Andrew Buchbinder (Cardinals Media Relations) Springfield, MO – The Texas League has announced that a pair of Springfield Cardinals have swept the league’s weekly awards for May 15 – 21 with OF Anthony Garcia named the Player of the Week and RHP Matt Pearce named the Pitcher of the Week. They join RHP Jack Flaherty (April 17 – 23) as Cardinals that have claimed a Texas League weekly award this season.
Garcia, 25, continued his torrid start to 2017 last week, hitting .391 (9×23) with two home runs, four doubles, 10 RBIs and six runs in seven games. He led the league in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.271), RBIs and extra-base hits (10), helping Springfield go 4-3 on the week.
The Carolina, Puerto Rico native has been on a tear since joining Springfield from AAA-Memphis on April 28, hitting .354 with three home runs, seven doubles and a remarkable 21 RBIs in just 21 Double-A games this year. Currently on a 14-game hitting streak, Garcia is hitting an incredible .550 (11×20) with one home run and a team-high 17 RBIs with runners in scoring position. The veteran slugger was selected by St. Louis in the 18th round of the 2009 June Draft out of San Juan Educational School in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Pearce, 23, dominated through his two starts on the week, guiding the Cardinals to victories in both outings. After seven one-run innings with seven strikeouts on Tuesday, May 16 against Tulsa, he then went the distance with a nine-inning complete game to top the Naturals on Sunday, May 21. In the two starts combined, Pearce went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, allowing just two earned runs on 16 hits and one walk while striking out 13 batters in 16.0 innings.
With a win in each of his last four starts, Pearce is 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA through eight starts overall this season. In May, he has gone 4-0 with a miniscule 0.90 ERA through four starts, surrendering just three earned runs on 23 hits and four walks while tallying 22 strikeouts in 30.0 innings. Pearce was selected by St. Louis in the 13th round of the 2014 June Draft out of Polk State College in Florida.
