For the second time this season, Louisville Bats starting pitcher Homer Bailey (6-5, 3.41) won International League Pitcher of the Week honors after leading his team to wins in two consecutive shutout appearances. The right-hander's 14 punch outs for the week topped the league, while his 14.2 innings pitched finished second. No one else, however, came close to working that many innings with opponents still drawing a goose egg.
In Pawtucket on June 2nd, Bailey outpitched top Red Sox prospect Michael Bowden by using an array of pitches and Jedi mind tricks to go eight scoreless innings in a 6-0 romp for Louisville. The LaGrange, Texas native used his southern justice to give up just four singles and two walks while fanning eight, not allowing a runner to reach third base all night. On Sunday, against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Bailey was doin' his thing again, this time at Louisville Slugger Field, working 6.2 scoreless innings en route to a 4-1 Louisville win, helping the Bats sweep the Phillies' top affiliate right out of town. For the second time this season, Bailey didn't walk a batter.
Bailey, a 23-year-old who was a 2004 first-round pick of the Reds, has been labeled a top prospect his entire career. He also won this same award in late April after tying a franchise record with a 15 strikeout performance against Toledo. After making nine starts with the Reds late last year after their season was sunk, Bailey also got a call-up for one start this season on May 23rd against the Indians, drawing a no-decision.
Bailey's stellar work on the mound has helped the Bats win eight of their last nine, retaking the division lead from the Columbus Clippers, whom the Bats start a key early-season series with tonight in downtown Columbus. Bailey will take the mound in game two of the series on Friday evening against Clippers southpaw Chuck Lofgren, who has a low ERA of his own (3.27).
With Bailey winning the honors twice this year, and fellow starter Matt Maloney earning the award once, Louisville is the only team in the International League to have members win Pitcher of the Week honors three times.
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