minor lines, 7/22/09

The main highlight from the Giants farm is (a) Madison Bumgarner allowing just one run in seven innings and also hitting a grand slam HR.  Other highlights include (b) Craig Clark also allowing just 1 ER in 7.0 IP; (c) Ryan Rohlinger both homering and tripling; (d) Roger Kieschnick also having 2 XBH; and (e,f) both Mike McBryde and Franisco Peguero having three hits, including a double.

AAA: Fresno defeated Salt Lake 6-3

Fresno: 1B Jesus Guzman: 2 for 4, HR
Fresno: SS Ryan Rohlinger: 2 for 4, HR, 3B

Fresno: LHP Steve Hammond: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Fresno: LHP Alex Hinshaw: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Guzman and Rohlinger, who had four of the Grizzlies' eight hits, both homered, connecting for their 12th and 8th HRs.

Hammond had less than a quality start but improved his W-L record to 7-8.  He threw 97 pitches (53 strikes) in five innings.  Hinshaw threw 10 of 18 pitches for strikes in a scoreless 8th inning.

AA: Connecticut defeated Binghamton: 9-3
(scoring their first six runs in the 5th inning)

Connecticut: CF Mike McBryde: 3 for 5, 2B, SB
Connecticut: P Madison Bumgarner: 2 for 3, HR, SO
Connecticut: PH Adam Witter: 1 for 1, HR

Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Connecticut: RHP Wald Joaquin: 1.0 IP, 1 K

McBryde's three hits, including his 11th double, raised his AVG to .292.  Bumgarner had the Defenders' only other multi-hit line, and he even hit a grand slam HR in the 5th inning!  Pinch hitting for Bumgarner in the 8th inning, Witter also homered, his 2nd HR in 112 AB in the Eastern League this year (6 HRs in 194 AB overall).

Bumgarner had a very effective start, dropping his WHIP back below 1.00 and his BAA below .200 in his dozen upper minors starts.  With no walks, he also got his K/BB back above 2.50.  Atypical for him, he more groundouts than flyouts tonight (10/6 GO/FO line).  Joaquin pitched a perfect 8th inning.

A+: San Jose defeated Visalia 7-1

San Jose: RF Roger Kieschnick: 2 for 5, 2 2B, 2 SO
San Jose: 1B C.J. Ziegler: 2 for 5, HR, 2 SO, E
San Jose: C Aaron Lowenstein: 3 for 5, SO

San Jose: LHP Craig Clark: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Every Giant in the lineup had a hit, and Lowenstein, a backup catcher, paced their fourteen-hit attack with three singles, raising his AVG to .313.  Among three other Giants with multi-hit lines, Zielger had his 2nd HR and Kieschnick had his 18th and 19th doubles.

Clark had an excellent start with just 1 ER in 7.0 IP, lowering his ERA to 3.07 and improving his W-L record to 11-2.  Altough he has tallied just 10 K in his last three starts combined, his K/IP for the season remains above 1.00, and tonight he surpassed the 100 K mark,

A-: Augusta lost to Kannapolis 5-2

Augusta: CF Francisco Peguero: 3 for 5, 2B
Augusta; LF Wendelly Fairley: 1 for 3, HBP, 2 SO

Augusta: LHP Eric Surkamp: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K--1 HR
Kannapolis: RHP Dexter Carter: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K--1 HB, 1 WP

Peguero has had a hit in all seven games since returning to the Sally League, including three games with three hits, giving him a .419 AVG in the past seven games.  For the season, he has a .378 AVG in 127 AB.  Fairley was the only other GreenJacket to reach base twice.

The results of this start were not quite up to the standards which Surkamp has recently set for himself.  The 8 H were the most Surkamp has allowed in any of his last nine starts, dating back to Memorial Day.  The 4 ER were the most he had allowed in an even longer period of time.  The 6 K was fewer strikeouts than he had had in any of his previous four starts.  He now has a 3.71 ERA after sixteen starts this year.  Carter, whom the White Sox drafted in the 13th round last year and whom BA ranked as their #23 prospect to begin the year, continues to enjoy a very solid pro career.  In four starts this month, he has 20 H, 6 BB, and 41 K in 29.0 IP.  For the season, he has 98 H, 32 BB, and 138 K in 111.0 IP.

ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Boise 10-8
(scoring all ten runs in the 6th and 7th innings)

Salem-Keizer: LF Dan Cook: 3 for 5, BB
Salem-Keizer: 3B Andrew Biery: 3 for 5, SO
Salem-Keizer: SS Ryan Cavan: 2 for 2, HBP

Salem-Keizer: RHP Jorge Bucardo: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HB

Cook and Biery (22nd rounder) both had three singles.  Biery has had multi-hit lines in five of his last seven games, raising his AVG to .388.  Cavan (16th rounder) reached base in all three plate appearances, before being removed from the game shortly after being hit by a pitch in the 6th inning.

Bucardo had his least effective start of the season, allowing four runs in the 5th inning.  His seventh start of the season was his second shortest start of the year, and he had 3 BB after having just 5 BB in his previous six starts.

R: Scottsdale had their regular off-day
(every fifth day)

Giants on AZL leaderboards in selected stats:
--Hitters:
AVG: Izturis 3rd, Ochoa 7th
OBP: Izturis 4th, Ochoa 5th
SLG: (none--Izturis leads team at .492)
SB: Crawford 6th, Izturis 9th
--Pitchers:
ERA: Lamb 5th
WHIP: Lamb 7th
K: Concepcion 2nd, Lamb 3rd
IP: Lamb 6th, Concepcion 12th

DSL: Giants defeated Mets 5-4 (10 innings)

Dominican: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 0 for 1, BB, HBP, SF, SH
Dominican: LHP Diego De La Cruz: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

I don't know that I've ever seen a line like Willoughby's before, with all four ways of having a plate appearance without having an bat within one game.  De La Cruz (20.5 y.o.) now has a 1.10 ERA in three starts after a 5.65 ERA in six relief appearances.