by Rachel Davis / A’s Farm Nashville Contributor
Each month, we’ll be taking a look at some of the top performers for the A’s top affiliate, the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, over the past month. This month, we take a look at who was busy making “sounds” for Nashville in July…
Outfielder Ramon Laureano
Laureano was the Sounds hottest hitter in July, and it appears to have earned the 24-year-old a promotion to Oakland. Coming into the month, the outfielder was hitting just .233, but he ended July batting a robust .296. During the month, Laureano put up an impressive slash line of .373/.450/.673 for the Sounds. He also collected eight home runs, seven doubles, one triple, six stolen bases, 13 walks and 18 RBIs in 28 games. Laureano had an eleven-game hitting streak from July 1 through July 13 and finished the month in the midst of a ten-game hitting streak.
Third Baseman Sheldon Neuse
After getting off to a slow start this season, third baseman Sheldon Neuse began to show a slight pulse as June came to an end. And throughout the month of July, that pulse turned into a full-fledged heartbeat as Neuse became a critical component in the Sounds lineup. Coming into July, the 23-year-old was batting just .230, which was up significantly from his .187 mark at the end of May. But Neuse hit .306 in July to raise his season average to a much more respectable .253 by the end of the month. After not hitting his first home run of the season until June 21, Neuse notched three round-trippers in July. He also collected three doubles and a triple while drawing 12 walks and driving in 15 RBIs in 29 games. Neuse notched 10 multi-hit games during the month, and he’s currently in the midst of a 15-game hitting streak for the Sounds.
Outfielder Anthony Garcia
García continued to be a powerful presence in the Sounds lineup throughout the month of July. Nashville’s home run leader hit six more round-trippers in July to raise his season total to 19. He also added eight doubles while drawing 13 walks and driving in 23 runs. Gacrcía’s most memorable game of the month came on July 17 against Omaha, when he hit two home runs and collected a staggering eight RBIs for the Sounds.
Pitcher Jeremy Bleich
The entire A’s organization has been plagued by pitching injuries throughout the season. And many of the hurlers who were on Nashville’s opening day roster either have been sent to Oakland or have landed on the disabled list. Lefty reliever Jeremy Bleich is one of the few who has remained healthy. He’s also been one of the bright spots in Nashville’s bullpen this season, and his recent performance even earned him a brief trip to Oakland in July. Bleich allowed just one earned run while striking out 7 over 7 1/3 innings of relief during a turbulent month for the Sounds pitching staff, and the 31-year-old finished July with a 2.91 ERA for Nashville.
Pitcher Dean Kiekhefer
Since being promoted from the Rockhounds to the Sounds in mid-May, Kiekhefer has played a prominent role on the pitching staff and has proven to be a dependable arm coming out of the Sounds bullpen, often throwing two or three innings per appearance. Kiekhefer allowed five earned runs, struck out 11 and walked just four over 14 2/3 frames in July, and opposing batters hit just .218 against the 29-year-old minor league veteran during the month.
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