minor lines, 6/4/09

Highlights: In a high scoring game at alitude, (a) John Bowker homered among three hits, and (b) Ben Copeland reached base in all five plate appearances.  Madison Bumgarner pitched but had less than a quality start. 

AAA: Fresno lost to Colorado Springs 16-8
(yielding five runs in both the 5th and 8th innings)

Fresno: RF John Bowker: 3 for 5, HR, 2B
Fresno: LF Ben Copleand: 3 for 3, 3B, 2B, 2 BB, SB
Colorado Springs: C Chris Iannetta: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Colorado Springs: LF Matt Miller: 3 for 3, 3B, BB, SF

Fresno: RHP Ramon Ortiz: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Fresno: RHP Steve Palazzolo: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K--1 HR
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB
Fresno: LHP Alex Hinshaw: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K--1 WP
Fresno: "RHP" Jake Wald: 0.2 IP, 2 H
Colorado Springs: RHP Jason Hirsh: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K--1 HR, 1 BK

Bowker and Copeland each had three of the Grizzlies' fifteen hits, raising their respective AVGs to .347 and .354.  Bowker had his 5th HR and 12th double.  Copeland reached base in all five plate appearances.  He also had his 5th SB in thirteen PCL games.  Rockies' catcher Iannetta played his second rehab game.  Miller, whom BA did not rank among the Rockies' top 30 prospects, is now hitting .350/.383/.547 through his first 203 AB this year, his first full season in the PCL as a 25-year-old.

After seventeen relief appearances to begin the season, Ortiz made his first start.  In relief, both Palazzolo and Hinshaw took a beating with 5 ER each, ballooning their ERAs to 5.55 and 7.63.  In between their appearances, Matos pitched a scoreless 8th inning despite allowing three baserunners.  Wald got the mop up duty in what I presume was his professional debut as a pitcher.  Hirsh is struggling to get back to the majors, and with an ERA close to 6.00 after eleven PCL starts, his return to the majors hardly seems imminent.

AA: Connecticut defeated New Britain 8-4

Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 2 for 5, HR
Connecticut: SS Brandon Crawford: 2 for 5, 2B, 2 SO
New Britain: C Wilson Ramos: 2 for 4

Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K--1 HR, 1 HB, 1 WP, 1 PO
Connecticut: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Pill had his 3rd HR in his last ten games and his 4th HR of the season.  Two hits raised his AVG to .288.  Crawford was one of four other Defenders with a two-hit line, including his 4th double, but he also had had two of the Defenders' four strikeouts as he continues to have more strikeout than hits since joining the Defenders (26 H and 27 SO among 97 AB, .267 AVG).  Ramos, who began the year ranked as the Twins #3 prospect, has a .290 AVG through his first 107 AB, although it is a fairly empty batting average with an OPS below .675.

Bumgarner had his least effective start since joining the Defenders.  He had allowed just 2 R in his first four starts but allowed 4 R in his fifth start.  Still, his overall stats remain impressive, including a 1.86 ERA.  Joaquin had his third consecutive effective relief appearance, although he had just a single strikeout in this appearance.

A+: San Jose lost to Bakersfield 4-0

San Jose: DH Buster Posey: 1 for 3, BB
San Jose: 2B Skyler Stromsmoe: 1 for 2, HBP

San Jose: LHP Scott Barnes: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K--2 HR
San Jose: RHP David Mixon: 2.0 IP, 3 K

The Giants' offense was limited to four singles, a walk, and a hit batter; and Posey and Stromsmoe accounted for four of those six baserunners, raising their OBPs to .395 and .303.

Despite making his shortest start of the year (in terms of IP) among ten starts, Barnes had a season-high 8 K, striking out nearly half of the eighteen batters he faced in four innings.  After having allowed just 2 HRs in his previous nine starts, he allowed 2 HRs in this start.  Mixon struck out three of the six batters he faced in two perfect innings, but his ERA remains above 6.00.

A-: Augusta at Rome postponed by rain
(A doubleheader is scheduled for tomorrow.)

DSL: Giants defeated Blue Jay 4-2

Dominican: LF Eduardo Lopez: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Dominican: RHP Miguel Ferrer: 6.0+ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K--1 HB

Lopez (18.3 y.o.) had the first XBH of his career, and with the first multi-hit game of his pro career he raised his AVG above .200.  Ferrer (18.10 y.o.) allowed just one hit in 6.0+ scoreless IP in his second start of the season.  Two of the three batters he faced in the 7th inning reached on errors.  A year ago he had a 2.44 ERA in 62.2 IP in the DSL.