PCL Players Of The Week June 3- June 9
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock INF Nick Tanielu and New Orleans Baby Cakes RHP Zac Gallen have been selected the Pacific Coast League's Player and Pitcher of the Week for the period of June 3-9, the League office announced Monday.
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock INF
In just over two months into the 2019 season, Gallen has racked up Pitcher of the Week honors in the Pacific Coast League three times. It is the first time a pitcher or player has received a PCL Player of the Week award three or more times since the PCL expanded to 16 clubs in 1998. At 8-1 on the season, Gallen is tied for first in all of of Minor League Baseball in terms of wins (8) and starts (13) and leads the minors in strikeouts (104), innings pitched (86.0), average against (.150) and WHIP (0.70). In addition, the University of North Carolina product leads the PCL in all previously mentioned categories, as well as leads the league in earned run average (1.50).
For the week, the 23-year-old started two games for the Baby Cakes, allowing just one run on seven hits in 12.0 innings of work, while striking out 16 batters and issuing just three walks. Gallen was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2016 first year player draft and was acquired by the Marlins in a five-player trade on December 14, 2017.
Tanielu who played in six games this past week for the Express, hit .483 with four home runs and 13 RBI. During the week, he led the league in RBI (13), runs scored (12), hits (14), and total bases (33). The 26-year-old had back-to-back two home run performances on June 5th and 6th against the Las Vegas Aviators. On June 5th, Tanielu clubbed two solo home runs, and on the 6th hit a two-run shot and a solo home run propelling the Express to 11-5 and 26-11 victories over the Aviators. The Washington State product matched a career-high five hit game on June 8 against the Salt Lake Bees, where he went 5-for-6 with four runs scored and three RBI.
On the season, Tanielu is batting .277 with eight home runs and 40 RBI while scoring 27 runs and registering 54 hits. He is currently on pace to set career highs in home runs (career-high 11), RBI (career-high 76), hits (career-high 145) and runs (58). The Huntsville, AL native was a 14th round selection by the Houston Astros in 2014 and is in his sixth year with the organization. For the 2016 Astros MiLB.com Organizational All-Star, this is his first career player of the week honor.