Minor lines 5/30/09

Highlights: Fresno adds a few bats to go with John Bowker, who hit his fourth home run of the year; Connecticut wins again thanks to Jesse English's best start of '09; Edwin Quirarte is featured in a new role, long reliever; and Kyle Nicholson tosses a complete game three-hitter.

Fresno Grizzlies (Triple-A): Fresno 6, Portland 1

2B Matt Downs - 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 E (8), .277

RF John Bowker - 3-3, 2 R, 1 HR (4), 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB (7), 1 PO, .342

1B Jesus Guzman - 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO, .374

LF Joe Borchard - 2-4, 2 2B (2), 1 RBI, .500

C Steve Holm - 2-4, .189

SP Ryan Sadowski - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO, W (4-2), 3.79 ERA

RP Ramon Ortiz - 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR, 2.93 ERA

Game Notes: Ryan Sadowski threw six shutout innings en route to his fourth win of the season. He allowed more walks than hits, but kept the scoring threats down all night. Fresno was in control of the game all the way. Matt Downs came through with a two-run RBI in the third inning. John Bowker moved back to right field and is still hitting. His solo shot in the seventh inning capped the scoring for the Grizzlies and was one of three hits. Jesus Guzman came up with a hit and an RBI in his second game back with Fresno after spending a week with the Major League club in San Francisco. The Beavers got a run from Max Venable on a solo home run in the eighth after Ramon Ortiz entered the game. Steve Palazzolo ended the game with a perfect ninth inning.

Team Notes: The Grizzlies added a new outfielder to the roster in Joe Borchard. He had a great day at the plate in his first game in the Giants organization. Borchard spent the last two seasons in the Atlanta system. Originally a first round pick of the Chicago White Sox, the outfielder hit 29 home runs in 2005 with Triple-A Charlotte in his last season in the White Sox chain. ... Sadowski can strike hitters out, but he needs to cut down on his walks. He has 47 strikeouts to 26 walks in ten starts so far. ... Fresno has won four in a row and nine of their last thirteen games.

Connecticut Defenders (Double-A): Connecticut 4, Portland 3

SS Brandon Crawford - 0-4, 1 SO, .269

RF Eddy Martinez-Esteve - 0-4, 1 R, 1 SO, .304

1B Brett Pill - 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B (16), 2 RBI, .275

3B Sharlon Schoop - 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B (10), 2 SO, .315

C Jackson Williams - 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 CS (1), 1 PO, .238

SP Jesse English - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, W (3-3), 4.02 ERA

RP Ben Snyder - 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 WP, Hold (5), 2.02 ERA

RP Joe Paterson - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, SV (5), 0.86 ERA

Game Notes: Connecticut won their third game in a row in a close one. They took an early 3-0 lead over Portland, getting two runs in the third inning on back-to-back doubles from Brett Pill and Bobby Felmy. The SeaDogs didn't do much against Defenders starting pitcher Jesse English with just two hits and one run scored. English gave up a solo home run to the first batter he faced in the fourth inning before he retired the side. Portland got back into the game after Ben Snyder took the mound. Snyder allowed two runs, one on a sacrifice fly that brought Portland within a run of the lead. Joe Paterson gave up a hit in a scoreless inning and earned his fifth save of the year.

Team Notes: English spent a few games in the bullpen after making three straight starts over the end of April and the beginning of May. He's back in the rotation with two starts in a row. Saturday was his best all year, and certainly the longest. He matched his best strikeout total of 2009 of May 13, a four inning performance where he also walked three. In this start, he walked only one. Brandon Crawford has gone hitless in his last 15 at-bats and is hitting .195 with 12 strikeouts since May 20. ... Sharlon Schoop is hitting everything he sees as the month closes out. The new Connecticut third baseman has a five-game hit streak going and doubled his RBI total in the matter of one week. Schoop had seven RBIs going into May 23 and since then he's become a major run producer for the Defenders.

San Jose Giants (A-Advanced): Visalia 8, San Jose 5

SS Brian Bocock - 2-4, 1 R, 2 2B (5), 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 E (4), .227

RF Roger Kieschnick - 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .324

C Buster Posey - 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, .300

1B Angel Villalona - 2-5, 1 R, .304

LF Thomas Neal - 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, .321

3B Conor Gillaspie - 3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, .273

RP T.J. Brewer - 1.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, L (2-1), 3.86 ERA

RP Edwin Quirarte - 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.24 ERA

RP David Mixon - 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.74 ERA

Game Notes: San Jose needed to play well against Visalia to make a move in the division standings, but failed when they lost their third game of the series against the Rawhide. T.J. Brewer fell apart in just the second inning, allowing five runs and six hits before he was mercifully pulled. One of the runs scored on Brian Bocock's fielding error. Edwin Quirarte entered the game in relief and retired the final batter for Visalia on a fly-out. The part-time closer saw a new role Saturday night when the team asked 3 1/3 innings of him. He allowed one run on a sacrifice fly. Conor Gillaspie put the Giants ahead briefly with a two-run hit in the second inning and they scored once in the fourth, fifth, and sixth but it wasn't enough. The Rawhide got two more runs against David Mixon to put the game out of reach.

Team Notes: Quirarte's days on the pitch count appear to be over after Saturday's appearance. It seems he has stabilized since two bad outings earlier in the month where he allowed six runs over 1 1/3 innings. ... Roger Kieschnick drove in a run, and he saved a run from scoring when he made an excellent throw in that second inning to gun down Derrick Walker. ... Nick Noonan had another 0-for-4 night. He's hitting .195 since May 19.

Augusta GreenJackets (A): Augusta 7, Lexington 1

SS Vladimir Frias - 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B (1), 1 3B (1), 1 RBI, 1 SO, .182

3B Josh Mazzola - 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, .280

2B Juan Carlos Perez - 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, .282

RF James Simmons - 3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, .275

C Matt Klimas - 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 SO, 1 CS (2), .306

SP Kyle Nicholson - 9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, 1 WP, W (4-4), 3.66 ERA

Game Notes: Kyle Nicholson was fantastic in a complete game, three hit performance to give Augusta a big win over Lexington. Nicholson stumbled early when he allowed first and the second inning hits, but he retired nine in a row before he served up a home run to Federico Hernandez. He walked one batter after the homer and hit a batter in the ninth, but the Legends got nothing else against the dominant pitcher. Augusta rallied for three runs in the fourth inning to give their pitcher some support. James Simmons brought home two runs on a base hit. They banged the ball around in the seventh inning with three extra-base hits. Two GreenJackets scored in the inning, one thanks to Vladimir Frias' RBI triple. Frias added that hit to a first inning double, making a big day for the new Augusta arrival.

Team Notes: Augusta is 12-2 since May 14 when they'd lost three in a row. They are now one game under .500 and four games behind Charleston in a crowded Southern Division, where four teams ahead of the GreenJackets are separated by just three games. Augusta faces Lexington twice more in this series. Two wins over Lexington would put them ahead of the Legends in the division and push them to a winning record. ... Each of Nicholson's three hits came against the leadoff batter of an inning. ... Perez appeared in the outfield for both games of a doubleheader May 26 but is back at second base. He has hit safely in his last eight games.