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MARTINEZ, VIZA EARN WEEKLY AWARDS

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MOORHEAD, MN — Cleburne Railroaders SS Osvaldo Martinez and Kane County Cougars RHP Tyler Viza have been named the American Association’s Pointstreak Batter and Pitcher of the Week for the week ending July 25, the league announced Monday.

Martinez, known to fans in Cleburne as Ozzie, is an all-around star for the Railroaders. He put on a show this past week, recording a .348 average and 1.298 OPS, second-best in the league over that span among players with at least 20 plate appearances. In Cleburne’s six games during the week, on the road at Gary SouthShore and Chicago, Martinez clubbed four home runs and drove in seven while only striking out once.

Martinez, 33, is a former major leaguer in his first year with the Association and 16th as a professional. An 11th-round draft pick by the Florida Marlins in 2006, Martinez rose through the Marlins’ system, playing in the 2010 Futures Game. He made his major league debut in September of 2010 a the age of 22. Martinez played 71 games with the Marlins in 2010 and 2011, striking out just 15 times. He would later spend time in the White Sox, Dodgers, Braves, Orioles and Cubs farm systems while playing winter ball in his native Puerto Rico.

Viza put together a pair of impressive starts this past week. He tossed a complete-game shutout on June 20 vs. Fargo-Moorhead, striking out 11 batters. On Sunday, June 25 against Milwaukee, Viza threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while walking two and striking out seven. His ERA for both starts was 0.58. It sits at 2.59 for the full season, the best in the American Association.

An Arizona native, Viza is in his first season in the American Association and eighth as a pro. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies organization out of high school in 2018, eventually reaching Triple-A and earning a coveted Arizona Fall League invitation in 2018. He has made 24 appearances (16 starts) at the Triple-A level in his career. He appeared on American Association NOW on July 21.

Pointstreak is the official statistician of the American Association.

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