Peterson, Cotton Honored for Weekly Performances

May 30, 2016 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1) News Release

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Colorado Springs Sky Sox outfielder Shane Peterson and Oklahoma City Dodgers' right-hander Jharel Cotton have been named the Player and Pitcher of the Week for May 23-29, the Pacific Coast League announced Monday.

In six games, Peterson led Triple-A in batting average (.524), slugging percentage (1.048) and OPS (1.631), while pacing the PCL in total bases (22), extra-base hits (7) and tying for the league lead in runs scored (9). Additionally, the 28-year-old finished second in the PCL in on-base percentage (.583) and stolen bases (3). He recorded the PCL's third 5-hit game of the season - and the second of his 960-game career - by reaching base six times (2 1B, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB) in the Sky Sox 17-4 rout of Fresno May 27. Earlier in the week, Peterson registered a 4-hit, 4-run game at Sacramento on May 24. Through 15 games this season, Peterson has hit .347 (17-for-49) with three home runs, seven RBI and a 1.122 OPS.

Peterson, who has spent parts of the last six seasons in the PCL (2011-14: Sacramento, 2015-16: Colorado Springs), was originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Long Beach St. This is Peterson's second PCL Player of the Week honor, having previously won in July 2014. Over his nine-year professional career, he has been named a four-time Mid-Season All-Star (2008-09, 2012, 2014), a 2014 MiLB.com Oakland organizational All-Star and Post-Season All-Star with Sacramento.

Cotton made a pair of road starts, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA (10 IP, 2 ER), allowing only four hits, while finishing second in the PCL with 15 strikeouts. Furthermore, Cotton held hitters to a .114 average and had a 0.70 WHIP. May 23 at Fresno, he went 5.0 innings, giving up just one hit (a home run) and striking out 10, becoming the first Oklahoma City pitcher with 10 strikeouts in just five innings since Robinson Tejeda on August 13, 2006 at Round Rock. He got the win in his second start, May 29 at Sacramento, after giving up one run in 5.0 innings on three hits with five punchouts.

The 24-year-old Virgin Islands native made four starts in the Oklahoma City rotation to begin the year before shifting to the bullpen, where he made six relief appearances preceding his two starts this week. Cotton was selected by the Dodgers in the 20th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of East Carolina. He entered this season as Los Angeles' No. 9 prospect according to Baseball America. This is his third career Pitcher of the Week award, having previously been honored with the Single-A California League's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in July 2014 and the Double-A Texas League's Tulsa Drillers in July 2015. Cotton was also a 2013 Mid-Season All-Star with the Single-A Midwest's League Great Lakes Loons. In 89 career games (54 starts), Cotton has gone 19-24 with a 3.65 ERA and 412 strikeouts in 365.1 innings.

Pacific Coast League Stories from May 30, 2016

• Deflino Plays Hero in 4-3 Walk-Off Win - Sacramento River Cats
• Delfino Sends Dodgers Back to OKC with Walk-Off Loss - Oklahoma City Comets
• Grizzlies and Sky Sox tie 6-6 on Memorial Day - Fresno Grizzlies
• Sky Sox and Fresno End in Rare Tie 6-6 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
• Arturo Reyes Dominates Las Vegas in 9-3 Memphis Win - Memphis Redbirds
• Homestand Ends in Loss 8-3 - Salt Lake Bees
• Olson Plates Half of Sounds Runs in 8-3 Win - Nashville Sounds
• Chihuahuas End Road Trip with 12-0 Win - El Paso Chihuahuas
• Martinez Shines as Round Rock Beats Reno 4-1 - Round Rock Express
• Zephyrs-Rainiers Finale Ends in Rare Tie - New Orleans Baby Cakes
• Rainiers, Zephyrs Play To 2-2 Tie In New Orleans - Tacoma Rainiers
• Contreras Homers Twice, I-Cubs Sweep - Iowa Cubs
• Aces Dealt Series Loss in Round Rock - Reno Aces
• Iowa Powers Way to Sweep of Albuquerque - Albuquerque Isotopes
• Sky Sox OF Shane Peterson Named PCL Player of the Week - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
• OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 30, 2016 - Oklahoma City Comets
• Peterson, Cotton Honored for Weekly Performances - PCL1
• Reno Aces Game Information: Reno Aces (24-25) at Round Rock Express (27-22) - Reno Aces
• Nashville Sounds Game Information: Nashville Sounds (30-20) at Salt Lake Bees (25-23) - Nashville Sounds
• Choi Shines in Bees Loss - Salt Lake Bees
• Sounds Win Seventh in a Row with 7-4 Win - Nashville Sounds

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