FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2018

RAFAEL BAUTISTA & JALEN BEEKS HONORED AS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

The International League announced today that Syracuse outfielder Rafael Bautista and Pawtucket left-handed started Jalen Beeks have been named the League’s Batter and of the Week for the period from 16-22. Each is the first member of his respective club to claim an IL weekly award this season.

RAFAEL BAUTISTA, Syracuse Chiefs IL BATTER OF THE WEEK Rafael Bautista batted .522 over the past week with a League-best twelve hits and fifteen total bases to help push the surging Chiefs to the top of the IL North Division. Bautista hit safely in all six games including four straight contests with multiple hits to close out the week, bringing his average on the season up to .432. Bautista scored at least one run in four straight games during the week while also enjoying a stretch of three straight games with a stolen base.

25-year-old Rafael Bautista is one of the top five base stealers in the minors over the past five seasons. He was signed by Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and made both his Triple-A and Major League debuts during the 2017 campaign. Bautista is a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

G AVG H AB R 2B 3B HR RBI SLUG BB SB Week: 6 .522 12 23 5 1 1 0 2 .652 1 3 Season: 9 .432 16 37 7 2 1 0 2 .541 1 3

JALEN BEEKS, IL PITCHER OF THE WEEK PawSox lefty Jalen Beeks picked up his first win of the 2018 season in dominant fashion on Saturday. He tossed the first 6.0 innings of a 6-0 shutout victory over Gwinnett, striking out ten batters while allowing just two hits and two walks. In the process Beeks lowered his ERA through three starts to 0.64, the third-lowest mark in the League. He is also 3rd in the circuit in with 26. Saturday’s game tied his career high for punchouts.

24-year-old Jalen Beeks is in his fifth season as a professional pitcher. He was selected by Boston in the 12th round of the 2014 draft, and last season he was honored as the Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Beeks is a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

G GS CG SHO W-L ERA IP H R ER BB SO SV Week: 1 1 0 0 1-0 0.00 6.0 2 0 0 2 10 0 Season: 3 3 0 0 1-1 0.64 14.0 10 4 1 5 26 0