Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming, still hoping for another shot on a major league roster, was named Pitcher of the Week by the International League for last week.
Pitching for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, Wang threw 14 shutout innings and held hitters to a .167 batting average in leading his team to two wins.
He limited the Norfolk Tides to two hits and two walks over seven innings in an 8-0 victory on May 27, then shut down the potent Durham Bulls lineup on Saturday, scattering six hits and a walk in his team’s 9-1 victory. Both teams rank in the top three in the league in batting average and slugging percentage.
Photo: Reuters
The two wins improved Wang’s record to 4-4 and his ERA to 2.33, the best in the International League as of Monday.
Wang started the year on a minor league contract with the New York Yankees, coveting a return to the team for which he starred from 2005 to 2008.
However, the contract includes five opt-out dates, giving Wang the chance to sign with another major league team should the Yankees not want to call him up.
Wang chose to remain with Scranton on the most recent opt-out date on May 31, and he is hoping that performances like those last week will attract the attention of the Yankees or another big league club in need of starting pitching depth.
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