minor lines, 6/2/08

AAA: Fresno lost to Tucson 7-6 (10 innings)
(outscored 2-1 in 10th inning)

Fresno: RF Nate Schierholtz: 0 for 1, K
Fresno: 1B Brett Harper: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Fresno: LF-RF Justin Leone: 3 for 4, HR
Tucson: RF Trot Nixon: 2 for 2, HR, 3 BB

Fresno: RHP Matt Palmer: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K--1 HR
Tucson: RHP Yusmeiro Petit: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Leone had three of the Grizzlies' eight hits, but his AVG remains below .230.  He connected for his 11th HR while Harper had his third straight game with a HR.  Schierholtz was the first of four ejections in the game, ejected after he was called out on strikes to end the 1st inning.  The D'backs Nixon reached base in all five trips to the plate, including his 8th HR of the year in the 8th inning to start the Sidewinders' comeback from a 5-0 deficit.

Palmer had seven shutout innings until yielding the two-run blast in the 8th inning.  He threw 111 pitches, 64 for strikes.  He had a 14/4 GO/FO line, which raises his GO/AO ratio to 1.95, after he had a 1.15 GO/AO ratio for the Grizzlies last year.  The D'backs 23-year-old Petit was never a prospect noted for his strikeout rate, but this year his K/IP is comfortably above 1.00.

AA: Connecticut had a scheduled off-day
(Their next scheduled off-day is June 9th.)

Defenders on Eastern League leaderboards:
--Hitters:
HR: Witter 9th
3B: Copeland 3rd, Richardson 5th
2B: Maroul 3rd
BB: Witter 5th
SO: Maroul 3rd, Klink 7th
SB: Richardson 1st, Copeland 9th
CS: Richardson 9th, Ishikawa 9th, Maroul 9th
--Pitchers:
ERA: Martinez 4th
IP: Coward 5th
H: Cowart 3rd, Broshuis 7th
HR: Broshuis 10th
HB: Palazzolo 1st
L: Broshuis 7th, Martinez 7th
Sv: Romo 6th, Matos 9th

A+: San Jose defeated Visalia 5-1

San Jose: DH Brett Pill: 3 for 4, HR, 2 2B
San Jose: SS Sharlon Schoop: 2 for 3, BB

San Jose: LHP Jesse English: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 WP
San Jose: RHP Dan Griffin: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Pill had his second straight three-hit game, although his AVG remains below .250.  With 5 HRs and 15 doubles (and no triples), he now has a XBH/H ratio just shy of 50%.  His performance boosted his SLG above .400.  Schoop also reached base three times, which raised his OBP above .300.

English had his second straight start without allowing an earned run, improving his ERA to 2.12 and his W-L record to 8-2.  It may be worth noting that he would become a minor league free agent at the end of the season if not added to the 40-man roster.  Griffin had a 7/1 GO/FO line during his three inning save.  The unearned run in the 9th inning stopped the Giants from pitching their first shutout on the road this year.

A-: Augusta defeated Greenville 5-4

Augusta: 2B Nick Noonan: 1 for 3, HR, BB
Augusta: 1B Thomas Neal: 3 for 3, 2B, BB, CS
Augusta: DH Angel Villalona: 2 for 4, HR
Augusta: 3B Skyler Stromsmoe: 1 for 3, BB, SO

Augusta: RHP Daryl Maday: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K--1 WP
Augusta: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K
Augusta: RHP Danny Otero: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 K

Noonan and Villalona both had two-run HRs in the 1st inning, their 3rd and 7th HRs, respectively.  Neal reached base in all four trips to the plate, raising his OBP back above .360.  Stromsmoe, a 24-year-old signed a year ago as an undrafted free agent, reached base twice in his season debut.

A couple days after being named one of three GreenJackets to the SAL all-star game (along with Bumgarner and Otero), Maday had his longest start of the season.  A 14/2 GO/FO line raised his GO/AO ratio above 2.00.  Making his first appearance in a week, Joaquin allowed a run which pushed his ERA above 5.00.  Also named to the SAL all-star game, Otero retired just one of three batters he faced and allowed his only inherited runner (who was on first base with two outs) to score but still recorded his 15th save.