Billings Named PCL Pitcher of the Week

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - River Cats right-hander Bruce Billings has been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 13-19.

Billings went 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA, 16 strikeouts and three walks in 13.0 innings pitched in two starts last week. On Monday, May 13, Billings held the Nashville Sounds to three runs-one earned-and four hits with eight strikeouts in six innings for the win, then shut out the Oklahoma City RedHawks through seven, three-hit innings with eight strikeouts on Saturday, May 18. The two starts lowered Billings' ERA on the year from 7.20 to 4.97, and brought his record to 4-2.

Billings, who was named the Sacramento River Cats Pitcher of the Year for 2012 by the Oakland Athletics, finished last season with a 7-6 record and ranked seventh in the league with a 3.98 ERA. He also finished second with a 1.24 WHIP and fourth with a .250 batting average against.

This is Billings' first Pitcher of the Week award of the season, and the first weekly award won by a River Cats player in 2013. The River Cats won five Player/Pitcher of the Week awards in 2012.