Pitchers of the Week

International League
Virgil Vasquez, Toledo
2-0, 0.65 ERA, 2 G, 2GS, 16.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO
Virgil Vasquez has been good all season long, and this week he helped the Mud Hens three-peat as the International League West Division champs. On Tuesday, Vasquez tossed a complete-game shutout against Indianapolis. He allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. It was Vasquez's sixth career complete game. In his next start, the righty went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits in the division-clinching game.

Pacific Coast League
Edinson Volquez, Oklahoma
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 16 SO
Edinson Volquez was supposed to pitch in the big leagues this week, but when he missed a bullpen session two days before his scheduled call-up, the Texas Rangers decided his Major League season debut would have to wait. The righty responded. Volquez hurled a gem against New Orleans on Tuesday, going seven innings while striking out seven and allowing just two hits (one of which was bunted). On Saturday, Volquez went six no-hit innings while fanning eight batters. Volquez, who began a radical program to rework his mechanics by starting the season in the Class A Advanced California League, is 6-1 with a 1.41 ERA with the RedHawks, and could be in the big leagues by September.

Eastern League
Carlos Carrasco, Reading
1-0, 0.69 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 10 SO
Carlos Carrasco has been inconsistent in Reading since his arrival from Class A Advanced Clearwater. This week, however, the Venezuelan put together a string of two great outings. The first came Tuesday when Carrasco tossed a rain-shortened six-inning, complete-game no hitter. He matched a career-high in strikeouts with eight. Against Akron on Saturday, Carrasco threw seven innings of one-run ball to earn his first back-to-back wins since June.

Southern League
Clayton Kershaw, Jacksonville
1-0, 0.69 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 18 SO
Age doesn't seem to bother top prospect Clayton Kershaw. Just 19 years old, Kershaw earned his first Double-A victory in his third outing with Jacksonville, allowing only two hits in six innings. Kershaw retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced. In his next start on Saturday, Kershaw took a no-hitter into the seventh inning while fanning 10 batters. For the week, Kershaw tallied an impressive 18 strikeouts over 13 innings while giving up a meager four hits. The seventh pick in the 2006 Draft, Kershaw is 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA in Double-A and has helped keep Jacksonville in the playoff hunt.

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Texas League
Josh Geer, San Antonio
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
With only 1 1/2 games separating San Antonio from Frisco (the first-half champions) in the Texas League Southern Division, the Missions need all the clutch performances they can get. This week, Josh Geer delivered with his best outing of the year. The Dallas native limited the high-powered RoughRiders offense to just three hits over eight shutout innings. With the dominating outing, Geer grabbed a share of the Minor League lead in wins (16). He's 7-2 with a 2.64 ERA since the All-Star break.

California League
Brandon Hynick, Modesto
2-0, 2.08 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO
It was a good week at the office for Brandon Hynick. After being announced as the unanimous choice for California League Pitcher of the Year, the Modesto righty went out and pitched well enough to earn Pitcher of the Week as well. Hynick threw 13 innings and won both his starts to keep the Nuts tied for the North Division lead. Hynick has now won three straight starts (16 total) and could become the first California League pitcher to win 17 games since 1996.

Carolina League
Daniel Cortes, Wilmington
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
Daniel Cortes has been a major factor in Wilmington's second-half success, compiling six wins and a 3.15 ERA since the All-Star break. This week he had one of his best starts of the season. Cortes tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and no walks while matching a season-high eight strikeouts. He is 4-0 in his last six starts.

Florida State League
Tobi Stoner, St. Lucie
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO
It's funny how quickly things can change in baseball. After giving up 10 runs on 19 hits in his previous two starts, Tobi Stoner rebounded this week with his best outing in Class A Advanced. Stoner struck out a career-high 10 over eight scoreless innings. With his dominant performance, Stoner not only kept St. Lucie in the division lead, but lowered his ERA from 5.29 to 4.71.

Midwest League
Sean O'Sullivan, Cedar Rapids
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 16.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO
Sean O'Sullivan has been one of the best pitchers in the Midwest League all year long, and this week was no different. O'Sullivan dominated opposing hitters, yielding no earned runs in 16 innings. In both of his starts this week he lasted eight innings, giving up a grand total of seven hits and one walk. For the season, the Angels' 2005 third-round draft pick leads the league in ERA (2.07) and is second in innings pitched (152 1/3).

South Atlantic League
Kyle Collina, Lake County
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 1 GS, 7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Kyle Collina earned a permanent spot in the Lake County rotation this week. After pitching 2 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings of relief on Tuesday, Collina took the hill as the starter on Sunday and dazzled. The righty went five innings, allowing no runs, three hits and one walk. It was Collina's first win the South Atlantic League. In three appearances, Collina has yet to yield a single run.

New York-Penn League
Dylan Owen, Brooklyn
2-0, 0.82 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Dylan Owen has been Brooklyn's ace all season, and this week he earned his first Pitcher of the Week honors. Last Monday, Owen tossed six scoreless innings against the potent offense of division-rival Staten Island. He scattered six hits and struck out five batters. On Sunday, Owen allowed one run in five innings against Vermont. Owen leads the league in wins (8) and ERA (1.82).

Northwest League
Jared Cranston, Salem-Keizer
2-0, 0.82 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 18 SO
After a rough go-around in the South Atlantic League earlier this season, Jared Cranston seems to have found his groove in the Northwest League. The southpaw tossed two gems this week. His first came on Monday against Yakima when he went five scoreless innings while striking out seven. Cranston carried the momentum over to his next start by lasting six innings and fanning an impressive 11 batters. He allowed one run, five hits and just one walk. On the season, Cranston is 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA, and is tied for third in the league in strikeouts with 68.

Michael Main, Spokane
2-0, 0.90 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 10.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 SO
Michael Main showed why the Rangers took him with the 24th pick in this year's draft. In just his second start in the Northwest League on Monday, Main scattered three hits over five innings. He gave up just one run and struck out nine. In his next outing, the Florida native was even better, tossing five scoreless innings. The win moved the Indians into first place. After a rough first outing in the NWL, Main lowered his ERA this week from 19.29 to 4.38.

Appalachian League
Michael McCardell
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Michael McCardell was nearly flawless in his lone start this week. The right tossed six hitless and scoreless innings while striking out eight. The only blemish on the scorecard was his one walk. McCardell has not lost a decision since July 23 and is 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA for the season.

Pioneer League
Zach Peterson, Idaho Falls
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 SO
Zach Peterson has shuttled between the bullpen and rotation all season. After his performance this week, however, Peterson might be a permanent fixture in the Idaho Falls starting five. The Minnesota native threw six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while fanning a career-high 13.