minor lines, 5/12/09

Not a good day for highlights, but I'll choose these.  While (a) Clayton Tanner has six scoreless innings and (b) Ehire Adrianza reaches base three times, (c) the core of the Grizzlies lineup remains red hot, with Jesus Guzman, Matt Downs, and Ryan Rohlinger seemingly have a multi-hit line nearly every time they play.

AAA: Fresno defeated Round Round 12-3

Fresno: RF John Bowker: 2 for 4, BB
Fresno: 1B Jesus Guzman: 3 for 4, 3B
Fresno: 2B Matt Downs: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SF
Fresno: 3B Ryan Rohlinger: 3 for 5, SO
Round Round: CF Brian Bogusevic: 2 for 3, HR, 2B, BB

Fresno: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Fresno: RHP Felix Romero: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

With three hits each, Guzman and Rohlinger had half of the Grizzlies' dozen hits.  They raised their respective AVGs to .359 and .328.  Guzman had his fifth straight multi-hit game, while Rohlinger had his third straight multi-hit game.  They also both have hitting streaks longer than ten games.  Bowker also reached base three times.  Downs' 7th and 8th doubles gave him a multi-hit line for the ninth time in his last ten games.  Bogusevic, whom the Astros drafted 24th overall in 2005 as a pitcher, converted to the outfield last year, and his career has seemingly taken off in a hurry since.  After his 3rd HR and 10th double tonight, as well as a walk in four plate appearances, he has a .324/.419/.505 line through 111 AB.

Pucetas had the minimum for a quality start, maintaining his ERA at 4.50.  The 7 H tonight was a season-high, but throughout his minor league career he has seemed to do enough to get the win.  His W-L record this year is now 3-1 after seven starts.  Romero pitched three scoreless innings for his first save.  He also got his ERA below 5.00.

AA: Connecticut defeated New Britain 4-2

Connecticut: LF Bobby Felmy: 1 for 4, HR, SB
Connecticut: 3B Brad Boyer: 3 for 4, 2B, SB

Connecticut: RHP Daryl Maday: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Boyer had three of the Defenders' nine hits, but his AVG remains below .200.  Felmy had his 3rd HR.  His OPS remains just below .750, although it is still higher than the .724 OPS he had a year ago in the Cal League.

Maday pitched into the 7th inning for the first time this year.  Even with a season-high 7 H, his BAA remains just .211.  Also, even with just two of his seven starts at home, his ERA remains an impressive 2.29.  Through nine relief appearances, Snyder remains tough to hit with 13 H and 24 K in 23.2 IP.

A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 2-1

San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 4, 2B
San Jose: C Buster Posey: 1 for 4, SO, SB, PB
San Jose: CF Shane Jordan: 0 for 3, 3 SO
Visalia: RF Colin Cowgill: 1 for 3, 3B, HBP

San Jose: LHP Clayton Tanner: 6.0+ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K--1 HB
San Jose: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER

Noonan, who had not exactly been swinging a hot bat with oh-fers in four of his last five games, provided most of the Giants' offense tonight.  He had two of their three hits, including his 3rd double, to raise his AVG back to .272.  Posey had their other hit, as well as his 2nd SB.  He was also charged with his 7th passed ball.  Jordan struck out in all three of his plate appearances, dropping his AVG to .111 through 36 AB in his part-time role.  Cowgill, whom BA rated the D'backs' #9 prospect, continues to have a very productive year, with tonight's game improving his season line to .297/.380/.534 through 118 AB.

Although he had a season-low 1 K, Tanner had six scoreless innings before walking the only batter he faced in the 7th inning.  Three straight appearances without an earned run have lowered his ERA from 4.63 at the end of April to 2.28.  Quirarte allowed his first earned run of the year after allowing a leadoff triple in the bottom of the 9th inning, followed by a ground out and a game-ending RBI single.

A-: Augusta lost to Greenville 7-2

Augusta: CF Ben Woodbury: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB
Augusta: 1B Mike Loberg: 0 for 4, SO, GiDP, 3 E
Augusta: 2B Juan Perez: 2 for 4, E
Augusta: SS Ehire Adrianza: 2 for 3, BB

Augusta: LHP Ari Ronick: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K--1 HR

With two hits each, the GreenJackets' two middle infielders combined for half of the team's eight hits.  Perez and Adrianza now have AVGs of .267 and .276.  Adrianza and Woodbury, whose 3rd double was the GreenJackets' only XBH, each reached base three times.  Loberg, who was perhaps Salem-Keizer's best hitter last summer, continues to have a fairly miserable start to his first full season in pro ball.  With the oh-fer, his AVG fall back below .200, and three errors in a single game is pretty unusual for a first baseman.

After allowing just 5 ER over his previous four starts combined, Ronick allowed 4 ER in this start.  Despite very good peripherals with 24 H, 8 BB, and 24 K in 30.1 IP, he has a 1-3 W-L record in six starts.