FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2018

DUSTIN PETERSON & BLAINE HARDY HONORED AS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

The International League announced today that Gwinnett outfielder Dustin Peterson and Toledo left- handed starter Blaine Hardy have been named the League’s Batter and of the Week for the period from April 23-29. Each is the first member of his respective club to claim an IL weekly award this season. This marks the second time in Hardy’s career he has been so honored by the International League (Aug. 19-25, 2013).

DUSTIN PETERSON, IL BATTER OF THE WEEK Dustin Peterson hit .391 over the past week and led the International League with six extra-base hits, four doubles, eight RBI, 19 total bases, and a .826 slugging percentage. The outfielder produced back- to-back three-hit games with a in Rochester early in the week, highlighted by a grand slam that paved the way to a 5-2 victory for the Stripers on Tuesday. Peterson’s big week increased his RBI total on the season to 14, just two off the pace for the League-lead.

23-year-old Dustin Peterson is in his sixth season as a professional player, and his second at the Triple-A level with Gwinnett. He was limited in 2017 due to an injury in , but he bounced back to be named Gwinnett’s Player of the Month last July. He has yet to make his Major League debut. Peterson is a native of Phoenix, Arizona.

G AVG H AB R 2B 3B HR RBI SLUG BB SB Week: 6 .391 9 23 3 4 0 2 8 .826 3 0 Season: 19 .276 21 76 8 7 0 2 14 .447 7 1

BLAINE HARDY, IL PITCHER OF THE WEEK Veteran southpaw Blaine Hardy delivered a pair of victories this week for the IL’s winningest team, allowing a total of just one run over his two starts while leading the League in innings pitched and for the week. He was brilliant in a 3-0 Mud Hens shutout win at Pawtucket in Game 1 of a doubleheader last Monday, tossing 6.0 innings of one-hit baseball. Back home Sunday afternoon facing Louisville, Hardy recorded ten punchouts over 7.0 frames as Toledo topped the Bats 6-1. Hardy, who made his first three appearances of the season as a reliever, is now the IL leader in ERA with a mark of 0.74. He also owns the circuit’s lowest WHIP (0.62) and is 3rd in strikeouts (30).

31-year-old Blaine Hardy is in his eleventh season of and his sixth as a member of the Detroit organization. He had appeared in 100 games with the Mud Hens prior to the 2018 campaign and has spent time with the Tigers each of the past four seasons. Hardy is a native of Seattle, Washington.

G GS CG SHO W-L ERA IP H R ER BB SO SV Week: 2 2 0 0 2-0 0.69 13.0 6 1 1 1 14 0 Season: 7 4 0 0 3-0 0.74 24.1 11 2 2 4 30 0