minor lines, 4/9/10

Highlights from the Giants' farm: Clayton Tanner had 5.1 scoreless IP, and Richmond's two catchers Jackson Williams and Tyler LaTorre combined for four doubles in their first two games.  Also notable, Buster Posey had another multiple-hit line, but Madison Bumgarner yielded eleven hits.

AAA: Fresno lost to Reno 8-5

Fresno: C Buster Posey: 2 for 4, HBP, 2 SO
Fresno: LF Fred Lewis: 1 for 1, 2B, 2 BB
Reno: C John Hester: 3 for 5, HR, 2B

Fresno: SP Madison Bumgarner: 3.0 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Alex Hinshaw: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER--1 BK

Posey had two of the Grizzlies' six hits.  He is 5 for 9 to start the season.  Lewis had the Grizzlies' only XBH, as well as a couple walks in his three plate appearances.  Hester, who played in fifteen games for the Diamondbacks last year, had three hits, including a homer and double.

Bumgarner allowed 13 of the 20 batters he faced to reach base.  The 11 hits is all the more striking considering his .211 BAA last year.  Hinshaw allowed hits to two of the four batters he faced.  He was ejected following his balk.

AA: Richmond lost to Bowie 6-4
(completing the previous day's suspended game)

Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SO
Richmond: C Jackson Williams: 2 for 3, 2 2B, HBP

Richmond: SP Mike MacDonald: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K--1 HB
Richmond: RP Ronnie Ray: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Neal and Williams each reached base three times in the team's opener.  They also combined for three doubles.

Ray did not pitch as effectively on Friday as MacDonald did on Thursday.

AA: Richmond defeated Bowie 2-0 (7 innings)

Richmond: 1B Michael Ambort: 0 for 3, 3 SO
Richmond: C Tyler LaTorre: 2 for 3, 2 2B, SO

Richmond: SP Clayton Tanner: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 WP
Bowie: SP Steve Johnson: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K--1 IBB

The Flying Squirrels catchers are off to good starts as both Williams and LaTorre have each provided a pair of doubles in the team's first two games.  Ambort, who was limited to just 115 AB last year, managed the hat trick in just three plate appearances.

Tanner had a very successful upper minors debut, including a 13/1 GO/FO line.  He combined with two relievers for the shutout.  Keeping pace with Tanner was Baysox starter Johnson, whom was traded from the Dodgers to the Orioles last summer for George Sherrill and then was selected by the Giants in the Rule 5 draft this winter.  He did not make the Giants this spring and returned to the Orioles organization.

A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 4-3

San Jose: 2B Ryan Lormand: 3 for 4, 2B
San Jose: 3B Drew Biery: 2 for 4, CS

San Jose: SP Craig Westcott: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

With multi-hit lines, Lormand and Biery combined for half of the Giants' ten hits.  Both players were late round draft picks, but Biery has had an impressive pro career so far after being the co-MVP of the Northwest League last summer.

Westcott, a late round draft pick who had a 3.26 ERA in seven NWL starts last summer, had a fine full season debut.  Stoffel, presumably the top pitching prospect on the San Jose roster, allowed a couple baserunners but pitched a scoreless 9th inning for the save.

A-: Augusta defeated Greensboro 7-3
(completing the previous day's suspended game)

Augusta: RF Ryan Lollis: 2 for 3, 3B, 2B, 2 BB
Augusta: C Tommy Joseph: 3 for 4, HR

Augusta: SP Chris Heston: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Augusta: RP Bryan Irving: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER--1 HR
Augusta: RP Jose Valdez: 2.2 IP, 1 BB, 3 K
Augusta: RP Jose Casilla: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K

In his pro debut, Joseph, last summer's second rounder, had three hits, a homer, and 5 RBIs.  Lollis reached base four times, including a couple XBH.

After Heston was nearly perfect Thursday, Irving allowed hits to five of the ten batters he faced when the game was resumed.  But then Valdez and Casilla shut the door the rest of the way, including five strikeouts of the dozen batters they faced.

A-: Augusta defeated Greensboro 5-2

Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 3, BB, SO, 2 SB

Augusta: SP Jorge Bucardo: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Greensboro: SP Chad James: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--2 WP

Every GreenJacket had a hit, but Cavan was the only one with two hits.  He also has three steals in the first two games of the year.

Bucardo pitched effectively in his full-season debut, including an 8/1 GO/FO line.  James, whom the Marlins selected 18th overall in last summer's draft, took the loss in his pro debut despite allowing just one earned run.