CBN Player of the Week, Wk VI: Curtis Taylor
Former Coquitlam Reds and University of British Columbia Thunderbirds RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) earned CBN Player of the Week hoours.
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
Over home, across the pond or in the United Kingdom there is a common saying.
Like say someone is driving along the wrong/right side of the highway and passes a gas station and see the prices.
Petrol has always been expensive, but these new prices really do take the biscuit.
The Montgomery Biscuits have someone who takes the Biscuit ... much the way Red Auerbach used to light up a victory cigar when the Boston Celtics were winning or Willie Nelson would say “Warm up the bus, this one’s over,” as Goose Gossage came out of the bullpen in the ninth at Yankee Stadium.
Reliever Curtis Taylor came on in the sixth to protect 2-0 Montgomery lead over the Biloxi Shuckers for the save and four days later he came on to record the save against the Mississippi Braves. The two-save week meant that Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) was named Canadian Baseball Network minor league Player of the Week. The best of the 69 Canucks in the minors.
Against the aw Shuckers, Taylor pitched two scoreless allowing one hit and one walk while fanning two. He recorded his fourth save and lowered his ERA to 0.90 before 3,734 at MGM Park in Biloxi.
Taylor took over and struck out Dillon Thomas and Luis Aviles Jr. swinging. After a walk to Cooper Hummel, C.J. Hinojosa flew out to right.
And in the bottom of the seventh, Alexander Alvarez flew out to left, Michael O’Neill reached on an infield single and Trent Grisham flew out to centre. After a mound visit, Weston Wilson grounded out ... and that was the ball game ... the final Biscuit.
Taylor worked the ninth for his fifth save in a 3-1 win against Mississippi before 2,986 at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Taylor allowed a lead-off ground ball single in the ninth to Jonathan Morales. Alejandro Salazar lined to centre, then Daniel Lockhart and Ray-Patrick Didder were both called out on strikes and that was the ball game ... the final Biscuit.
Taylor was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and scout Doug Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC) in the fourth round of the 2016 draft from University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Before that he played for the Coquitlam Reds.
He joined the Tampa Bay Rays organization as the Rays sent former all-star closer Brad Boxberger to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Taylor on Nov. 30, 2017.
Top offensive numbers
Player / Class / Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
Abraham Toro - AA Corpus Christi 19 2 7 2 7 .368
Jordan Procyshen -A Rancho Cucamonga 11 2 4 1 2 .364
Noah Naylor - Lake County 14 4 5 1 3 .357
Mitch Robinson - A Charleston 13 2 4 - - .308
Otto Lopez - A Lansing 23 2 7 - 1 .304
Kole Cottam - A Greenville 15 3 4 1 1 .267
Tyler O’Neill - AAA Memphis 27 7 7 3 6 .259
Jamie Romak - FGN SK Wyverns KBO 25 4 12 1 7 .480
(Minimum 10 ABs)
Top Pitching Performances
CURTIS TAYLOR RHP - DOUBLE A MONTGOMERY BISCUITS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 3.0 2 - - 1 4 - 2 0.67 0.00
Curtis Taylor continues to perform at a very high level as the closer for the Biscuits, and this week made two more excellent relief appearances. On May 10 in a 2-0 win over the Biloxi Shuckers he threw two scoreless innings, giving up one base hit while striking out two Biloxi batters, to earn the save. On May 14 in 3-1 victory over Mississippi Braves he pitched a scoreless inning, allowing base hit while striking out two to secure his second save of the week. His overall record in nine appearances with Montgomery in the Double A Southern League, now stands at 0-1 with five saves and a 0.82 ERA.
BEN ONYSHKO LHP - SINGLE A WEST VIRGINIA POWER
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 6.0 3 2 2 - 8 - - 0.50 3.00
Ben Onyshko was selected in the 24th Round of the 2018 draft by the Seattle Mainers, and this 22 year old native of Winnipeg is now proving it was a wise move on their part. In his first season as a pro, he has now become a key member of the West Virginia Power bullpen. This week he had two very good relief appearances, the first on May 8 in an 8-3 loss to the Augusta GreenJackets when he pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up two base hits and two earned runs, while striking out six Augusta batters, but was no involved in the decision. On May 13th in a 6-2 loss to Kannapolis Intimidators he threw 1 1/3 scoreless allowing one base hit, while striking out two, but again was not involved in the final decision. His overall record with the Power in 11 Single A South Atlantic League appearances now stands at 1-0 with a 2.91 ERA. His 11 appearances for a Canadian minor league pitcher thus far in 2019, are second only to Iowa Cubs bullpen veteran Rowan Wick, who has 12.
JORDAN BALAZOVIC RHP - SINGLE A FT. MYERS MIRACLE
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 5.0 3 2 2 4 12 1-0 - 1.40 3.60
On May 13th Jordan Balazovic had a second consecutive good start for Ft. Myers, in an 8-2 win over the Bradenton Marauders. He pitched five innings gave up three base hits and two earned runs while striking out 12 Bradenton batters, to earn his second Florida State League win. His record with the Miracle is now 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA, and the overall record including four Midwest League starts for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, stands at 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA.
CAL QUANTRILL RHP - TRIPLE A EL PASO CHIHUAHUAS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 5.0 8 3 3 1 5 1-0 - 1.80 5.40
Not allowing the recent return to El Paso after a brief stint at the big league level with the Padres to affect his performance, Cal Quantrill made a solid start for El Paso this week. On May 13th in a 5-3 victory over Sacramento River Cats he pitched five innings, scattered eight base hits and three earned runs while striking out five, to earn the win. His record in six starts for El Paso in the Triple A Pacific Coast League, now stands at 4-1 with a 4.80 ERA.
Previous Players of the Week
Week 1 _ INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) Double A Frisco Roughriders (Rangers).
Week II _ RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) Triple A El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).
Week III _ RHP R.J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.) Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros).
Week IV _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).
Week V _ RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) Class-A Fort Myers Miracle (Twins).
Week VI _ RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) double-A Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)