minor lines, 5/22/09

Highlights: (a) Ben Snyder has another 3.2 scoreless IP in relief; and (b) both Brad Boyer and Ben Woodbury have three hits each for their respective east coast affiliates.

AAA: Fresno lost to Iowa 3-2

Fresno: CF Andres Torres: 2 for 4, SO
Fresno: SS Jake Wald: 1 for 3, BB, SO, SB, E

Fresno: RHP Matt Kinney: 5.0+ IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K
Fresno: LHP Alex Hinshaw: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K--1 HB, 1 WP

Playing his seventh rehab game, Torres had two of the Grizzlies' four hits.  Wald, who had one of the Grizzlies' two walks, also reached base twice.

Kinney allowed a hit to one third of the 24 batters he faced but allowed just two runs.  His ERA remains above 6.50.  Matos threw 8 of 9 pitches for strikes in a quick 6th inning, but allowing his inherited runner to score resulted in his first blown save, and allowing an uneared run to his own record gave him his first loss of the season.  Hinshaw threw just 10 of 20 pitches for strikes.

AA: Connecticut defeated Portland 3-2
(after rallying for three runs in the 7th inning)

Connecticut: 3B Brad Boyer: 3 for 5, 2 2B, 2 SO
Portland: 1B Lars Anderson: 0 for 4, 3 SO

Connecticut: RHP Jesse Foppert: 4.0+ IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 4 K
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Portland: RHP Junichi Tazawa: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Boyer had three hits, including his 7th and 8th doubles, as the only Defender to reach base more than once.  He raised his AVG to .239.  Lars Anderson, who entered the season considered the Red Sox' top prospect, continues to slump in May.  The oh-fer with the hat trick lowered his line to .161/.316/.355 through his first 62 AB in May.  He has 14 BB and 20 SO so far this month.

In his sixth start of the season, Foppert allowed a season-high 5 H, but his BAA remains below .240.  He continues to allow a lot of walks with a BB/IP ratio of 0.70.  Snyder entered the 5th inning with the bases loaded and no outs.  He allowed just one of those runners to score.  He faced just 12 batters while recording 11 outs, improving his ERA to 1.15.  Paterson worked a perfect 9th inning for his 3rd save.  Tazawa has now made four of his nine pro starts against the Defenders.  He allowed 6 ER in one of those starts but has allowed just 2 ER total in the other three starts.  For the season, he now has 41 H, 15 BB, and 47 K in 49.1 IP with a 2.74 ERA.

A+: San Jose lost to Modesto 3-2

San Jose: SS Brian Bocock: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
San Jose: 3B Skyler Stromsmoe: 2 for 3, 2B

San Jose: LHP Scott Barnes: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--2 HB, 2 WP
San Jose: RHP Dan Turpen: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K

Bocock and Stromsmoe, neither of whom were the only two Giants to reach base twice.  Bocock had his 3rd XBH in 115 AB this year, while Stromsmoe had his 1st XBH in 23 AB.

Barnes had his longest start of the season, nearly pitching seven full innings after having previously recorded just one out in the 6th inning this year.  He matched a season high with 7 H, but he also had his second straight start with just 1 BB.  Turpen struck out two of the four batters he faced.

A-: Augusta lost to Greenville 13-10
(allowing the Drive to score in every inning except the 6th inning)

Augusta: CF Ben Woodbury: 3 for 5, 2B
Augusta: 1B Josh Mazzola: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
Augusta: C Johnny Monell: 2 for 3, 2 2B, BB, PB
Augusta: LF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SO

Augusta: LHP Erik Surkamp: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--2 WP
Augusta: RHP Mike Loree: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB--1 WP

With three hits, Woodbury paced the GreenJackets' eleven-hit attack, raising his own AVG to .346.  Mazzola and Monell had had multi-hit lines.  Five of Monell's last seven hits have been doubles, helping to raise his SLG above .400.  Fairley got off to a moderately slow start with a sub-.600 OPS in April, but an XBH in each of his last four games has helped to raise his OPS for May just above .700.

After having his best start of the year a week earlier (0 ER and 10 K in 7.0 IP), Surkamp had his shortest start of the season.  He has allowed 7+ H in four of his seven starts and has a .291 BAA, which is an improvement upon the .329 BAA he had last summer.  Loree, the third of five GreenJackets' relievers, made his first relief appearance of the season after six starts.