(Press Release)
The St. Louis Cardinals announced their Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for August by honoring first baseman Xavier Scruggs and left-handed starting pitcher Marco Gonzales both at Memphis (AAA) for their accomplishments on the field.
Scruggs, 26, the Cardinals 19th round selection out of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, batted .345 (39-113) with seven doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 28 RBI during the month while posting a 1.065 on-base plus slugging percentage. The Diamond Bar, Calif., native was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for August 11-17, batting .458 with 3 HR and 11 RBI. Scruggs had two multi-home run games five days apart on Aug. 10 and 14. He finished his minor league season with a .286 batting average with 21 HR and 87 RBI, marking his fifth consecutive season with 20 or more home runs. Scruggs was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals to join the Major League roster yesterday and started his first game.
Gonzales, 22, the Cardinals first round (19th overall) selection out of Gonzaga University, in the 2013 first-year player draft, was 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA over five starts. The Fort Collins, Colo., native struck out 23 batters over 30.1 innings and had a 1.02 walks plus hits/innings pitched. Gonzales was recalled to St. Louis as the 26th man for a doubleheader on August 31 and earned his first Major League win over the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.
