Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Brett Pill had four hits, including 2 HRs; (b) Thomas Neal had also four hits with 2 XBHs; (c) Kevin Pucetas allows just 2 H and no ER in 6.0 IP; (d) Ari Ronick allowed 2 ER in 7.2 IP; (e) Clay Timpner homered and doubled; and (f) Darren Ford reached base four times.  The bizarre hitting highlight of the night was by (g) Tim Alderson, who had less than a quality start on the mound but had two hits, including a HR, and this a night after Madison Bumgarner also had two hits including a HR.

AAA: Fresno defeated Salt Lake 6-2

Fresno: CF Clay Timpner: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, BB
Fresno: SS Ryan Rohlinger: 2 for 4, E
Fresno: RF Brian Horwitz: 2 for 4, 3B, SO

Fresno: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Salt Lake: RHP Trevor Bell: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Timpner had the big game with his 3rd HR and 9th double while reaching base three times.  Also with two hits were Rohlinger, getting a rare appearance at shortstop (with Jake Wald shifting over to third base) and Horwitz, who both have AVGs above .280, while Timpner's AVG remains below .250.

Pucetas matched a season low with 2 H, taking his BAA below .250.  He just seems to win games, improving his W-L record to 10-2 in twenty starts.  He wasn't overly efficient with his pitch count tonight, though, requiring 102 pitches, with just 57 strikes, in six innings.  Bell, who has had a breakout season in the Angels' organization this year, had another fine start.  He was in the strike zone much more often with 78 of 110 pitches for strikes.  He has a 2.50 ERA in his first eight PCL starts.

AA: Connecticut lost to Binghamton 6-5

Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 4 for 5, 2 HR
Connecticut: SS Sharlon Schoop: 1 for 3, HR, BB
Connecticut: P Tim Alderson: 2 for 3, HR, SO

Connecticut: RHP Tim Alderson: 7.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB--1 BK
Connecticut: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 K--1 WP
Binghamton: RHP Brad Holt: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--4 HR

Pill had a big night, connecting for his 10th and 11th HRs.  With a four-hit night, he raised his AVG above .300.  Schoop and Alderson each had their first HRs.  No, this is not a misprint, at least not one originating with me, on back-to-back nights, Madison Bumgarner and Alderson have their first pro-HRs as part of a multi-hit line.

Alderson allowed a season-high 10 H as he had his third straight start with 4 ER allowed.  His ERA is now 3.47.  Paterson and Joaquin allowed the tying and go-ahead runs in the 8th inning while retiring just three of seven batters.  In a pitching matchup featuring two top 100 prospects, Alderson did perform better than the Mets' Holt.  Holt had given up just 8 HRs in his previous fifteen starts this year but allowed 4 HRs tonight.  The 33rd overall pick a year ago now has a 5.45 ERA in his seven starts since being promoted to the upper minors, although his peripheral stats are pretty good except for the home runs with 31 H, 11 BB, and 36 K in 34.2 IP.

A+: San Jose defeated Visalia 11-2

San Jose: CF Darren Ford: 3 for 4, HBP
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 4 for 5, 2 2B, SO, SB
San Jose: 1B David Maroul: 2 for 5, HR, SO

San Jose: LHP Scott Barnes: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 2 HB
San Jose: RHP T.J. Brewer: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K

Neal had four hits, including his organization-leading 31st and 32nd doubles.  The four hits raised his AVG to .350.  Ford also reached base four times.  Hitting better than .300 this month after hitting less than .190 the two previous months, his AVG is above .250 for the first time since May.  Maroul had his 4th HR of the year.  With 6 K in 2.0 IP, Brewer raised his K/IP above 1.00.

In the 2nd inning, Barnes allowed a two-HR, the first long ball he had allowed in over a month, but those were the only two runs he allowed for the game.  His ERA remained basically steady at 2.85.

A-: Augusta lost to Kannapolis 3-2
(allowing a run in both the 8th and 9th innings)

Augusta: 2B Jose Mazzola: 2 for 4, HR, SO
Augusta: RF Juan Perez: 2 for 4, SO

Augusta: LHP Ari Ronick: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HR, 1 HB, 1 WP

Mazzola and Perez each had two of the GreenJackets' seven hits, including Mazzola's 11th HR.  Mazzola continues to lead all Augusta hitters in the most important hitting stats among those with enough playing time to qualify for the league leaderboards.

Ronick bounced back from his last abbreviated start (2.0 IP) with one of his longest starts of the season.  He allowed just a single run before being removed from the game with two outs in the 8th inning.  His ERA is back below 3.00.  After not issuing a walk in his last start in May or any of his four starts in June, he has now issued 11 BB in his four July starts.  Still, he has a 4.00 K/BB ratio over his last ten starts combined and a K/BB ratio better than 3.00 for the season.

ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Yakima 3-2

Salem-Keizer: LF-CF Shane Lindsley: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Salem-Keizer: DH Luke Anders: 3 for 4, HR, 2B

Salem-Keizer: RHP Chris Toole: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 BK
Salem-Keizer: RHP Gary Moran: 2.0 IP, 2 K

Anders (32nd rounder) homered for the second straight night.  He had his 5th HR and 7th double of the year, with three hits boosting his AVG to .294.  Lindsley (18th rounder last year) was one of two other Volcanoes with two hits.  Drafted as a shortstop but converted to the outfield, he is hitting just .222 in 36 AB this year.

Toole (10th rounder) had his longest start yet.  He has allowed 1 ER in each of his four starts.  Moran (41st rounder) had 2.0 perfect IP, bouncing back from his previous appearance in which he allowed all five batters to reach base, but that was his only appearance so far in which he has allowed an earned run.

R: Giants defeated Cubs 2-1

Scottsdale: 3B Evan McArthur: 2 for 4, 2B, SO, CS
Scottsdale: LF Jonathan White: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Scottsdale: 1B Carlos Quintana: 2 for 3, SB

Scottsdale: RHP Bryan Salsbury: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

With two hits each, McArthur, White, and Quintana accounted for all six fo the rookie Giants' hits.  McArthur and White both have AVGs over .300, while Quintana's AVG is just .240.

Salsbury (14th rounder) had the best start yet of his young pro career, facing just one batter over the minimum.  With 5.0 scoreless IP, he lowered his ERA over a full run from 4.96 to 3.80.  Gametime was just 2:07 in this pitcher's duel.

DSL: Giants defeated Red Sox 5-4

Dominican: C Luis Vasquez: 2 for 2
Dominican: RHP Ariel Hernandez: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Dominican: RHP Bertoni Garcia: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 4 K

Although not in the starting lineup, Vasquez (18.4 y.o.) managed two hits, getting his AVG above the Mendoza line.  Perhaps Hernandez (17.4 y.o.) and Garcia (18.0 y.o.) are now in a tandem starter situation.  Garcia, who had his first start in his previous appearance, had the better performance today, facing the minimum twelve batters in 4.0 IP in relief..  Hernandez allowed 4 ER after having previously allowed just 3 ER previously this year.