Quakes' John Richy named Cal League pitcher of the week

Dodgers minor league pitcher John Richy was named California League Pitcher of the Week on Monday, with nine scoreless innings for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

The 22-year-old right-hander shut out the Modesto Nuts (Rockies) on four hits on Thursday, striking out five while throwing only 82 pitches. It was the first complete game shutout by a pitcher in the hitters haven that is the California League this season, and the first complete game shutout by a Quakes pitcher since Jharel Cottton on July 29, 2014.

Richy has lasted at least seven innings in four of his last five starts, averaging 7.4 innings during that span. He ranks third in the Cal League in innings pitched this season.

Richy is 6-2 with a 3.99 ERA in 10 games, including eight starts, for the Quakes this season, with 43 strikeouts and 17 walks. The right-hander has allowed only three home runs in 58⅔ innings in the California League.

"We've been putting an emphasis on his fastball command," Quakes pitching coach Bill Simas told Tyler Maun of MiLB.com. "I'm a firm believer that every pitch you throw comes off your fastball. He's been hit-and-miss with that command of his fastball throughout his starts, so we've been putting a lot of emphasis on his fastball."

The Dodgers drafted Richy in the third round last year out of UNLV.

Richy is the second Rancho Cucamonga pitcher this season to win Cal League Pitcher of the Week honors, joining Jose De Leon, who was given the award for the week of May 4-10.