In terms of highlights, it was a good day for starting pitchers; (a) Clayton Tanner had a career-high 13 K in his longest start of the season; (b) Jesse English had his best start of the season; and (c) Eric Stolp got fifteen ground ball outs in 5.0 scoreless IP in his first start of the season.  The best hitting line belonged to (d) Brad Boyer, who had the only home run for any of the Giants' four full-season affiliates last night while reaching base three times.

AAA: Fresno lost to Portland 7-1

Fresno: CF Ben Copeland: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Fresno: RF Joe Borchard: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Fresno: PH Clay Timpner: 1 for 1, 2B
Portland: LF-1B Kyle Blanks: 2 for 3, BB
Portland: 2B Matt Antonelli: 3 for 3, HR, 2B, BB

Fresno: LHP Steve Hammond: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Fresno: RHP Steve Palazzolo: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K

The only Grizzly to reach base twice, Copeland had one of their three hits and one of their walks.  One of the other hits came from Timpner, who pinch hitting for the pitcher in the 8th inning had his 6th double.  Borchard had the oh-fer with the hat trick, raising his SO/AB ratio above 25% since joining the Grizzlies.  His SO/AB ratio had been 33% when the Braves released him earlier this year.  Blanks, the Padres' top hitting prospect, reached base three times.  The 22-year-old is now hitting .271/.387./.472 in his first season in the PCL.  Antonelli, who has strugged so much in the past year and a half, had perhaps his best game in the PCL, with a homer, a double, a single and a walk.  Still, his line remains just .177/.295/.292 thorugh 96 AB this year.

Hammond faced the Beavers for the second time this month, and he has allowed 12 ER in those two starts, helping to push his season ERA above 5.00.  Matos allowed a couple insurance runs in the 8th inning, pushing his ERA above 3.00.  Palazzolo faced the minimum four batters in his 1.1 IP, while throwing 10 of 12 pitches for strikes.

AA: Connecticut defeated Altoona 5-1

Connecticut: 2B Brock Bond: 3 for 4, 2B, SB, CS
Connecticut: 3B Brad Boyer: 2 for 3, HR, BB, SB

Connecticut: LHP Jesse English: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Connecticut: RHP Dan Griffin: 2.1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K
Altoona: RHP Brad Lincoln: 5.0 IP, 9 K, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HR

Bond and Boyer each reached base three times, accounting for half of the Defenders' ten hits.  Boyer led off the 3rd inning with his 2nd HR.  Bond had his 9th SB, which was a steal of home.

English, who has generally struggled as a starter, had his best start yet, pitching close to six scoreless innings.  He improved his season ERA to 3.51.  Griffin stranded the two runners he inherited from English and faced just one batter of the minimum in 2.1 scoreless IP to get his ERA back below 5.00.  The Pirates drafted Lincoln fourth overall in 2006 (six picks before the Giants selected Tim Lincecum).  In his second year back from Tommy John surgery, he has had a breakout season, although last night was not one of his better starts.  He allowed a season-high 9 H and matched a season high with 3 ER.  In his previous seven starts, he had been on a roll with 29 H, 9 BB, 5 ER, and 44 K in 45.2 IP.

A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 5-2

San Jose: CF Tyler Graham: 2 for 4, 2B, CS
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 1 for 3, BB
San Jose: DH Buster Posey: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
San Jose: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 1 for 3, 2 BB, E
San Jose: C Aaron Lowenstein: 2 for 4, 3B, SO

San Jose: RHP Clayton Tanner: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 13 K--2 HR
San Jose: RHP Steven Edlefsne: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Graham and Lowenstein each had two of the Giants' nine hits, raising their respective AVGs to .378 and .286.  Neal and Posey, who will both be starting the all-star game for the California League against the Carolina League later this month, also reached base twice.  Reaching base three times for the Giants was Gillaspie, who is off to a strong start in June, hitting .343/.415/.429 through his first 10 G and 35 AB.

Tanner had a career-high 13 K in his longest start of the year.  With the 13 K and 0 BB, he raised his K/BB ratio not just above 2.00 but well above 2.00.  His K/IP ratio remains just shy of 1.00   His BAA dropped below .250.  It was an outstanding start, although he did allow a couple big flies as he has now allowed 7 HR in 51.2 IP this year.  Of the 7 HR, five have come at home, despite San Jose's Municipal Stadium generally being considered the most pitcher-friendly park in the league.  Edlefsen pitched a perfect 9th inning for his 5th save.

A-: Augusta lost to Savannah 3-2
(allowing two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning)

Augusta: 2B Ben Woodbury: 2 for 4
Augusta: 2B Juan Perez: 3 for 4, 2B
Savannah: CF Sean Ratliff: 2 for 3, BB

Augusta: RHP Eric Stolp: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K--1 HB
Augusta: RHP Chris Wilson: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER--1 E

Perez and Woodbury combined for five of the GreenJackets' eight hits, raising their respective AVGs to .263 and .333.  Perez had slumped recently, with just four hits in his previous nine games, but he was still named earlier this week to participate in the SAL all-star game.  He will be Augusta's only representative after Dan Runzler, who was also named to the team, was promoted to San Jose.  Ratliff, whom the Mets drafted in the fourth round out of Stanford last year, reached base three times, improving his line to .300/.342/.479 through 240 AB.

After fifteen relief appearances, Stolp made his first start of the year.  It was a very strong start with 5.0 scoreless IP, despite no strikeouts.  Every out was a ground ball out (15/0 GO/FO line, raising his GO/AO ratio for the season to a fairly ridiculous 11.00.  Probably because of the ratio, he has a very good 2.16 ERA despite unimpressive peripheral stats with 21 H, 10 BB, and 6 K in 20.0 IP.  In the 9th inning, Wilson failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, allowing two singles and committing an error on a sacrifice bunt.

DSL: Giants lost to Yankees1 9-5

Dominican: 1B Rey Duran: 3 for 5, HR, 2 2B
Dominican: RHP Raymundo Montero: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Duran (19.10 y.o.) has played in five games this year and in his two games against Yankees1 enjoyed very big lines.  In those games, he is 6 for 8 with 3 HRs and 2 doubles.  After the Gigantes' starter last just three innings, Montero (19.8 y.o.) provided long relief.  Among five relief apperances, it was the second time this year that he has pitched 4.0+ IP with 0 ER.  He now has an ERA below 2.00 after a 4.88 ERA last year in 24 G and 51.2 IP.