AAA: Fresno lost to Sacramento 4-2

Fresno: 3B Justin Leone: 2 for 4, HR, 2 SO
Fresno: LF Ben Copeland: 2 for 3, BB, SO, CS
Sacramento: C Justin Knoedler: 1 for 3, 2B, PB

Fresno: RHP Matt Palmer: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Fresno: RHP Vinnie Chulk: 1.0 IP
Sacrametno: RHP Vin Mazzaro: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K--1 HR, 1 HB

Leone's 1st inning HR, his 17th HR of the year, plated both Grizzly runs.  Copeland, the other Grizzly with two hits, reached base three times.  He raised his AVG to .337.  Knoedler, the ex-Giant who joined the A's organization this year, provided the RiverCats' only XBH.  He has 23 XBH among just 38 H.

Palmer finished his PCL season with a 4.18 ERA and a 6-10 W-L record.  With one more strikeout, he would have had an even 2.00 K/BB ratio, but he did finish with a K/IP above 1.00, which is a fairly impressive feat for a starter in the PCL.  Chulk pitched a perfect 8th inning in his 22nd PCL appearance.  He has a solid 3.65 ERA despite a WHIP over 1.50.  The A's' Mazzaro made his sixth PCL start.  He dominated the Texas League with a 1.90 ERA in 22 starts, but had just two starts in the PCL with less than 4 ER allowed.

AA: Connecticut defeated Trenton 11-3

Connecticut: LF Olmo Rosario: 3 for 5, SF, SO
Connecticut: C Eliezer Alfonzo: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, BB, PB
Connecticut: 1B Adam Witter: 2 for 4, HR, BB, SO
Connecticut: DH Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 3 for 5, 2 2B
Connecticut: 2B David Maroul: 4 for 5, 3 2B

Connecticut: RHP Dave McKae: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Connecticut: RHP Nate Bump: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 4 K
Connecticut: RHP Kevlin Pichardo: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Maroul had four of the Defenders' seventeen hits, including his 24th, 25th and 26th doubles, raising his AVG to .231.  Rosario and EME added three hits each, including EME's 14th and 15th doubles.  EME had had just one XBH previously in August.  Alfonzo and Witter both homered, for Witter his 20th HR.

McKae had less than a quality start but improved his W-L record to 8-9.  His walk rate was up in August with 14 BB in six starts, but he still finished the year with a K/BB ratio above 2.00.  He pitched much more effective at home than on the road (2.84 vs 6.38 ERA).  Bump finished his season on a high note.  In July and August he had seven appearances (while limited to two appearances between June 30th and August 14th) with 11 H, 4 BB, 1 R and 14 K in 17.0 IP.  Pichardo finished his season with 49 H, 33 BB and 62 K in 61.2 IP--excellent numbers except for the walk rate.  A flyball pitcher (0.70 GO/AO), he pitched much more effectively at home (1.19 vs 3.73 ERA), in part because all 4 HRs he allowed were on the road.

A+: San Jose lost to Lancaster 6-3

San Jose: DH Tyler Graham: 3 for 5, 2B, CS
San Jose: 2B Brad Boyer: 0 for 4, 3 SO, E

San Jose: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K--1 HR
San Jose: RHP Juan Trinidad: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
San Jose: RHP Dan Turpen: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HB

Graham had three of the Giants' nine hits, raising his AVG to .262.  Boyer had been one of the Giants' hottest hitters but suffered the oh-fer with the hat trick in this game.  He also made his 12th error in 75 games.

Joaquin finished his 2008 season with solid peripheral stats split between two levels: 69 H, 31 BB and 72 K in 71.1 IP.  But after the strong fashion in which he finished the 2007 season, his 4.42 ERA still seems disappointing.  It was his seventh start among 36 appearances, although 3 ER and 3 BB were also new highs.  Trinidad continued his run as San Jose's most effective reliever this year, posting a 1.53 ERA in 59.0 IP.  Turpen allowed 6 ER over his final four relief appearances.

A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 10-6

Augusta: SS Juan Ciriaco: 2 for 6, HR
Augusta: 3B Angel Villalona: 3 for 4
Augusta: 3B Andrew Davis: 3 for 5, 2B, GiDP

Augusta: RHP T.J. Brewer: 6.0+ IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Augusta: RHP Henry Sosa: 0.1 IP, 1 R, 2 BB--1 HB
Augusta: RHP Trey Webb: 1.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Villalona had a .308 AVG in August, his best month as a pro.  Davis, the other GreenJacket with three hits, still has a sub-.300 OBP since the SAL's all-star break in mid-June.  Ciriaco had his 5th HR.

The 7 K for Brewer was the most he had since at least June, but this was perhaps his second least effective start in the last two months.  Sosa retired just one of five batters he faced.  Webb received his first save.

ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Everett 7-5

Salem-Keizer: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 1 for 3, 2 BB, SO
Salem-Keizer: DH Jose Flores: 2 for 4, HR, 2B
Salem-Keizer: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 3, HR, HBP, PB

Salem-Keizer: LHP Ari Ronick: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 HB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Flores, the lone Volcano with two hits, and Monell connected for their 1st and 5th HRs, respectively.  With two of the Volcanoes' four walks, Gillaspie reached base three times.  Flores took over the team lead in AVG at .305.

Ronick had one of least effective appearances to suffer his first pro loss.  His ERA rose above 4.00.  Having not pitched in a week, Quirarte worked the 7th inning.

R: Giants defeated Angles 4-2
(claiming the AZL championship)

Scottsdale: CF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 3, 2 BB, CS
Scottsdale: 1B C.J. Ziegler: 2 for 4, HR, SO
Scottsdale: LF Jose Medina: 2 for 4, 3B, SO, 2 E

Scottsdale: RHP Javier Hernandez: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Scottsdale: RHP Chris Wilson: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 K

Ziegler had his 8th HR, although this HR will not count toward his season total since it came in the playoff game.  Medina, who started the year in the DSL, was one of three other rookie Giants with two hits.  Fairley reached base three times. 

The 20-year-old Hernandez, who had not pitched past the 6th inning this year, had perhaps the best start of his career.  Wilson, who had six saves in eighteen AZL appearances this summer, got the save.

DSL: Giants lost to Mariners 8-4
(This is game from August 30th not previously reported.)

Dominican: LF Robedluis Fuentes: 3 for 4, 2B
Dominican: RHP Argenis Sanchez: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K--1 WP

Fuentes (19.11 y.o.) had three of the Giants eight hits.  Sanchez (18.9 y.o.), making his first start in ten days, allowed three runs in the 5th inning after four scoreless frames to start the game.

DSL: Giants defeated Mariners 8-7
(with two runs in bottom of 9th inning to win the best-of-three series)

Dominican: 2B Julio Izturis: 1 for 2, 3 BB, CS
Dominican: C Hector Sanchez: 3 for 5, HR, BB
Dominincan: RHP Miguel Ferrer: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K--1 WP

Izturis (19.0 y.o.) led off the 9th inning with a walk to put the potential trying run on base.  Then after a sacrifice bunt, Sanchez (18.9 y.o.), the lone Gigante with a multi-hit line in this game, was intentionally walked to put the potential tying run on base too.  Both Izturis and Sanchez reached base four times.  Ferrer (18.0 y.o), making his first start in nearly two weeks, allowed four runs in the 5th inning, although two of them scored after he left the game, after four scoreless innings to begin the game.