Dominant May Leads Bivens to PCL Pitcher of Month Honor

Reliever Goes 2-0 with Three Saves and 0.49 ERA in Nine Appearances

Spencer Bivens delivers a pitch earlier in the season for the River Cats at Sutter Health Park. On Wednesday, he was named the PCL Pitcher of the Month for the month of May. (Ralph Thompson Photo)

By River Cats Media Relations

June 5, 2024

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Following a month in which he was 2-0 with a trio of saves and a 0.49 ERA, right-handed pitcher Spencer Bivens has been selected as the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month for the month of May, as announced by the MiLB on Wednesday. Bivens

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Following a month in which he was 2-0 with a trio of saves and a 0.49 ERA, right-handed pitcher Spencer Bivens has been selected as the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month for the month of May, as announced by the MiLB on Wednesday.

Bivens was as sharp as they come working out of the bullpen, making a total of nine appearances while allowing a single run on nine hits over the span of 18.1 innings of work with 17 strikeouts to only nine walks. Following his first outing in which he allowed a single run in 2.2 frames, the tall righty did not allow another in the rest of his eight appearances, a stretch that spanned 14.2 innings.

Of those eight scoreless outings, Bivens started the stretch by not allowing a hit in the first four games (8.1 innings), and three times struck out three opposing hitters. He faced only two batters over the minimum in those four games, which were a pair of walks with one reaching intentionally. Additionally, two of his three saves were converted in those four contests, and for the month he pitched more than one inning a total of seven times.

This is the first PCL Pitcher of the Month honor for Bivens, and it is the first monthly honor in his career. Previously, he was named an AFL Rising Star while a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions in 2022.

It is also the first monthly honor this season for the River Cats, who have not had a PCL Pitcher or Player of the Month since Austin Slater was named the PCL Player of the Week in August 2016. It is the third honor they have earned in total this season, as Mason Black was named the PCL Pitcher of the Week on April 14 while Tyler Fitzgerald was tabbed as the PCL Player of the Week on May 26.

Fans can catch the reigning PCL Pitcher of the Month this week, as Bivens and the River Cats continue their homestand against the Albuquerque Isotopes. Game two of their six-game set will get underway from Sutter Health Park tonight, with first pitch at 6:45 p.m. (PT). Single-game tickets are available at rivercats.com or by visiting the Sutter Health Park ticket office.