In a pathetic attempt to escape from the lack of RISP hitting Edgar Renteria-powered day of We're In This, it's PLAYOFF days in the Giants system.  The highlights: (a) Connecticut splits their double-header, meaning they are division champs and are going to the playoffs for the first time as a Giant affiliate; (b) Salem Keizer hits two home runs in the ninth inning to capture their fourth consecutive division title, and a chance to win their third title in four years; (c) The AZL Giants barely lose to the Angels, setting up a Division Playoff for a chance to meet the Mariners for the AZL Championship; (d) Darren Ford - Prospect?  San Jose's leadoff hitter does it all, going 4-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases, a home run, three runs scored and three runs knocked in; (e) Kevin Frandsen has a 4-for-5 day with a double.

Fresno Grizzlies (Triple-A): Sacramento 9, Fresno 5

SS Kevin Frandsen - 4-5, 1 R, 1 2B (16), 1 RBI, .297

1B Jesus Guzman - 2-3, 1 R, 2 BB, .324

RF Ben Copleand - 2-5, 2 R, 1 SO, 1 SB (14), .279

2B Matt Downs - 2-5, 3 RBI, .296

SP Kevin Pucetas - 1.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO, 2 HBP, 4.66 ERA, L (10-5)

RP Osiris Matos - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3.44 ERA

RP Ronnie Ray - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 WP, 5.92 ERA

Game Notes: Sacramento railroaded Fresno's all-star pitcher.  In the first, a pair of walks and a pair of singles scored two runs against Pucetas, but it got bad in the second.  After a one-out single, Pucetas hit two consecutive batters to load the bases.  That was followed by three singles and a double.  After a fielder's choice, one more double (giving up the sixth and seventh runs of the inning) knocked Puecetas out.

Team Notes: Frandsen's four hit day gives him a .289 average over the last nine games.  His batting line is .297/.350/.448 on the season in Triple-A...Guzman has five walks in his last six games, leading to a .382 on-base percentage...Copeland has at least two hits in each of his last four games...Downs has eight RBI in his last five games, giving him 66 on the season...Pucetas appears to have run out of gas.  In his last six games (30 1/3 innings), he has given up 35 earned runs.

Connecticut Defenders (Double-A) - Game 1: Connecticut 5, Harrisburg 3 (7 Innings)

CF Mike McBryde - 2-3, 2 R, 1 3B (2), 1 BB, .303

1B Brett Pill - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B (35), 3 RBI, .294

3B Raul Castro - 2-3, 1 BB, .245

SP Geivy Garcia - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 4.70 ERA

RP Joe Paterson - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.07 ERA, W (5-6)

RP Mitch Lively - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0.52 ERA, S (1)

Game Notes: With this, the Defenders won the North Division title.  The Defenders got on the board early with Brock Bond and McBryde each drawing leadoff walks, and Pill doubling them home, but the Senators tied it up in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run.  In the third, McBryde led off with a trple, and Pill singled him home for the lead.  Later in the inning, Sharlon Schoop hit a 2-run single to give Connecticut the margin they'd need.

Game 2: Harrisburg 1, Connecticut 0 (7 Innings)

C Tyler LaTorre - 1-2, 1 2B (8), .265 ERA, 1 E (3)

3B Brad Boyer - 1-3, .293, 1 E (7)

SP Ben Snyder - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO, 1 HBP, 2.57 ERA, L (3-4)

Game Notes: The nightcap was a bit of a letdown.  Snyder got the start and went the distance, but got very little support.  The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, when Snyder got two quick outs.  However, a walk and a hit batter put runners on first and second.  Snyder then gave up a single which allowed the game-winning run.

Team Notes: McBryde's triple gives him a .422 slugging percentage this season in the Eastern League.  He also has 20 doubles and four home runs in 83 games...Pill reached the 100 RBI mark for the season...Garcia has a 3.45 ERA in six games as a starter, after posting a 5.79 ERA as a reliever...Paterson has bounced back from a rough start to the second half, now with five games without allowing a run...Lively picked up his first save of the season at any level, in 40 appearances combined...Snyder got his fourth start of the season.  Despite a good game, his ERA as a starter is 4.43 thanks to a poor start last time out.

San Jose Giants (A-Advanced): San Jose 10, Lancaster 3

CF Darren Ford - 4-4, 3 R, 1 HR (9), 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB (30), .290

DH Thomas Neal - 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR (22), 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP, .334

RF Roger Kieschnick - 1-4, 1 2B (34), 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 299

SP Kyle Nicholson - 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 2 HR, 3.18 ERA, W (4-0)

RP Ryan Shaver - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA

RP Dan Turpen - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.29 ERA

Game Notes: Ford was doing it all in this game.  In the bottom of the first, he lead off with a walk, and stole two bases to get to third and scored on a wild pitch.  (He didn't need to; Noonan and Neal each also walked to laod the bases before the wild pitch).  That turned into a three run inning for San Jose.  Ford then homered in the second to score two more runs, followed by a Neal home run to make it 6-1.  After two more Lancaster runs in the third, Ford highlighted a four-run inning with an RBI single, and later scoring on Neal's RBI single.

Team Notes: Ford had as perfect a day as they come.  Over his last ten games, he's batting .405...Neal picked up his fourth home run in his last nine games.  He now has nine since the All-Star Break after hitting 13 before...Kieschnick has picked up five doubles in his last six games despite batting just .261 over that stretch...Nicholson has allowed three home runs in 34 innings in San Jose.  He had allowed seven in 122 13/ innings in Augusta before his promotion...Turpen has 16 strikeouts and just three walks over his last ten outings (13 1/3 innings).

