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CLEBURNE, Tex. (July 20, 2019) – The Cleburne Railroaders announced Saturday that right-handed pitcher Jesus Sanchez has been named to the 2019 American Association All-Star team as a replacement pitcher for the South Division squad.

Sanchez joins Zach Nehrir, John Nester, Chase Simpson and Tyler Wilson as representatives from the Railroaders in the All-Star Game, which will be held in St. Paul on Tuesday, July 23 at 7:05 PM.

Sanchez has been tremendous as the ace of the Cleburne rotation, going 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 13 total appearances and 12 starts. Over 77.0 innings, the veteran right-hander has allowed 82 hits while striking out 39 and walking only 13. Among pitchers with at least 60 innings on the season, Sanchez’s walk rate of 1.5 per nine is the lowest in the American Association.

Sanchez is unbeaten in his last ten outings, going 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA. Most recently, he held the Lincoln Saltdogs to just one run on five hits over seven innings on July 17, earning a no-decision. He was named American Association Pitcher of the Week after his Opening Night start against the Sioux Falls Canaries, tossing seven scoreless innings on May 16.

Sanchez joined the Railroaders in mid-June during the 2018 season and quickly established himself as one of the more reliable arms on the Cleburne staff. The 31-year old made 25 appearances, including three starts, and finished the year 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA. Over the course of 44 innings, Sanchez struck out 49 while walking only 11. The right-hander also limited opponents to a .267 batting average, surrendering 46 hits in the 44 innings.

The native of Valencia, Venezuela was at his most dominant in his final outing of the season on September 1, twirling six shutout frames against the Texas AirHogs while recording a franchise-record 12 strikeouts. In the second inning of that game, Sanchez was one pitch away from an immaculate inning, striking out the side on ten pitches. He also struck out the side in the third, which combined with a punchout to end the first inning, gave Sanchez another franchise-record with seven consecutive strikeouts.

Sanchez started 2018 with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League, going 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 11 bullpen appearances totaling ten innings. 2018 was his first foray into independent baseball, having spent the previous ten professional seasons in the affiliated ranks, though not entirely as a pitcher. Sanchez was originally signed by the New York Yankees as a catcher in 2006, and was exclusively a position player until the 2009 season, when the Philadelphia Phillies converted him to the mound.

The transition stuck, and Sanchez delivered several outstanding seasons in the minors for Philadelphia, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Miami Marlins. His best campaign came in 2013, when Sanchez posted a 2.83 ERA in 48 bullpen appearances at Triple-A Nashville in the Brewers system. After the 2014 season, Sanchez was released by the Marlins and spent the next four seasons pitching in his native Venezuela for Magallanes and Lara.

The Railroaders and Milkmen continue their series on Saturday night at 7:06 PM. The Railroaders are expected to start right-hander Charlie Gillies (2-5, 4.42), while Milwaukee counter with lefty T.J. House (7-3, 3.74).

For information on partnerships, season tickets, group outings, and party packages, call the Railroaders main office at (817) 945-8705, or visit the Railroaders official website at www.railroaderbaseball.com.