minor lines, 6/24/08

AAA: Fresno lost to Colorado Springs 11-7
(allowing four runs in both the 7th and 8th innings)

Fresno: 2B Matt Downs: 3 for 5, HR, 2B, E
Fresno: 3B Scott McClain: 3 for 4, HR, 2 2B, BB
Fresno: 1B Travis Ishikawa: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, SO
Colorado Springs: CF Cory Sullivan: 3 for 5, 3B

Fresno: RHP Matt Palmer: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Fresno: RHP Ryan Sadowski: 1.1 IP, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K--1 HB
Colorado Springs: LHP Glendon Rusch: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR

With three hits each, five of the six which went for extra bases, Downs and McClain accounted for nearly half of the Grizzlies' fourteen hits.  Downs and Ishikawa hit their first PCL HRs, while McClain connected for his 13th HR this year, although just his second HR of the month.  McClain improved his line to .292/.369/.509 through 277 AB.  The Rockies' 28-year-old Sullivan, who had 140 AB in the majors last year, led the Sky Sox' offense with three hits, raising his AVG to .308.

Pitching at altitude, Palmer was even less efficient with his pitch count than usual, requiring 112 pitches (69 strikes) though five innings.  The 7 H was the most he had allowed in a start in over a month.  Sadowski was the only one of four Grizzly relievers not to be charged with an earned run, and among the four relievers making an appearance last night, he is now the only one with an ERA below 5.00.  Rusch was a bit more efficient with his pitch count (63 of 98 pitches for strikes in 6.0 IP), but he did allow more runs than Palmer.

AA: Connecticut lost to Portland 6-5

Connecticut: LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 2 for 3, BB
Connecticut: 3B Ryan Rohlinger: 2 for 4, HR

Connecticut: RHP Adam Cowart: 4.0+ IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--2 HR
Connecticut: RHP Ronnie Ray: 3.0 IP, 2 K
Portland: RHP Michael Bowden: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--1 HR

One of four Defenders with two hits each, EME also drew the team's only walk, improving his OBP to .379.  Rohlinger, in his second game in the upper minors, connected for his first HR there, after he had 7 HRs with San Jose in the first half this year.

Cowart had allowed just 1 HR through his first fifteen starts but yielded 2 HRs in his 16th start of the year.  His ERA rose above 4.00 for the first time in his pro career.  With three perfect innings in relief, Ray, who is a half year younger than Cowart, brought his ERA below 4.00 for the first time since the start of the season.  His ERA is below 1.00 this month.  The Red Sox' 21-year-old Bowden had one of his less effective starts allowing 3 ER.  Even including last night's start, his stats over his last ten starts are an impressive 33 H, 8 BB and 48 K in 58.2 IP with a 1.84 ERA.

A+: San Jose had an off-day for its all-star break
The California League all-stars lost to the Carolina League all-star 3-1

California: C Pablo Sandoval: 0 for 3, 2 SO
California: 1B Sean Doolittle: 0 for 3, BB, SO
Carolina: C Matt Wieters: 1 for 2

California: LHP Ben Snyder: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K--1 WP
California: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 1.0 IP, 1 K
California: LHP Jesse English: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 HR
Carolina: RHP Jake Arrieta: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Sandoval had a forgettable performance in the all-star game, striking out twice in an oh-fer performance.  His counterpart behind the plate starting for the other squad was the Orioles' Wieters, probably the top prospect in the game.  The A's Doolittle was 0 for 3 but did draw the only walk for the California League.

San Jose is leading the Cal League in ERA, but its all-star representatives scuffled, allowing all three runs scored by the Carolina League.  Snyder allowed an earned run in the 1st inning, and English two more earned runs in the decisive 8th inning.  In between, Pucetas did pitch a perfect 6th inning.  Snyder and Pucetas combined to throw 22 of 34 pitches for strikes, while English was in the zone with just 5 of 10 pitches.  The Orioles' Arrieta, who has a K/IP above 1.00 and a BAA below .200 this year in his pro debut, although his BB/IP is close to 0.50, made the start for the Carolina League.

A-: Augusta defeated Greenville 8-2

Augusta: 2B Nick Noonan: 3 for 5
Augusta: LF Garrett Baker: 4 for 5, 2B
Augusta: DH Angel Villalona: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, HBP, SO
Augusta: SS Charlie Culberson: 2 for 4, BB

Augusta: RHP Chance Corgan: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Augusta: LHP Ryan Paul: 2.0 IP, 2 BB, 5 K
Greenville: LHP Jose Capellan: 4.0+ IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 Er, 1 BB, 1 K--1 HR, 1 WP

With four hits, Baker paced the GreenJackets' fifteen-hit attack and raised his AVG to .260.  Noonan and Culberson, the teenage middle infielders, each reached base three times, improving their respective OBPs to .336 and .267.  Villalona had a couple XBH, his 9th HR and his 15th double.

In his third start of the year, Corgan had new season highs with 5 K and 4.2 IP and also a new season low with 1 BB.  Considering that Paul entered the night with 20 BB and 21 K in 23.2 IP, 5 K was probably a new season high if not perhaps a career high for him.  The Red Sox' Capellan, whom the Giants selected in the Rule 5 draft this winter, made just his fourth start of the year, two of which have come against the GreenJackets.

ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Tri-City 6-5
(after leading 5-0 through the middle innings)

Salem-Keizer: C Trent Kline: 2 for 3, 3B, SF, SO

Salem-Keizer: RHP Chris Begg: 6.0+ IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K--1 HB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 K

Kline, a 49th rounder a year ago, was one of two Volcanoes with multiple hits, including his first triple.

The rehabbing Begg had six scoreless innings before being charged with 4 ER in the 7th inning.  Quirarte allowed an unearnd run in the 8th inning to suffer the loss.

R: Giants lost to Cubs 4-3
(allowing two runs in bottom of 9th inning)

Scottsdale: CF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 3, BB
Scottsdale: 1B C.J. Ziegler: 2 for 4, HR

Scottsdale: RHP Jorge Bucardo: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Scottsdale: LHP Mario Rodriguez: 3.0 IP
Scottsdale: RHP Trey Webb: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K--1 WP

Ziegler, a 16th rounder earlier this month, was the only Giant with multiple hits.  He connected for his first pro HR.  Fairley, the last of the Giants three rounders a year ago, was the only other Giant to reach base twice.  Of the four times he has reached base in his young pro career of three games, three times have been by being hit by a pitch.

The 18-year-old Bucardo, who had a 1.35 ERA in 60.0 IP in the DSL a year ago, made his 2008 season debut.  The 19-year-old Rodriguez worked three perfect innings in his U.S. debut.  Webb, the 26-year-old whom the Giants selected a year and a half ago in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft as a reserve infielder, made his second pitching appearance.

DSL: Giants defeated Blue Jay #1 7-3

Dominican: C Hector Sanchez: 2 for 4, HR, SO, CS
Dominican: RHP Marcos Prada: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 WP, 1 E

The 18-year-old Sanchez, who had 4 HRs a year ago in the DSL, connected for his 1st HR of this season.  The 17-year-old Prada, who had allowed just 6 H and 1 R through his first three pro starts, allowed 2 R in his fourth pro start.  Both the 5 H and 5 K represented new career highs, but the 1 BB also represented a new career low.