PCL rewards 51s’ Rafael Montero with Player of the Week award
Las Vegas starter Rafael Montero was named the Pacific Coast League’s Pitcher of the Week for May 9-15 after giving up no runs and striking out 13 in two starts.
Montero was 1-0 in the two starts, beating the Sacramento River Cats on May 9 in a 5 2/3 inning outing. Saturday, he tossed his first quality start of the season, giving up just two hits in a six-inning outing but he took a no-decision as he went up against 19-year-old uber prospect Julio Urias, who also turned in six shutout innings.
The two strong outings come after his rockiest start of the year in which he lasted just four innings and gave up seven runs.
“For me, watching from the side, he’s just been trying to be too fine and I thought today he attacked the strike zone with his fastball more, so that’s the way that Rafael Montero, when he’s successful, he pitches,” manager Wally Backman said after Montero’s start against Sacramento. “He attacks the strike zone early and then can expand the strike zone when he gets ahead in the count.”
