Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) John Bowker had two XBH while reaching base in all four plate appearances; (b) Henry Sosa allowed one run in five innings; and (c) Eddy Martinez-Esteve reached base four times.

AAA: Fresno lost to Salk Lake 5-4

Fresno: LF John Bowker: 3 for 3, 3B, 2B, BB
Fresno: RF Ben Copeland: 2 for 4, 2B, SO, CS
Fresno: SS Jake Wald: 2 for 4

Fresno: RHP Matt Kinney: 6.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HR

Bowker reached base in all four trips to the plate, including his 3rd triple and 17th double.  Copeland and Wald also contributed a couple hits, raising their respective AVGs to .311 and .215.

Kinney began the game with five scoreless innings but then allowed a run in the 6th inning and another three runs in the 7th inning.  He finished the night with a 5.99 ERA after throwing 106 pitches (72 strikes).

AA: Connecticut defeated Portland 3-2 (13 innings)
(rallying for a run in both the both the bottom fo the 9th and 13th innings)

Connecticut: LF Bobby Felmy: 2 for 5, 2B, BB
Connecticut: RF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 3 for 4, BB, SF
Connecticut: SS Brandon Crawford: 0 for 5, 3 SO
Connecticut: CF Antoan Richardson: 0 for 5, 3 SO

Connecticut: RHP Henry Sosa: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Connecticut: RHP Matt Yourkin: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 K
Connecticut: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K--1 IBB, 2 WP
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 K

The Defenders' two corner outfielders, Felmy and EME, reached base in seven of twelve plate appearances, improving their OBPs to .297 and .369.  With the oh-fer and the hat trick, Crawford now has more strikeouts than hits since his promotion to the upper minors (39 H and 40 SO in 155 AB, .252 AVG).  Richardson also had the oh-fer with the hat trick, making him dangerously close to having twice as many strikeouts as hits (16 H and 28 SO in 80 AB, .200 AVG).

Sosa had another solid start.  Through four starts in June, his K/BB ratio is down, but his BAA is also down.  He has had as many walks as strikeouts in each of his three starts.  Yourkin struck out three of the six batters he faced.  Joaquin continues to have a K/BB ratio just barely above 1.00.  With two hits allowed in each of his last four appearances, over a third of the hits Paterson has allowed this year have come over his last four appearances, after having allowed just 15 H in his first 25 G.

A+: San Jose had the final day of its three-day all-star break

A-: Augusta had the final day of its three-day all-star break

ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Boise 5-3

Salem-Keizer: 2B Joel Weeks: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Boise: C Matthew Cerda: 2 for 4, E

Salem-Keizer: RHP Jose Valdez: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--2 WP
Salem-Keizer: RHP Andrew Bowlin: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Weeks, who previously this year was just 1 for 25 in fourteen games for Augusta, made his NWL debut.  His two-run HR was one of just three hits for the Volcanoes who had no one reach base twice, although they did draw five walks.  Cerda, the Cubs' fourth round pick a year ago, had the game's only multi-hit line.  He also committed his 3rd error, though.

Valdez, who missed all of last year with injury, made his NWL debut.  The tall (6'7"), 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic is now listed at 250 lbs after being listed at 190 lbs two years ago when he entered the year ranked among the Giants' top 30 prospects.  Bowlin, who was a 23rd round draft pick two years ago, pitched a perfect 8th inning.  He made five starts last summer for the Volcanoes.

R: Giants lost to A's 10-8

Scottsdale: 2B Julio Izturis: 1 for 3, 2 BB, E
Scottsdale: DH Kyle Mach: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, HBP

Scottsdale: RHP Aaron Davidson: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K--1 WP
Scottsdale: RHP Bryan Salsbury: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 WP
Scottsdale: RHP Ryan Shaver: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Scottsdale: RHP Brian Irving: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 K

Izturis and Mach both reached base three times for the rookie Giants.  Mach also had their only XBH.

Davidson, whom the Giants signed as undrafted free agent from Arkansas Fort Smith, made the three-inning start in his pro debut.  Salsbury, the Giants' 14th round pick, had a pro debut that he might prefer to forget.  Shaver made his first appearance in over a year.  Irving, who spent all of last season with Salem-Keizer, struck out five of the ten batters he faced.

DSL: Giants defeated Cubs2 6-1

Dominican: SS Cesar Soto: 2 for 3, 2 BB
Dominican: LHP Ebert Fernandez: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

After reaching base four times today, Soto (18.2 y.o.) is hitting .162/.367/.162 through his first 37 pro AB.  Fernandez (18.8 y.o.) made his fifth start, which was his best yet, with a season-high 6.0 IP, a season-low 2 H, and a season-low 0 ER.  His ERA remains above 4.25, though.