.50 ERA, 2 G, 2GS, 0 CG, 12 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 R, 5 BB, 18 SO
Madsen struck out 10 over six scoreless innings against Frisco on Monday, and followed that up on Saturday by striking out eight over six strong frames in Corpus Christi. The 24-year-old, who began the season with Class A Advanced Stockton, is 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA over five starts with the RockHounds.

California League
Chaz Roe, Modesto
1-1, 0.60 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 15.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 10 SO
Roe took a tough-luck complete-game loss against San Jose on Monday, allowing a run on three hits over eight innings as the Giants eked out a 1-0 win. On Saturday, the right-hander finally picked up his first win over nine starts this season, surrendering a run on two hits over seven innings as the Nuts defeated Inland Empire, 7-1.

Carolina League
James Parr, Myrtle Beach
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 SO

Parr hurled the first complete-game shutout of the Carolina League season on Thursday against Wilmington. The 21-year-old right-hander yielded just three hits and did not walk a batter and doubled his season-best by striking out 12 batters in the contest.

Florida State League
Ian Kennedy, Tampa
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.2 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 20 SO
Kennedy, the Yankees' first-round draft choice in 2006, was dominant in each of his two starts this week. The USC product struck out 11 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings against Dunedin on Tuesday and followed that up by whiffing nine over seven shutout frames in Jupiter on Sunday. Kennedy's 1.24 ERA is the league's best, and his five wins are tied for the most in the circuit.

Midwest League
Michael Ballard, Clinton
2-0, 1.42 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
Ballard was lights-out this week, as the Virginia native allowed two runs over 7 2/3 innings in Cedar Rapids on Monday before hurling five shutout frames against Dayton on Sunday. Perhaps most impressively, the 23-year-old did not issue a walk in either contest. In fact, Ballard has not walked a batter since April 17, his second start of the season.

South Atlantic League
Graham Taylor, Greensboro
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 16.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO
Taylor hurled the South Atlantic League's first complete-game shutout of the season on Tuesday against West Virginia, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out seven. The lefty was almost as good against Greenville on Sunday, allowing just three hits over seven shutout frames to reduce his ERA to a stellar 2.21 over a league-leading 61 innings pitched.