American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition of American Association Daily, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association name Milwaukee Milkmen OF Adam Walker II as Player of the Week for the second week in a row. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks left-hander Matt Tomshaw earned the Pitcher of the Week honors for Week 8.

Player of the Week: Adam Walker II, Milwaukee Milkmen

For the second week in a row, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association named Milwaukee Milkmen OF Adam Walker II as the Player of the Week. Walker had an unbelievable week, hitting .435 with six homers and eight RBI.

The Milkmen outfielder had hits in each of the first four games, extending his hitting streak to a season-long 11 games. He had hits in five of the six games overall.

This was the final hub-city matchup as the Milkmen started the week with three against the Chicago Dogs at home. Walker went 6-12 with five runs and four RBI overall. He started the week off with a 2-4 performance, scoring two runs and driving in a run. He had a double and a homer. The next night, the outfielder went 1-4 with a run, a homer, and two RBI, and he closed the series with a 3-4 night, scoring two runs, hitting a homerun, and driving in a run.

The team traveled to Chicago to play three against the Dogs starting on Thursday. Walker began the series with a 1-3 performance, scoring a run, hitting a homer, and driving in two. It was his fourth straight game hitting a homerun. He then went 0-4, but finished off the week with a 3-4, two homer performance on Sunday. His homers were the only runs scored by Milwaukee in the 2-1 victory.

Overall, Walker went 10-23 with seven extra-base hits. He also walked three times. He posted a ridiculous 1.261 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.761, both were tops in the league during the week.

Walker became the first player to earn Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks this season.

Pitcher of the Week: Matt Tomshaw, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

For the second time this season, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association selected Fargo-Moorhead left-hander Matt Tomshaw as the Pitcher of the Week. Tomshaw went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in two starts, helping the RedHawks extend their winning streak to seven games.

The left-hander began the winning streak by allowing one run in eight innings in a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes on August 25. Tomshaw was on top of his game, allowing six hits and two walks. The RedHawks starter allowed a leadoff homer in the top of the second, then shutdown the Goldeyes for seven straight innings. He retired the final seven batters he faced. Tomshaw threw 106 pitches, 76 for strikes.

On Sunday, Tomshaw closed out the streak, going the distance in a 6-2 victory over Winnipeg. The lefty allowed five hits and two walks, striking out four. The Goldeyes scored both of their runs in the third inning, but then Tomshaw caught fire, retiring 17 of the final 20 batters he faced. He did not allow a hit in that span as two walks and a hit by pitch were the only blemishes against the left-hander in the final six innings.

In all, Tomshaw went 17.0 innings. He allowed 11 hits, four walks, and three earned runs. The lefty had an impressive 74% first strike percentage during the week.

Tomshaw was named as the Pitcher of the Week back in Week 4 as well.

2020 Players of the Week

Week 1 – Damek Tomscha, Sioux Falls Canaries
Week 2 – Chesny Young, St. Paul Saints
Week 3 – Victor Roache, Chicago Dogs
Week 4 – Michael Crouse, Chicago Dogs
Week 5 – Logan Trowbridge, Milwaukee Milkmen
Week 6 – Wes Darvill, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 7 – Adam Walker, Milwaukee Milkmen

2020 Pitchers of the Week

Week 1 – Mitch Lambson, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 2 – Mike Devine, St. Paul Saints
Week 3 – Frank Duncan, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 4 – Matt Tomshaw, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Week 5 – Ryan Kussmaul, Milwaukee Milkmen
Week 6 – Tyler Herron, Sioux Falls Canaries
Week 7 – Mike Devine, St. Paul Saints

The Pitcher and Player of the Week are chosen by the staff of the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association. The winners will be named each Monday during the 2020 American Association season.

By Robert Pannier