MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Zachary Bird Named MWL Pitcher of the Week

Published on August 26, 2013 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - The Midwest League has announced that Great Lakes Loons starting pitcher Zachary Bird (2-4, 5.04 ERA) has been named Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 19-25.

Bird only made one appearance for the Loons last week, but it was more than enough to earn Pitcher of the Week honors. The Jackson, Miss., pitched a gem on Wednesday, August 21 against the Lansing Lugnuts, throwing six scoreless innings. Bird only gave up three hits and struck out six, while walking just one.

The quality start could not have come at a better time for Great Lakes. The Loons had just lost six of their previous seven games, including three of four games at home to Fort Wayne, and a playoff spot that once appeared certain was in serious jeopardy as the Dayton Dragons were closing in on Great Lakes for the second-half Eastern Division wildcard. Since Bird's outing, the Loons have not lost, winning five consecutive games to take a 2 1/2 game lead on Dayton.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander started the 2013 season with Great Lakes. However, Bird struggled, posting a 1-3 record over the first three months of the season, along with a 5.71 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP. On June 25, he was sent down to the Dodgers Pioneer League partner, the Ogden Raptors, to make room for 2013 draft picks Chris Anderson and Tom Windle.

Bird was named the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week on August 5. In three August starts for Ogden, he had a 2.00 ERA and picked up 20 strikeouts in 18 innings, while only issuing four walks and holding opponents to a .209 batting average.

In two starts since returning to Great Lakes on August 14, Bird has given up two earned runs on seven hits over nine innings, while striking out eight and walking four. He will make his next start on Monday at the South Bend Silver Hawks. Bird's start can be heard on ESPN 100.9-FM and ESPN 1009.com. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

MLBPipeline.com has Bird ranked as the Los Angeles Dodgers No. 15 prospect. Bird was drafted by LA in the ninth round of the 2012 draft and was listed by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in the Dodgers farm system prior to the 2013 season.

Bird is the second Great Lakes pitcher to win the MWL Pitcher of the Week award this season. Scott Griggs won the award for the week of June 24-30. Bird is the 11th pitcher in Loons history to win the award. Past Loons recipients include Clayton Kershaw, Aaron Miller and Josh Wall. He is the 21st player in franchise history to win a Pitcher/Player of the Week award.

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