AAA: Fresno defeated Tacoma 6-2

Fresno: 2B Ivan Ochoa: 3 for 5, CS
Fresno: RF Nate Schierholtz: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Fresno: CF Clay Timpner: 2 for 4, 2B, GiDP
Tucson: 3B Matt Tuiasosopo: 2 for 5, HR, SO

Fresno: RHP Victor Santos: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Fresno: LHP Geno Espineli: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K

Ochoa had three singles to raise his AVG above .310.  Timpner was one of three other Grizzlies with multiple hits, but his 9th double of the year was one of just two XBHs for the Grizzlies.  The other was Schierholtz's 9th HR of the season, which he hit to lead off the 8th inning.  Tuiasosopo, whom was the Mariners' top draftee a few seasons ago, connected for his 1st HR of the year in his 170th AB.  That was the Rainiers' only XBH.

Santos, who is in his 14th professional season, has had a line of 1 ER in 6.0 IP in three of his last four starts, which has improved his ERA to 3.78.  The 8 K was his second highest total of the season.  He threw 99 pitches, 57 for strikes.  Espineli allowed a run to push his ERA back above 1.00.

AA: Connecticut lost to Trenton 9-8
(after allowing four runs in the 8th and 9th innings)

Connecticut: RF Ben Copeland: 2 for 3, 2 BB, 2 SB
Connecticut: 1B Travis Ishikawa: 1 for 3, HR, 2 BB, SO, SB
Connecticut: 3B Simon Klink: 1 for 4, HR, 3 SO
Trenton: RF Jose Tabata: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SF, SO

Connecticut: LHP Paul Oseguera: 4.0+ IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 WP
Connecticut: RHP Dave McKae: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Connecticut: RHP Josh Sharpless: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB--1 IBB

Copeland reached base four times, improving his hitting line to .227/.324/.357.  He also improved his SB/CS line to 14/2.  Ishikawa reached base three times, although this game also snapped his five game streak with multiple hits, and he homered for the third consecutive game.  Over his last ten games he is 18 for 38 with 7 XBH and 7 BB.  He is not noted for his speed but does have a 8/4 SB/CS line this year after making no steal attempts a year ago.  Klink hit his 1st HR of the year, but the hat trick raised his SO/AB ratio above 33%.  I think that the Yankees' 19-year-old Tabata is the youngest player in the upper minors on an active roster.  He reached base twice and had his first XBH in the last ten games.  His season line remains just .240/.321/.289 in 204 AB.

Oseguera had allowed just 6 ER through his first four starts, so his fifth start of the year came close to doubling his earned run total, boosting his ERA to nearly 5.00.  He failed to retire any of the four batters he faced in the 5th inning.  McKae made his second relief appearance of the year and pitched effectively, but his ERA remains above 5.50.  Sharpless retired just one of the five batters he faced in the 9th inning.  His ERA rose to nearly 8.00 after his second straight appearance with 3 ER in 0.1 IP.

A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 4-2
(after allowing three runs in the 8th inning)

San Jose: 3B Ryan Rohlinger: 1 for 4, HR

San Jose: RHP Tim Alderson: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR
San Jose: RHP Craig Whitaker: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K
San Jose: RHP Dan Griffin: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 WP, 1 IBB
Visalia: RHP Barry Enright: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

The Giants' offense was limited to three hits.  Rohlinger's HR with two outs in the 7th inning drove in both Giants runs and was their first hit of the game.

Alderson had his second straight start with just 1 ER, improving his ERA to 3.27 after a dozen starts.  His peripheral stats are now 60 H, 22 BB, 1 HR and 51 K in 63.1 IP.  He threw 85 pitches.  Whitaker remains very tough to hit recently, with just 2 H and 16 K over his last nine appearances.  Griffin was charged with three runs to take the loss, although all three runs scored after he left the game with two outs in the 8th inning.  He has a 2.57 ERA that has somehow translated into a 1-4 W-L record.  Enright, one of the D'backs top draft selections a year ago, had perhaps his best start of the season.  It was at least his longest start, and he faced the minimum through the first six innings (one batter reaching on an error before being caught stealing).  He has allowed just 2 ER over his past four starts to improve his ERA to 4.54.

A-: Augusta lost to Greenville 6-4
(after allowing four runs in the 8th inning)

Augusta: 2B Nick Noonan: 1 for 4, 2B
Augusta: SS Charlie Culberson: 2 for 3, SF
Greenville: RF Ryan Kalish: 3 for 4, CS
Greenville: SS Oscar Tejada: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SO, E

Augusta: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--2 HR, 1 PO
Augusta: RHP Dan Turpen: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Greenville: LHP Jose Capellan: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

The Giants' two high schoolers selected in the supplemental first round a year ago--Culberson was the only GreenJacket to reach base twice, with two singles raising his AVG to .184, and Noonan provided their only XBH, his 14th double of the season.  The Red Sox' 20-year-old Kalish, who began the year ranked among the top 100 prospect in baseball, had three hits to raise his AVG to .275.  The 18-year-old Tejada, who is also ranked among the Red Sox' top ten prospects, had his 4th and 5th doubles of the season.  He has basically down little more than hold his own in the SAL with an OPS barely above .550.

Bumgarner allowed the first two HRs of his pro career, but otherwise pitched very effectively over six innings.  The two solo HRs mean that he allowed as many earned runs in his first start in June as he allowed in entire month of May, which edged his ERA back up to 2.20.  Turpen allowed 4 ER in the 8th inning, his second inning of work, to balloon his ERA above 5.00.  Capellan made his first start of the 2008 season againt the organization which selected him in the Rule 5 draft during the off-season.

An updated look at my so-called Future Forty:
1. 1B Angel Villalona
2. RHP Timothy Alderson
3. LHP Madison Bumgarner
4. RHP Henry Sosa
5. 2B Nick Noonan
6. LF John Bowker
7. RF Nate Schierholtz
8. CF Wendell Fairley
9. SS Emmanuel Burriss
10. RHP Merkin Valdez
11. 2B Eugenio Velez
12. LHP Clayton Tanner
13. LHP Alex Hinshaw
14. C Pablo Sandoval
15. 2B Travis Denker
16. LHP Benjamin Snyder
17. RHP Billy Sadler
18. SS Brian Bocock
19. RHP Kelvin Pichardo
20. RHP Osiris Matos
21. RHP Wilbur Bucardo
22. LHP Paul Oseguera
23. LHP Erick Threets
24. LHP Jesse English
25. RHP Sergio Romo
26. LF Brian Horwitz
27. 1B Travis Ishikawa
28. 1B Thomas Neal
29. SS Charlie Culberson
30. RHP Brian Anderson
31. CF Clay Timpner
32. LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve
33. RHP Waldis Joaquin
34. CF Ben Copeland
35. RHP Adam Cowart
36. CF Michael McBryde
37. RHP Kevin Pucetas
38. C Adam Witter
39. 2B Matt Downs
40. RHP Nick Pereira