In American Association Daily, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association have named their Player and Pitcher of the Month for August in the American Association. The Chicago Dogs Victor Roache was selected as the Player of the Month after hitting .317 with 31 RBI in August. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Michael Tamburino was named the Pitcher of the Month after posting a miniscule 0.76 ERA in six starts.    

Player of the Month – August: Victor Roache, Chicago Dogs

Victor Roache becomes the second straight Chicago Dogs player to be selected as Player of the Month. Roache had an impressive month, hitting .317 in 28 game with nine homeruns and 31 RBI. The Chicago slugger added 22 runs scored, eight doubles, and 23 walks. He led the league in RBI for August.

It was a streaky month for Roache, who had hits in 19 of the 28 games in which he appeared. He posted an eight-game hitting streak (August 22-30) and his biggest single game was a four hit performance against Milwaukee on August 28.

The biggest run producing performance of the month for Victor Roache came on August 3 against St. Paul. Roache finished the game 3-3 with two runs scored, two home runs, and six RBI. In that three-game series, he drove home 10 runs and was 6-9 with six runs scored and three homers. The Chicago outfielder had three games in August where he drove home at least four runs. He also had a pair of two-homer games.

Victor Roache posted a .465 on-base percentage and a .663 slugging percentage. That gave him an overall OPS of 1.128. He is second in the American Association in homeruns (24), third in RBI (79), second in total bases (208), and third in total extra-base hits (50). His .584 slugging percentage is second in the league.

Roache is the second Dogs player to be named Player of the Month, joining teammate Keon Barnum who was selected in July. Roache has twice been named Player of the Week this season.

Pitcher of the Month – August: Michael Tamburino, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Michael Tamburino was selected as the Pitcher of the Month. Tamburino put up a gaudy 0.76 ERA in six starts, posting a 2-1 record. He allowed 24 hits and 11 walks in 35.2 innings while striking out 39.

The RedHawks lost both of the first two starts by Michael Tamburino in August, despite the fact that he allowed two total runs in 12 innings pitched. Fargo-Moorhead lost to the Winnipeg Goldeyes on August 4, 7-2. Tamburino allowed two runs in six innings to earn a no decision. Five days later he would blank Chicago through six innings, but would earn another no decision in a 5-1 RedHawks loss.

That six shutout innings started a run of three straight starts where he did not allow a run. In fact, coupled with the final four innings of his August 4 start, Tamburino would put together a stretch of 23 straight scoreless innings.

On August 14, the right-hander blanked Milwaukee for seven innings, allowing two hits while striking out a season-high 14. He took to the hill five days later, shutting out the RailCats through six innings. Both of those starts the RedHawks would win.

In his August 24 start, Michael Tamburino allowed one run on three hits in five innings. He would give up four runs to St. Paul on August 30, andbut all four would be unearned as an error opened the door for the Saints to score all of their runs in one inning.

For August, Michael Tamburino posted a .189 opponent batting average and a WHIP of 0.98. The right-hander was named the Pitcher of the Week back in Week 11.

Players of the Month for 2019

July – Keon Barnum, Chicago Dogs
June – Alay Lago, Sioux Falls Canaries
May – Craig Simpson, Cleburne Railroaders

Pitchers of the Month for 2019

July – Jesus Sanchez, Cleburne Railroaders
June – Kyle Kinsman, Lincoln Saltdogs
May – Eddie Medina, St. Paul Saints; Luke Westphal, Chicago Dogs

By Robert Pannier