Bertrand wins second Eastern League Pitcher of the Week award
RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Flying Squirrels pitcher John Michael Bertrand was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for May 20-26, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.
RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Flying Squirrels pitcher John Michael Bertrand was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for May 20-26, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.
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Bertrand worked six hitless innings on Thursday night on the road at Prince George’s Stadium against the Baysox. It was his second hitless start of the year. He finished the outing with five strikeouts and issued two walks.
He was also named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after throwing seven perfect innings against the Baysox on April 27. In his two starts against Bowie this year, Bertrand has pitched 13 hitless innings.
For the season, Bertrand is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in nine games (eight starts). In the Eastern League, he ranks third in WHIP (1.04), fourth in ERA and tied for fourth in innings pitched (48.0). He also has the highest groundball percentage (55.6%) in the league.
He joins Eric Surkamp (2011) as the only Flying Squirrels pitcher to win multiple Eastern League Pitcher of the Week awards in the same season. Four pitchers, including Bertrand, Surkamp, Matt Frisbee and Matt Gage, have won multiple EL Pitcher of the Week awards in their careers.
Bertrand was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Notre Dame. He is in his second season pitching for the Flying Squirrels after being promoted to Double-A last July.
Flying Squirrels outfielder Grant McCray was also named Eastern League Player of the Week. This week marks the fourth time the Flying Squirrels have swept the league’s weekly player and pitcher awards, joining Daniel Mayora and Justin Fitzgerald (July 9-16, 2012), Steven Duggar and Andrew Suarez (July 18-24, 2016) and Brett Auerbach and Wil Jensen (August 1-7, 2022).
The Flying Squirrels open a two-week homestand this week at The Diamond. On Tuesday, the first 1,000 fans ages 15 and older will receive a Flying Squirrels “Is the Game Still On?” Umbrella presented by Pepsi. The gates open at 5:35 p.m. and first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Tickets are on sale online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-FUNN (3866) or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket office.