Augusta GreenJackets (A) - Game 1: Charleston 3, Augusta 2 (7 Innings)

3B Charlie Culberson - 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B (13), .245

C Eliezer Zambrano - 2-2, 1 RBI, .278

2B Vladimir Frias - 2-4, 1 SO, .252

SP Aaron King - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 3.92 ERA, L (6-6)

Game Notes: Augusta got on the board first in the fourth, as Culberson hit a two-out double.  Zambrano singled home one run and James Simmons hit an RBI double to make it 2-0.  However, Charleston tied it up in the fifth thanks in part to a wild pitch and an error on a sacrifice fly.  An RBI single in the sixth gave Charleston the lead and evenutally the win.

Game 2: Charleston 9, Augusta 8 (11 Innings)

C Johnny Monell - 3-5, 3 R, 1 HR (6), 3 RBI, .276

DH Andy D'Alessio - 2-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 SO, .297

1B Josh Mazzola - 2-5, 1 R, 1 SO, .274

CF Francisco Peguero - 2-6, 1 3B (4), 1 SO, .350

SP Orlando Yntema - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 7.36 ERA

RP Edwin Quirarte - 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 4.37 ERA, BS (5)

RP Ryan Verdugo - 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 WP, 1.64 ERA

RP Kyle Woodruff - 1.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.95 ERA, 1 E (1)

Game Notes: In a game scheduled to go seven innings, Augusta got into their 18th inning of the day.  Augusta had taken an 8-0 lead, highlighted by a four-run third inning, and Monell's two-run home run in the fourth.  But Charleston had a six-run sith inning, knocking Yntema out of the game and not allowing reliever Steven Calicutt to get an out in the inning.  Two more runs in the seventh tied the game.  In the 11th, a leadoff single and an error on a pickoff attempt put the winning run in scoring position, and Woodruff then gave up the game-winning single.

Team Notes: Culberson's double was just his second extra-base hit of the month of August...Zambrano is now 5-for-18 in seven games in Augusta...Monell's home run is his first since August 17th.  It was also his first RBI since then...D'Alessio has 77 strikeouts in 320 at-bats in Augusta this season....King increased his strikeout total to 81 in 98 2/3 innings, but has 50 walks as well...Yntema had a 2.80 ERA in Salem-Keizer before his promotion to Augusta...Verdugo bounced back from allowed three earned runs in his last appearance on Wednesday...Woodruff has given up 25 hits in his last 21 innings of work.

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Short Season-A): Salem-Keizer 4, Everett 3

SS Ryan Cavan - 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR (5), 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .257

2B Juan Martinez - 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR (4), 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .273

CF Evan Crawford - 2-5, 1 R, 1 SO, .316

SP Wilbur Bucardo - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 2 HR, 3.20 ERA, 1 HBP

RP David Quinowski - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1.75 ERA

RP Jose Valdez - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.90 ERA, W (3-2)

RP Jose Casilla - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.08 ERA, S (11)

Game Notes: For the fourth year in a row, the Volcanoes are heading to the Northwest League finals.  Salem-Keizer clinched their West division title in dramatic fashion.  They fell behind 3-0 after two innings, but got one run back in the sixth as Crawford had a leadoff single, got to third on a bunt and error, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  In the ninth, after a leadoff single by Luke Anders, Cavan homered to tie the game up.  After an out, Martinez followed suit with his own home run to give S-K the lead.

Team Notes: Cavan had his third home run of the last five games.  He had just two home runs in his first 46 games...Martinez's home run was his first of August.  He had three in July...Crawford remains hot, now batting .321 in August with 12 runs scored...Bucardo made his first start since returning from the disabled list on August 15th...Quinowski now has 29 strikeouts in his last 19 1/3 innings pitched...Valdez has 11 strikeouts and no walks in his last five innings of work...Casilla hasn't walked anyone since August 4th.

AZL Giants (Rookie): Angels 1, Giants 0 (12 Innings)

DH Jesse Shriner - 1-3, 1 2B (17), 1 BB, 1 SO, .297, 1 HBP

1B Carlos Quintana - 2-5, 1 2B (6), 1 SO, .300

SS Ydwin Villegas - 2-5, 1 SO, 1 SB (12), .302

SP Addison Proszek - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 4.24 ERA

RP Audy Santana - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1.40 ERA

RP Ben Wilshire - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.13 ERA

RP Christopher Heston - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 4.11 ERA, L (1-5)

Game Notes: In a showdown of two AZL powers this season, the Angels outlasted the Giants.  The two teams of rookies stayed scoreless until the bottom of the 12th.  Heston gave up a leadoff single, and the runner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  After a groundout and a walk, Heston gave up a two-out RBI single to give the Angels the win.

Team Notes: The win sets up a playoff.  The Giants and Angels finish the second half tied for the East division title.  The Giants won the first half, but the two teams will have to face each other for the title on Sunday.  The winner goes on to meet the Mariners, who won both halves of the West division, on Monday for the AZL Championship...Shriner has a slugging percentage of .448 on the season...Quintana has six multi-hit games in his last nine appearances...Proszek made his fourth start of the season, and asn't allowed an earned run since August 2nd...Santana remains unscored upon in August (10 innings)...Heston has five losses credited to him in his last ten games.