Not a good day for highlights on the Giants' farm.  Maybe they were taking a holiday.  The best highlight from the top three affiliates is (a) Sharlon Schoop having three hits, albeit all singles.  Augusta had more highlight-worthy performances with (b,c) Charlie Culberson and James Simmons each having three hits, with Culberson also having a walk and Simmons' having his 2nd HR.  Also for Augusta, (d) Ari Ronick had a very good start with a season-high 9 K.

AAA: Fresno lost to Sacramento 3-1

Fresno: SS Kevin Frandsen: 1 for 3, BB, GiDP, E
Fresno: DH Jesus Guzman: 1 for 2, 2 BB, CS
Sacramento: LHP Daric Barton: 1 for 4, HR, 2 SO

Fresno: LHP Steve Hammond: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Fresno: RHP Ronnie Ray: 3.0 IP, 2 H
Sacramento: LHP Dana Eveland: 5.0+ IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K--1 HB

Guzman reached base three times, raising his OBP back above .370.  Frandsen was the only other Grizzly to reach base twice.  He also committed his 13th error.  The Athletics ' Barton had his second HR of the three-game series.

Hammond began with four scoreless innings but allowed three runs in the 5th inning, dropping his W-L record to 4-8.  Ray faced the minimum in three scoreless innings, improving his ERA to 3.51.  Twice the Grizzlies had the bases loaded and no outs against Eveland, but neither time could they subsequently score a run.  Eveland improved his W-L record to 7-1 after twelve starts with a 3.49 ERA.

AA: Connecticut lost to Harrisburg 9-2

Connecticut: 2B Sharlon Schoop: 3 for 4, GiDP, SB
Connecticut: RF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 2 for 4, 2B

Connecticut: LHP Jesse English: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K--2 HR

Schoop and EME combined for five the Defenders' nine hits, raising their respective AVGs to .266 and .320.  Schoop has been streaky, hitting .348 in May and hten just .170 in June.  EME's 21st double was their only XBH.

After having perhaps his best start of the season six days ago, English got hit hard in this start, inflating his ERA to 3.90.  His BB/IP continues to be above 0.50.

A+: San Jose lost to Stockton 6-2

San Jose: RF Tyler Graham: 1 for 3, BB, SB
San Jose: DH Buster Posey: 0 for 2, 2 BB, SO
San Jose: 1B Angel Villalona: 0 for 4, 2 SO
Stockton: CF Grant Desme: 2 for 3, HR, BB, SO, 3 SB

San Jose: RHP Oliver Odle: 5.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--2 HR
San Jose: RHP Craig Whitaker: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K--1 WP

The Giants' offense was limited to just two singles, four walks, and a stolen base.  Reaching base twice each, Graham and Posey accounted for most of that.  Graham had his 19th SB.  Posey now has more walks than strikeouts this year (41 BB and 40 SO among 254 AB).  Villalona continues to have issues making contact, as he has had multiple strikeouts in five of his last eight games.  Desme, whom the Athletics selected 74th overall two years ago, had a big game, connecting in the 1st inning for his 3rd HR in nine Cal League games.  He also had his first 3 SB in the Cal League.

Odle now has a 2-7 W-L record with an ERA over 6.25 in the eleven games he has started this year.  With the all-star break, this was his first start in nearly two weeks.  Whitaker continues to have some control issues, and tonight things were worse than normal with a season-high 5 BB.

A-: Augusta defeated Lexington 9-2

Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 3 for 4, BB, SO
Augusta: RF James Simmons: 3 for 5, HR, 2 SO
Lexington: CF Jay Austin: 3 for 5

Augusta: LHP Ari Ronick: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K--1 WP
Augusta: RHP Chris Wilson: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K

Culberson and Simmons each had three of the GreenJackets' fourteen hits, raising their AVGs to .245 and .263.  Simmons had his 2nd HR; he had 5 HRs a year ago.  Astros' prospect Austin also had three hits, which improved his AVG to .267.

Ronick had six shutout innings, facing just four batters over the minimum, before yielding two runs in the 7th inning.  He had a season-high (career-high too?) 9 K.  Wilson stranded the three baserunners he inherited and faced just one batter over the minimum as he was credited with his 2nd save.

ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Vancouver 7-4
(rallying for six runs in the final two innings)

Salem-Keizer: SS Ryan Cavan: 3 for 4, BB, E

Salem-Keizer: RHP Wilbur Bucardo: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Cavan (16th rounder) had three hits, boosting his AVG to .342 through his first ten pro games.  He also committed his 6th error, though.

The box score says this was Jorge Bucardo's start, but I think it was actually his older brother's Wilbur's start, as it would have been Wilbur's turn in the rotation, and it seems unlikely that Jorge pitched on one day of rest.  In any event, Wilbur had another effective start.  After three starts, he now has 14 H, 6 BB, 2 ER, and 10 K in 15.2 IP.  This afternoon he had a 10/2 GO/FO line.

R: Giants hostings Indians were tied 2-2 in the 7th inning when the game was suspended by rain
(It will be resumed on August 18.)

Scottsdale: RF Leo Ochoa: 3 for 3, 3B, 2B

Scottsdale: RHP Cameron Lamb: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K--1 HR

Ochoa, the Giants' 48th rounder a year ago out of Quebec is having a strong start to his pro career, with multiple hits in four of his first five games.  Tonight he had a triple, double and single in his three plate appearances.

After allowing a two-run HR in the 1st inning, Lamb was fairly dominant, allowing just two more baserunners, striking out seven and having an 8/2 GO/FO line.

DSL: Giants defeated Rangers2 6-5

Dominican: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 2 for 3, 3B, 2 BB
Dominican: RHP Kendry Flores: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 WP

Willoughby (20.7 y.o.) continues to be an OBP force at the top fo the Gigantes' lineup.  His OBP is now .470 through 100 AB.  A year ago he had a .414 OBP.  Flores (17.7 y.o.) allowed a season-high 3 ER in his fifth career start.  He has a 3.13 ERA despite a 1.25 K/BB ratio.