minor lines, 5/16/09

Not much to choose from with both East Coast games suspended early, including Tim Alderson's start after just one inning, so I'll go with a couple HRs as the highlights of the day: (a) top prospect Angel Villalona hit his 5th HR, and (b) Brad Boyer hit a walk-off HR to break a scoreless tie.  (c) Timpner reaching base three times should also be noted.

AAA: Fresno lost to Albuquerque 6-2

Fresno: CF Clay Timpner: 2 for 3, 3B, BB, SO, CS
Fresno: LF Tyler Graham: 0 for 4, 3 SO, GiDP
Fresno: 3B Ryan Rohlinger: 2 for 4, 2B
Albuquerque: LF Dee Brown: 3 for 3, 2 HR, BB, IBB
Albuquerque: 1B Val Pascucci: 2 for 4, 2 HR

Fresno: RHP Matt Kinney: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Albuquerque: LHP Erick Threets: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K

With two hits each, Timpner and Rohlinger combined for all but one of the Grizzlies' five hits.  They raised their respective AVGs to .267 and .317.  Timpner now has a nine-game hitting streak with 15 H and 7 BB during the streak.  His SB/CS line this season is now 4/4.  Graham had a game he'd like to forget--not just the oh-fer with the hat trick, but he GiDP'ed in the only plate appearance in which he did not strike out.  For the Dodgers' affiliate, the 31-year-old Brown and the 30-year-old Pascucci both homered twice.  In Cactus League action this spring, I saw Pascucci hit a couple monster HRs.

Making his eighth start of the season, Kinney failed to pitch past the 4th inning for the third time in his last five starts.  His ERA rose to nearly 7.00.  The ex-Giant Threets made his thirteenth relief appearance of the season.  So far this year he has 16 H, 8 BB, and 15 K in 17.0 IP with a 2.65 ERA, plus a 2.78 GO/AO ratio.

AA: Connecticut defeated New Hampshire 1-0
(completing game previously suspended on April 20th, scoring the game's only run in the bottom of the 9th inning)

Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 1 for 3
Connecticut: 3B Brad Boyer: 1 for 2, HR
New Hampshire: 2B Brad Emaus: 2 for 3, HBP

Connecticut: RHP Brooks McNiven: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K--2 HB
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K
New Hampshire: LHP Fabio Castro: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Pill had the Defenders' only hit in the portion of this game played in April.  Boyer, who was not in the lineup in April, had the Defenders' only hit in the May portion of this game--a crucial shot, leading off the bottom fo the 9th inning with his 1st HR of the year.  Boyer officially finished this game with an AVG of .031, although for the season his AVG is .202.  He had 7 HRs in the Cal League a year ago.  The Defenders held down the rest of the Fisher Cats offense, but Emaus, the Blue Jays' #10 prospect, still reached base three times against the Defenders.

McNiven and Castro, who has now made four starts in the PCL since the start of this game, pitched the portion of this game played in April.  Snyder pitched four scoreless innings to complete the shutout for the Defenders.  He officially finished this game with a 0.00 ERA, although his ERA for the season is 1.30.

AA: Connecticut was leading Newhampshire 1-0 (suspended after the 1st inning due to fog)
(The game is scheduled to be resumed today.)

Connecticut: SS Brandon Crawford: 1 for 1
Connecticut: DH Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 1 for 1, 2B

Connecticut: RHP Tim Alderson: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Crawford and EME each had a hit in the 1st inning to score a run.  Alderson allowed a couple hits in a scoreless 1st inning as both teams sent five batters to the plate.

A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 3-1

San Jose: LF Ben Copeland: 2 for 4, E
San Jose: C Buster Posey: 1 for 3, BB, SO
San Jose: DH Roger Kieschnick: 3 for 4
San Jose: 1B Angel Villalona: 1 for 4, HR, SO

San Jose: LHP Scott Barnes: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
San Jose: RHP Sergio Romo: 1.0+ IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
San Jose: RHP Steven Edlefsen: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Modesto: RHP Ryan Speier: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB

Kieschnick and Copeland had the Giants' two multi-hit lines, improving their AVGs to .412 and .341.  Drawing the Giants' only walk, Posey was the other Giant to reach base twice.  With an AVG below .200 in his last ten games, his AVG for the season has declined to .288.  Villalona went deep for his 5th HR.

In terms of earned runs, Barnes had his second best start of the year, lowering his ERA to 4.41.  His K/BB rate has been headed in the wrong directly recently.  In his four April starts, he had 16 K and 6 BB in 18.2 IP; in his three May starts, he has 7 K and 8 BB in 14.0 IP.  The Giants' Romo and the Rockies' Speier both made rehab appearances.  Edlefsen struck out two of the three batters he facing in a perfect 9th inning for his 2nd save.

A-: Augusta was trailing Asheville 3-1 (in the 4th inning with the game suspended by rain)

Augusta: RF James Simmons: 1 for 1, HBP

Augusta: LHP Aaron King: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K--1 BK

Among five GreenJackets' hits, as well as three walks and a hit batter, Simmons had reached base twice.  Another less than quality start raised King's ERA above 6.00.