Garcia, Ponce de Leon Named Cardinals Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month

MEMPHIS, Tennessee - Memphis Redbirds outfielder Adolis García and pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon have been named the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month and Pitcher of the Month for July, respectively, the organization announced Wednesday.
In 25 games in the month, Garcia slugged a team-high eight home runs while batting .338 (26-for-77) with 25 runs scored and 21 RBI. He finished the season with a team-high 32 homers, becoming the first Redbird to reach that mark since Rick Ankiel in 2007. He currently ranks T-2nd in franchise history with 57 longballs. He also scored a franchise record 96 runs during the 2019 campaign.
Ponce de Leon went a perfect 4-0 in his five starts during the month, while posting a 0.93 ERA (3 ER/29.0 IP). The right-hander had a 27-inning scoreless streak to begin the month and had back-to-back 7.0 shutout outings on August 9 and 11. In his five starts, he whiffed 39 batters compared to 13 walks. He also held opponents to a .131 average (13-for-99) and allowed two hits or fewer in each of his starts.
In his start on August 9 at Sacramento, he fanned 11 batters, issued no walks and allowed just two hits during the Redbirds' 15-0 victory over the River Cats. That outing helped him to earn Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for August 5-11.
The pair helped lead the Redbirds to a 22-7 record in August, including a 14-2 record at AutoZone Park. This marked the winningest August in club history, and it was also the second time in franchise history that a Redbirds team won 22 games in a single month, joining the 2017 squad that also won 22 games in July.
This is the second-straight year that the duo has been named player and pitcher of the month in the same month. Garcia and Ponce de Leon took home the same honors for July 2018.
They join Randy Arozarena as Redbirds to be honored by the Cardinals this season. Arozarena was named player of the month for both June and July.
Although the Redbirds' season is over, AutoZone Park will host the Triple-A National Championship Game presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The Pacific Coast League and International League playoffs begin this week, with the league champions facing off in Memphis in a one-game, winner-take-all showdown for Triple-A supremacy.
Upcoming Games of Note at AutoZone Park
Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7:00: Triple A-National Championship Game presented by Ephesus Sports Lighting; free BBQ Nachos and a drink to all fans as part of "Nacho Average Tuesday" presented by Dave & Buster's

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