More Hardware; Gio, Patterson Named PCL Stars

A pair of current Oakland Athletics players were honored for their work at the Triple-A level on Monday. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez and infielder Eric Patterson were both named to the Pacific Coast League's post-season all-star team.

Their time in Triple-A is likely done this season, but Gio Gonzalez and Eric Patterson were both reminded of their exploits at that level on Monday. Gonzalez was named the PCL's top left-handed starting pitcher, while Patterson was named as the PCL's top second baseman.

Gonzalez, who has been pitching in the big leagues with Oakland since the first week of August, went 8-7 with a 4.24 ERA in 123 innings for the Sacramento River Cats to earn the league's top left-handed starter title. Gonzalez's 128 strike-out total was tops in the PCL at the time of his promotion to Oakland.

The 22-year-old held PCL batters to a .233 average. He was especially good during the month of July for Sacramento, when he went 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA and had 29 strike-outs in 27.1 innings in five starts. Gonzalez was acquired from the Chicago White Sox as part of the Nick Swisher trade this past January. He is currently part of the A's all-left-handed starting rotation.

Patterson earned the nod as the PCL's top second baseman after posting a .324 average with 10 homers and 19 stolen bases in 77 games split between the River Cats and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. The 25-year-old had a .330 average and a 931 OPS in 25 games for the River Cats after arriving from the Chicago Cubs organization in the Rich Harden deal. Patterson is currently on the A's roster and has seen time with Oakland at second and in left.

The Sacramento River Cats clinched their seventh division title in nine years on Saturday and will begin their defense of the PCL and Triple-A titles on September 3rd at Raley Field.