minor lines, 9/6/09

Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Conor Gillaspie homered and had a couple doubles among his four hits; (b) Nick Noonan also had four hits; (c,d) Matt Downs and Ben Copeland both homered while having two hits each; (e) Thomas Neal reached base five times; and (f) Craig Clark had 5.0 scoreless IP.

AAA: Fresno lost to Reno 8-6
(allowing seven runs in 3rd and 4th innings)

Fresno: RF Ben Copeland: 2 for 3, HR, BB
Fresno: 2B Matt Downs: 2 for 4, HR, 2B
Fresno: CF Clay Timpner: 2 for 4
Reno: C Luke Carlin: 2 for 3, HR, BB, HBP, SO

Fresno: RHP Matt Kinney: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--2 HR
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K--1 HR
Fresno: RHP Steven Edlefsen: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K--2 WP

Downs and Copeland had their 14th and 8th HRs.  Along with Timpner, they each had two of the Grizzlies' seven hits.  For the Diamondbacks' affiliate, Carlin reached base four times while having one of the Aces' three home runs.  After nearly 100 AB in MLB last year, the 28-year-old has an OPS over .900 in the PCL this year.

After a five-run 3rd inning, Kinney finished his season with a 5.43 ERA.  Matos had 5 K in perhaps his final minor league season appearance of the year.  Edlefsen pitched a scoreless 7th inning despite a couple wild pitches.

AA: Connecticut lost to Reading 6-0
(allowing all six runs in 7th inning)

Connecticut: CF Mike McBryde: 2 for 4
Connecticut: LF Brad Boyer: 2 for 4, SB

Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 1.0 IP
Connecticut: RHP Mitch Lively: 2.2 IP, 3 BB, 1 K
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 2.1 IP, 2 K
Connecticut: RHP Shane Kaufman: 1.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 IBB

McBryde and Boyer each had a couple singles in the Defenders' penultimate regular season game, edging their AVGs upwards to .308 and .294, respectively.

Pitching on four days rest instead of his usual five days rest, Bumgarner worked a perfect 1st inning in an apparent tune-up prior to the playoffs.  Lively and Paterson provided long relief with 5.0 scoreless IP, including 2.1 perfect IP for Paterson.  But Kaufman then allowed 6 ER in the 7th inning.

A+: San Jose defeated Lake Elsinore 11-3
(after leading 9-0 after four innings)

San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 4 for 6, 2B, SO, SB
San Jose: DH Thomas Neal: 1 for 2, 2B, 4 BB
San Jose: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 4 for 6, HR, 2 2B, SO
San Jose: SS Brian Bocock: 2 for 5, 3B, 2B
San Jose: CF Shane Jordan: 3 for 4, 2B, BB

San Jose: LHP Craig Clark: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
San Jose: LHP Clayton Tanner: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Noonan and Gillaspie each had four of the Giants' nineteen hits.  Among Gillaspie's four hits were his 4th HR and his 30th and 31st doubles.  Noonan's four hits raised his AVG to .260.  Neal had four walks, plus his 41st double.  Jordan added three hits.  Bocock had his 2nd triple and 25th double.

Clark, the Cal League pitcher of the year, had 5.0 scoreless IP to conclude his season, improving his ERA to 2.86.  Tanner made his third relief appearance among 26 appearances this year, pitching on four days rest.  His ERA rose to 3.17 with 3 ER in the 9th inning.  While Clark had a 2/11 GO/FO line, Tanner had a 7/2 GO/FO line.

A-: Augusta lost to Rome 7-1

Augusta: RF Josh Mazzola: 2 for 4
Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 2 for 4, 2B, SB

Augusta: LHP Ari Ronick: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Augusta; RHP Justin Fitzgerald: 2.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Mazzola and Culberson each had two of the GreenJackets' six hits, which improved their AVGs to .278 and .244.  Culberson had his 17th double and 15th steal.

After allowing just 2 ER over his previous five starts combined, Ronick allowed 4 ER in his final start of the year.  He finished the year with a 2.65 ERA in 136.0 IP.  Fitzgerald had a presumable season-high 6 K in his final appearance of the season.  Last year's 11th round pick will presumably finish his first full season with a 3.70 ERA  and a 1.11 K/IP in 56.0 IP.

ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Eugene 6-4

Salem-Keizer: C-1B-2B-SS-3B-LF-CF-RF-3B Joel Weeks: 1 for 3, BB, SO, SB
Salem-Keizer: DH Ryan Cavan: 2 for 4, 3B

Salem-Keizer: RHP Javier Hernandez: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 HB, 2 WP
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jose Valdez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

With the Volcanoes' only multi-hit line, Cavan raised his AVG to .277.  Weeks, who played every position except pitcher, was the only other Volcano to reach base twice.

Hernandez had his longest and perhaps hist best start of the season.  With 0 ER in 6.0 IP, he presumably finished the season with an ERA just under 5.50.  Valdez struck out or walked seven of the other ten batters he faced.  Unfortunately, the defense was not able to retire all of the other three batters he faced, leading to three runs, two earned.  After an ERA close to 5.50 in five starts, his ERA remains just 2.57 in eleven relief appearances.

R: Giants lost AZL championship game on August 31

DSL: The Gigantes swept  the DSL championship series on August 31