Highlights?  I nearly considered skipping them today, but (a) Eric Surkamp is definitely worthy of highlight status despite suffering the loss when he allowed a single run in the 7th inning.  A second highlight definitely goes to (b) Buster Posey for his 9th HR--a walkoff HR in the 13th inning.  Honorable mention: John Bowker and Eugenio Velez also homered.

AAA: Fresno defeated Colorado Springs 9-7

Fresno: CF Eugenio Velez: 1 for 4, HR, BB, SO, CS
Fresno: 2B Kevin Frandsen: 3 for 5, 2B, SO
Fresno: RF John Bowker: 1 for 3, HR, 2 BB, SO
Colorado Springs: 3B-1B Kenny Perez: 2 for 5, HR

Fresno: RHP Billy Sadler: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Fresno: RHP Ronnie Ray: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 IBB
Fresno: LHP Geno Espineli: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K--1 HR
Colorado Springs: LHP Franklin Morales: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB< 5 K
Colorado Springs: RHP Scott Munter: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 HR

With three hits, Frandsen paced the Grizzlies' eleven-hit attack and raised his AVG to .329.  In the 5th inning, Bowker had his 6th HR.  In the 6th inning, Velez had his 1st HR of the season.  He had 5 HRs a year ago.  The Rockies' 28-year-old Perez is having a big series against the Grizzlies' with 9 RBIs in three games so far.

Sadler had his shortest start of the year, throwing just 30 pitches (17 strikes) and retiring just one of the six batters he faced.  Is this a sign that he will be called up?  Or did the relatively poor performance jeopardize that?  He struck out the first batter, allowed hits (including two XBH) to the next four abtters, and then walked the final batter.  Ray entered in long relief, throwing 61 pitches (34 strikes) as he kept his ERA below 3.50.  Espineli threw 59 pitches (36 strikes) for the four-inning save, his 8th save of the season.  In his second rehab start, Morales threw just 44 of 78 pitches for strikes.  The ex-Giant Munter allowed an inherited runner to score in the 6th inning and then 4 ER to his own record in the 7th inning, raising his ERA to an even 6.00.

AA: Connecticut defeated Binghamton: 7-4
(after rallying for four runs in the 8th inning)

Connecticut: SS Brandon Crawford: 1 for 2, BB, SH, SB
Connecticut: LF Bobby Felmy: 2 for 4, 2 2B

Connecticut: LHP Jesse English: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K
Binghamton: RHP Brad Holt: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 WP, 1 E

With his 9th and 10th doubles, Felmy was the only Defender with a multi-hit line.  He raised his AVG to an even .250.  Crawford was one of two other Defenders to reach base twice.  He also had his 2nd SB in 25 games with the Defenders.

English made his seventh start among a dozen appearances.  He continues to post uninspiring numbers in that starting role, as his ERA in seven starts remains above 6.00, while his ERA was just 0.69 in his five relief appearances.  Paterson struck out four of seven batters for his 6th save.  He now has twice as many strikeouts as hit allowed this season (30 K and 15 H in 23.2 IP).  The Mets' Holt, who began the year ranked towards the end of BA's top 100 prospects list after the Mets drafted him 33rd overall a year ago, made his upper minors debut.  In his eight starts in the Florida State League, he had stats of 33 H, 10 BB, and 50 K in 41.1 IP with a 3.05 ERA.

A+: San Jose defeated Bakersfield 4-3 (13 innings)
(although not nearly as long as the 21-inning game that High Desert and Stockton completed yesterday)

San Jose: SS Brian Bocock: 3 for 6, 2 SO, CS
San Jose: RF Roger Kieschnick: 1 for 6, 2B, 3 SO
San Jose: C Buster Posey: 2 for 5, HR, BB, SO

San Jose: RHP T.J. Brewer: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K--1 HB
San Jose: RHP Dan Turpen: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K

With three hits, Bocock paced the Giants' eleven-hit attack and raised his AVG to .223.  Posey led off the bottom of the 13th inning with his 9th HR.  Kieschnick is having issues making contact in June, now with 3 H and 11 SO in 21 AB through the first five games this month.

Brewer's fifth start was his longest yet and also included a season-high 6 K.  He effectively bounced back from his previous start when he allowed 7 H and 3 ER in just 1.2 IP.  Turpen, one of only two Giants relievers used last night, struck out nearly half of the fourteen batters he faced.  He improved his ERA to 1.26.  Unlike his college teammate Paterson, he does not have the same high strikeout rate this year, as his K/IP is below 1.00 (0.81).

A- Augusta lost to Rome 1-0 (7 innings) in game 1
(allowing the game's only run in the bottom of the 7th inning)

Augusta: SS Ehire Adrianza: 0 for 2, HBP, 2 E
Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 0 for 3, 3 SO

Augusta: LHP Eric Surkamp: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K--1 PO
Rome: LHP Brett DeVall: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K--1 HB

The GreenJackets' offense managed just two singles and hit batter.  Adrianza commited his 13th and 14th errors of the season.  Culberson managed the hat trick in just three plate appearances, raising his SO/AB to 26.7%.

Surkamp began the game with six scoreless innings, facing just three batters over the minimum.  In the 7th inning, he struck out the leadoff batter but then walked the following batter and allowed a game-ending RBI double to the third batter.  He suffered the complete game loss while lowering his ERA to 3.88.  DeVall, whom the Braves selected 40th overall in last year's draft and whom BA ranked as the Braves' #14 prospect to begin the season, pitched his first pro complete-game shutout.  He didn't debut this year until early May, but in seven starts, he now has peripheral stats of 27 H, 9 BB, 0 HR, and 25 K in 36.2 IP to go along with his sub-2.00 ERA.

A-: Augusta lost to Rome 7-2 (7 innings) in game 2
(allowing all seven runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings)

Augusta: 1B Josh Mazzola: 1 for 4, 2B
Augusta: LF Juan Perez: 0 for 3, 3 SO

Augusta: RHP Kyle Nicholson: 2.0+ IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 0 K--1 HR

No one reached base twice for the GreenJackets, but Mazzola did have his 10th double, their only XBH in two games.  He was also the only GreenJacket to play the entire game and not record a strikeout.  Perez recorded the hat trick in just three plate appearances, raising his SO/AB ratio to 22.2%.  So far in June, he is 0 for 16 with 6 SO.

Nicholson was named the SAL's pitcher of the week after he pitched a three-hit complete game in his previous start, but he followed that effort up with presumably the worst start of his pro career.  He allowed a season-high 10 H in just 2.0 IP.  He had previously pitched at least 4.0 IP in all his starts, and he had pitched at least 7.0 IP in his previous six starts.  After an ERA close to 7.00 in April, he had an ERA below 2.00 in May.  After this start, it may be difficult for him to have an ERA below 3.00 in June.

DSL: Giants defeated Marlins 6-4 (11 innings)

Dominican: 2B Cesar Osuna: 1 for 3, 3 BB, E
Dominican: LHP Franklin Noel: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K

No one had two hits for the Gigantes, but Osuna (19.4 y.o.) did have a single and three walks to raise his OBP to .387 after six games.  Noel (20.5 y.o.) wasn't the starter, but he entered with one out in the 2nd inning.  Making his first appearance of the season, he faced just eleven batters to record eleven outs.