August 30, 2022

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

Shutouts are a rarity in the major leagues as the most important numbers on the scoreboard is not how many runs allowed, but how many pitches thrown.

Heading into Tuesday night’s play there have been 10 shutouts -- with roughly a month of the season remaining.

A lack of complete game shutouts is the same in the minors, even though doubleheaders last only seven innings.

But we had a Canuck throw 4 2/3 scoreless -- in three different outings. That made reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) the Canadian Baseball Network minor league Player of the Week for Week XXI. The best of the 159 Canadians in the minors.

How the week that was went for Smith with double-A Akron Rubber Ducks as he ...

_ Pitched 2 1/3 innings in an 8-5 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels in front of 2,740 fans at Canal Park. Smith came in with his Ducks down 4-1 and left with the score even at 4-4. It stayed that way until the 10th. Smith allowed one hit and fanned six in his 30-pitch outing with 22 strikes (73%).

Seventh inning: Smith entered with two out and a man on first. Four pitches later the threat ended with a strikeout.

Eighth: Strike out on a caught fouled tip, called out looking, called out looking.

Ninth: Single to right, strike out swinging, ground ball out, struck out swinging.

_ Taking over in the eighth, Smith recorded the final four outs for his fifth save as Akron edged Richmond 4-2 before 5,263 fans at Canal Park. He threw 26 pitches, 12 for strikes (46.2). He allowed one hit and walked two.

Eighth: Smith walked the lead-off man with two out, putting the tying run on first. The potential lead run was called out on strikes.

Ninth: Walk, single, double-play ball, strike out swinging.

_ He worked a scoreless ninth in a 5-2 win over Richmond in front of 4,108 fans. He allowed a base hit and fanned one for his sixth save.

Ninth: Ground ball to second, strike out swinging, single, grounder to third.

Highlights

OF Jordan Nwogu (Orleans, Ont.) hit three home runs in a 13-3 win by South Bend Cubs over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Thursday, Aug. 25. Nwogu achieved a career-best, going deep three times. As well, it was the first time since 2005 a South Bend player had accomplished the feat. He now has 13 homers.

OF Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, NS) didn’t have a good week ... he had an excellent week ... and that is a huge understatement. He led his Ottawa Titans team to five wins in seven games played, and he personally produced the following numbers _ in 24 at-bats. 13 base hits, 10 runs scored, four homers and seven RBIs with a .542 average. He was named Frontier League offensive player of the week, for Aug. 22-28.

Offence

Player/Class/Team AB R H HR RBI AVG

Trei Cruz A West Michigan 18 4 7 - 2 .389

Liam Hicks A Down East 16 1 6 - 1 .375

Owen Caissie A South Bend 14 1 5 1 1 .357

Bo Naylor AAA Columbus 19 5 6 - - .316

Abraham Toro AAA Tacoma 18 2 5 - 1 .278

Jake Sanford IND Ottawa 24 10 13 4 7 .542

Jacob Robson IND Kansas City 18 5 9 3 12 .500

Jonathan Lacroix IND Quebec 25 5 10 - 3 .400

David Glaude IND Quebec 26 7 9 2 3 .346

Myles Miller IND Trois Rivieres 12 5 4 1 2 .333

Connor Panas IND Trois Rivieres 20 4 6 1 4 .300

Raphael Gladu IND Trois Rivieres 20 2 6 - 4 .300

(Minimum 10 ABs)

Best Pitching

Cade Smith RHP - AA Akron Rubber Ducks

GM W SV ER ERA H IP K WHIP

3 - 2 - 0.00 3 4.2 9 1.190

Cade Smith is in his second season of pro ball, and the recently turned 23-year-old native of Abbottsford, BC has performed extremely well in 2022. He began the year with Lake County Captains at Single A Midwest League, and pitched well enough to merit a promotion in Week 10, to the Akron Rubber Ducks at Double A Eastern League. He made the transition easily and in fact, despite his youth and relative inexperience, he has recently been entrusted with the closer role for Akron.

This past week he made three excellent relief appearances, all against league rivals Richmond Flying Squirrels, the first was on Aug. 23 in a 8-5 Akron loss. He threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings, gave up one hit while striking out six batters, but was not involved in the decision. On Aug. 26, in a 4-2 Akron win, he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless allowing one base hit, while striking out two, to secure his fifth save of the season. He followed that up on Aug. 28 in a 5-2 win with one scoreless inning in which he gave up one hit with one strikeout, and picked up his second save of the week.

His performance this week improved his numbers with Akron in 19 double-A Eastern League appearances to two wins, one loss, six saves, an ERA of 3.76 and 28 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings.

His overall record for 2022, including his stint with Single A, in a total of 39 Lake County Captains appearances, now stands at four wins, two losses, 11 saves, an ERA of 3.40 and 82 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings.

Player of the Week

Week I - INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) Marlins

Week II _ OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) A’s

Week III _ OF Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) Brewers

Week IV _ RHP Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont,) Braves

Week V _ RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC), Braves

Week VI _ OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) Cubs

Week VII _ C Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Guardians

Weej VIII _ RHP Noah Skirrow (Stoney Creek, Ont.) Phillies.

Week IX _ OF Tanner Kirwer (Spruce Grove, Alta.) Mariners

Week X _ 3B Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) Blue Jays

Week XI _ RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) Mariners

Week XII _ LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) Rangers

Week XIII — RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.) Padres.

Week XIV — 3B Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.), Blue Jays

Week XV — OF Louis-Philippe Pelletier (Montreal, Que.) Trois-Rivières Aigles

Week XVI — RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.) Cardinals

Week XVII — INF Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays

Week XVIII — RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.) Padres

Week XIX — INF Edouard Julien (Ancienne-Lorrette, Que.) Twins

Week XX — RP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.) Cardinals & Konner Piotto (Abbotsford, BC) Rangers

Week XX1 — RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) Guardians