minor lines, 6/3/09

All four starting pitchers have very good starts: (a) Henry Sosa had perhaps his best start of the year with 1 H and 7 K in six shutout innings; (b) Kevin Pucetas allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP; (c) Mike Loree had 7.0 scoreless IP; and (d) Garrett Broshuis had his longest start of the year, with 2 ER in 7.0 IP.  No Giants farmhand had a HR, so perhaps the line most worth mentioning is the one with three hits as (e) Steve Holm had three singles.

AAA: Fresno defeated Colorado Springs 3-1
(rallying for three runs in the 8th inning)

Fresno: 2B Kevin Frandsen: 2 for 3, 2B, SH
Fresno: C Steve Holm: 3 for 4
Colorado Springs: 1B Dan Ortmeier: 1 for 3, 2B, BB

Fresno: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Fresno: RHP Felix Romero: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Colorado Springs: RHP Matt Belisle: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Colorado Springs: LHP Damian Moss: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER--1 HB
Colorado Springs: RHP Scott Munter: 1.1 IP, 1 K

Holm had three of the Grizzlies' eleven hits, raising his AVG to .283.  Frandsen had two hits, including his 5th double.  He has 11 XBH among 47 H and 145 AB for a .476 SLG.  Ortmeier, the ex-Giant who was playing his first game in nearly a week, was the only Sky Sox to reach base twice.

Pucetas continues an impressive string with five straight quality starts, including just 1 ER over his last three starts.  He has improved his ERA to 3.29 after eleven starts.  Romero worked a perfect 9th inning for his 2nd save.  Now with the Rockies organization, Belisle made just his second start of the year.  Two ex-Giants who appeared in relief fared rather differently, with Moss retiring just two of the seven batters he faced while Munter retired all four batters he faced.

AA: Connecticut lost to New Britain 2-1
(allowing two runs in the 9th inning)

Connecticut: C Tyler LaTorre: 1 for 2, 2B, BB
Connecticut: CF Mike McBryde: 2 for 3, SO, CS
New Britian: 2B-LF Brian Dinkelman: 1 for 2, 3B, BB, HBP, SO

Connecticut: RHP Henry Sosa: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 2.0 IP, 2 BB, 4 K
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 HB, 1 IBB
New Britain: RHP Jeff Manship: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Reaching base twice each, LaTorre and McBryde accounted for four of the Defenders' six baserunners.  They raised their respective OBPs to .384 and .340.  Dinkelman, whom the Twins drafted in the eighth round in 2006, wasn't considered much of a prospect entering the season, but reaching base three times he continues to enjoy a big start to this season, now hitting .335/.426/.480 through his first 173 AB.

Sosa who had his least effective start of the season a few days earlier had perhaps his best start of the year.  He had a season-low 1 H and a season-high 7 K, although he also had a season-high 4 BB.  He improved his ERA to 2.12 and his BAA to .222 after ten starts.  Snyder got his ERA back below 2.00 with two more scoreless innings.  Paterson retired just two of the seven batters he faced in the 9th inning to suffer his first blown save.  Manship, the Twins #11 prospect, was much better than in his previous start against the Defenders three weeks earlier.  Then he allowed 6 ER in 3.1 IP, but today just 1 ER in 6.1 IP.

A+: San Jose defeated Stockton 4-2

San Jose: LF Tyler Graham: 2 for 4, 2 SO, SB
San Jose: C Buster Posey: 1 for 3, BB
San Jose: DH Ryan Lormand: 2 for 3, BB, CS
Stockton: 3B Christian Vitters: 1 for 2, HR, BB, SO, E

San Jose: RHP Garrett Broshuis: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR
San Jose: LHP Wilmin Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 1 K

With two hits each, Graham and Lormand had half of the Giants' eight hits.  In ten games in the two weeks since being promoted to the Cal League, Lormand has had an OPS close to 1.000.  Graham was playing just his second game with San Jose after having been previously this year with Connecticut and Fresno.  Posey also reached base twice.  At first glance, it might appear as just another HR for Vitters while playing the hot corner, but this was Christian's 1st HR of the year, which pales in comparison to the 12 HRs his younger bother Josh hit in May for the Cub's low-A affiliate.

Broshuis's fourth start was his longest start and secured his first win as a starter.  For the season, he has a 2.17 ERA.  Rodriguez pitched a perfect 8th inning.

A-: Augusta defeated Rome 5-0

Augusta: Vladimir Frias: 2 for 3, BB, SO
Augusta: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 2, 2 BB

Augusta: RHP Mike Loree: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HB
Augusta: RHP Justin Fitzgerald: 1.0 IP, 3 K

Reaching base three times each, Frias and Monell were the only GreenJackets to reach base more than once.  After a slow start following his demotion to Augusta, Frias finally got his AVG up to an even .200.  Frias also had his first walk since his demotion, while Monell continues to draw walks at a fairly healthy clip.  In May, Monell had 9 BB and 8 SO among 44 AB.

Making his first start since mid-May, which was his worst start of the year, Loree bounced back strong with his perhaps his best start fo the year.  It wasn't his longest start of the year, but it was his first start of the year without allowing an earned run, leveling his ERA at 4.50.  Fitzgerald also bounced back from his poor relief appearance on Sunday by striking out all three batters he faced.