Tuesday, August 4, 2015
**[size=150] TOCCI, SUAREZ SELECTED AS PHILLIES MINOR LEAGUE
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH FOR JULY [/size]**
Clearwater outfielder Carlos Tocci and Gulf Coast League Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez have been selected as the Phillies’ Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for July.
Tocci, 19, played in 28 games and batted .348 (40-115) with four doubles, a home run, 15 runs scored, six RBI and three stolen bases. He hit safely in 22 of his 28 games played during the month, and in 10 of his last 11. Tocci recorded 13 multi-hit games, including a four-hit effort on July 18, which tied a career high.
The 6-foot-2, 160-pound outfielder ranks third on the Threshers in batting average among batters with at least 40 games played (.302), and would rank sixth in the Florida State League if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. This is his second Player of the Month award this season, with his first coming in April. Tocci was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent in August of 2011 by Jesus Mendez, and prior to this season was ranked No. 8 on Baseball America’s top 10 Phillies prospects list.
Suarez, a 6-foot-1 southpaw, made four starts for the GCL Phillies in July and allowed just two runs in 22.2 innings pitched for a 0.79 ERA. He surrendered only 13 hits and walked three batters while striking out 17. Suarez pitched 6.0 shutout innings with one walk or fewer in three of his four starts, and held opponents to a .158 average.
The Venezuela native finished July with a 0.65 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 20 strikeouts to just four walks in his 27.2 innings pitched this season. He has not allowed more than five hits in any of his six outings, and has held opponents scoreless in five of those six. Suarez was signed by the Phillies and Jesus Mendez as an amateur free agent in April 2012.
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Press Releases provided courtesy of the Phillies, Media Relations. Thanks, guys!
