Estrada and Pulido share weekly honors in International League
<a href=sportsnetwork.com>(Courtesy of International League)
Dublin, OH (Sports Network) - The International League announced today that Richmond catcher Johnny Estrada and Rochester pitcher Carlos Pulido have been named the League’s first Batter and Pitcher-of-the-Week for the 2003 season. These awards cover the first eleven days of the season, the period from April 3-13.
While much of the International League dealt with rain, snow, and cold temperatures during opening week, Richmond’s JOHNNY ESTRADA didn’t let the weather affect him, batting .500 with 14 RBI in the Braves’ first nine games.
On Opening Day in Charlotte, the 26-year-old had a two-run homer in the Braves’ 7-6 loss. The next night, Estrada went 2-3, walked, and scored a run in a 7-4 loss to the Knights. The native of Hayward, CA walked in a pinch-hitting appearance on Saturday (a 3-2 defeat), before returning to the line-up on Sunday. In Richmond’s 11-10 victory, Estrada had three RBI on two singles. The club traveled to Durham on Monday with the switch-hitter driving home both Richmond runs in a 5-2 loss to the defending Governors’ Cup Champions. The Braves fell to 1-5 with an 8-4 loss to the Bulls on Tuesday as Estrada had a hand in all the Richmond runs with a two-run double and a two-run homer. Rain washed out the R-Braves’ games against Toledo on Wednesday and Thursday, but the club returned to the field to play Columbus on Friday. In a 6-2 win over the Clippers, Estrada went 3-4 with a double and an RBI. Saturday, in an 8-2 loss, Johnny again drove in both Richmond runs with a single and a double. As the designated hitter yesterday, he went 2-3 with a double, extending his hitting streak to eight games and improving his average to .500 (15-30 on the season). In addition to batting average, Estrada leads all IL batters in hits and RBI, is tied for first in doubles and extra-base hits, is second in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and is tied for second with a pair of home runs.
Estrada is currently in his first season in the Atlanta organization, having been acquired from Philadelphia for pitcher Kevin Millwood last December. The Salisbury, NC resident spent much of last season in the International League with Scranton/WB, earning post-season All-Star honors after batting .279 with 11 HR and 67 RBI (a career-high). He hit .118 for the Phillies in September. Estrada got off to a fast start with the Red Barons in 2001, hitting at a .290 clip through the first 32 games, before being promoted to Philadelphia for the remainder of the season to replace injured All-Star catcher Mike Lieberthal.
Left-hander CARLOS PULIDO returned to affiliated baseball for the first time since 1998 to open the 2003 season and flourished in his first two starts, going 2-0 for the Rochester Red Wings. Inclement weather limited the Red Wings to just one game in the first six days of the season forcing Pulido to make his first start in the second game of last Wednesday’s double-header in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The native of Caracas, Venezuela allowed just one hit with six strikeouts in five scoreless innings as Rochester won its first game of the young season, 2-1 over the Red Barons. The win was historic for the Rochester franchise as it marked the inaugural victory for the club as a Minnesota affiliate. The 31-year-old returned to the mound in the first game of yesterday’s double-header in Pawtucket, allowing an unearned run in five innings. Pulido fanned five for his second victory. Carlos is one of four pitchers (minimum six IP) tied for the League lead with a 0.00 ERA and is one of eleven IL pitchers who have started the season 2-0.
Pulido was out of baseball during the 2000 & 2001 seasons and returned to action in 2002 with Oaxaca of the Mexican League (13-7, 3.57 ERA). He last pitched in the affiliated minor leagues in 1998, making three relief appearances for Norfolk. Pulido, who also pitched in the Montreal and Chicago Cubs’ organizations, spent the entire 1994 season in the Major Leagues with Minnesota going 3-7 with a 5.98 ERA in 19 games.