minor lines, 8/15/09

Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a,b) Brad Boyer and Johnny Monell both reached base in all four plate appearances; (c) Kevin Frandsen had three hits; (d) Josh Mazzola homered among his two hits; (e) Aaron King allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP; and (f,g) Geivy Garcia and Clayton Tanner both had quality starts with just 2 ER.

AAA: Fresno lost to Nashville 9-1
(after leading 1-0 in the middle of the 6th inning)

Fresno: 2B Kevin Frandsen: 3 for 4
Fresno: LF John Bowker: 2 for 4, SO
Nashville: SS J.J. Hardy: 1 for 4, HR, BB
Nashville: 3B Mat Gamel: 2 for 4, 2B, SO

Fresno: RHP Ramon Ortiz: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K--1 HR
Fresno: RHP Steven Edlefsen: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB--1 BK
Fresno: RHP Ronnie Ray: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 K--1 HB

Frandsen and Bowker combined for five of the Grizzlies' eight hits, all of which were singles.  Frandsen raised his AVG to .299.  Bowker's day also included throwing out a runner at the plate.  Hardy, whom the Brewers demoted to the minors earlier this week, had his first minor league HR in five years.  Gamel, who made his MLB debut earlier this year, was one of four hitters with a multi-hit line for the Brewers' affiliate.

Ortiz began the game with 5.0 scoreless IP but then allowed a couple runs in both the 6th and 7th innings, the last of which scored after he left the game.  Edlefsen had his least effective appearance since being promoted to the PCL, retiring just one of five batters.  Ray stranded all three inherited runners in the 7th inning but the allowed four runs in the 8th inning to ice the game.

AA: Connecticut defeated Erie 3-2

Connecticut: 2B Brock Bond: 1 for 2, 2 BB
Connecticut: LF Brad Boyer: 2 for 2, 2B, BB, HBP

Connecticut: RHP Geivy Garcia: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Connecticut: RHP Mitch Lively: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Connecticut: LHP Dan Runzler: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HB
Erie: RHP Jonah Nickerson: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K--3 HB

Boyer remains red hot, reaching base in all four plate appearances.  His line in August is now .477/.531/.705 through 44 AB.  Bond reached base three times.

Garcia's fourth start was his longest yet.  In his four starts, he has allowed just 6 ER for a 2.70 ERA in 20.0 IP.  Lively threw a perfect 7th inning in his fifth appearance in the upper minors.  Runzler retired just five of the ten batters he faced but managed not to allow a run to improve his ERA to 1.35 as he received his first save in the upper minors.  Nickerson, the star of the 2006 College World Series for Oregon State after being drafted by the Tigers, had a quality start, his ERA remains above 5.00 through 23 starts this year.

A+: San Jose defeated Stockton 3-2
(rallying for two runs in bottom of 9th inning)

San Jose: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 2 for 3, 2B
Stoctkon: CF Grant Desme: 2 for 4, HR, SO

San Jose: LHP Clayton Tanner: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K--1 HR
San Jose: RHP Dan Turpen: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K

Gillaspie had two of the Giants' eight hits, including his 24th double, raising his AVG to .278.  The Athletics' Desme had another HR, leading off the 2nd inning with his 16th HR in 49 games since being promoted to the Cal League.  It was also his 27th HR of the year after having 11 HRs in the Midwest League before his promotion.  His SLG in the Cal League is now over .650.

Tanner had his fourth straight quality start.  He's been pretty consistent throughout the season, with his stats before and after the Cal League's all-star break looking fairly similar.  With tonight's start, he has surpassed his workload from a year ago, now with 117.2 IP  after 117.0 IP last year.  Turpen had 4 K in his longest Cal League appearance in some time (which excludes his 2.1 IP appearance in the PCL).  In his previous nine appearance, he had worked more than 1.0 IP only once.

A-: Augusta defeated Hagerstown 5-4

Augusta: 1B Josh Mazzola: 2 for 4, HR, SO
Augusta: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 1, 2 BB, HBP

Augusta: LHP Aaron King: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K--2 WP
Augusta: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB--1 IBB

Mazzola had his team-leading 15th HR.  He and Monell, who reached base in all four plate appearances, were the only GreenJackets to reach base multiple times.  Monell seems once again to be finishing the season strong, He is hitting .316/.388/.456 in 114 AB since the all-star break.

King pitched six full innings for just the third time this year in his nineteen starts, and his performance featured what I believe was a career-high 9 K.  He had had more than 5 K just one in his previous nine appearances.  His ERA is now just below 4.00.  Quirarte retired just one of the three batters he faced, but that was enough to be credited with his 7th save.

ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Spokane 5-2

Salem-Keizer: 2B Juan Martinez: 2 for 4, SO, SB

Salem-Keizer: RHP Javier Hernandez: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 HB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Wilbur Bucardo: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K--1 IBB

Martinez (46th rounder) had two of the Volcanoes' six hits, raising his AVG to .280.

With 3 ER ore more in each of his last five starts, Hernandez's ERA remains above 5.  After seven starts, during which he had a 3.03 ERA, the older Bucardo brother made his first relief appearance of the year.  It was his first appearance in three weeks.

R: Giants defeated Rangers 8-4

Scottsdale: LF Josh Phelps: 3 for 4, BB
Scottsdale: DH Jake Dunning: 3 for 4, 3B

Scottsdale: RHP Bryan Salsbury: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Scottsdale: RHP Kelyn Acosta: 1.0 IP, 2 K

The 31-year-old Phelps reached base three times in his third game of the year.  Dunning had his third straight multi-hit game.  He has as many hits in his last three games as he had in his previous ten pro games.

Salsbury had his third straight start with 6.0 IP.  The 3 ER were the first earned runs he had allowed in nearly a full month, when he allowed 1 ER in a start 30 days ago.  His ERA remains below 2.50.  Appearing in a game for the first time in approximately two years, Acosta had 2 K in a perfect 7th inning.

DSL: No results reported for Giants hosting Yankees1