minor lines, 4/23/10

Highlights from the Giants' farm: Thomas Neal homered twice, Darren Ford and Ryan Cavan each had three hits, and Craig Westcott had his third straight scoreless start.  Also notable, Zach Wheeler had his longest pro start (5.0 IP).

AAA: Fresno lost to Reno 5-3 (11 innings)

Fresno: 2B Brock Bond: 2 for 4, BB
Fresno: RF Joe Borchard: 1 for 3, HR, 2 BB
Fresno: PH Buster Posey: 0 for 1
Reno: 3B Ed Rogers: 4 for 5, HR, 2B, PO

Fresno: SP Horacio Ramirez: 4.0+ IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 PO
Fresno: RP Steve Edlefsen: 2.0 IP, 1 K

Bond was the lone Grizzly with two hits, raising his AVG to .279.  Borchard connected for his 3rd HR.  Both Bond and Borchard reached base three times.  Posey flied out pinch hitting for the pitcher in the 9th inning.  Rogers, a 31-year-old farmhand for the Diamondbacks, had a big game, including his 1st HR.  Off to a hot start, his OPS is nearly .950 through fourteen games.

Making his first start after three relief appearances, Ramirez pitched into the 5th inning and allowed just one run.  This nice fill-in start got his ERA below 6.00.  Edlefsen was near perfect in two innings of relief.

AA: Richmond defeated Reading 5-3

Richmond: CF Darren Ford: 3 for 5, SB, PO
Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 3, 2 HR, 2 BB, IBB
Reading: RF Domonic Brown: 1 for 4, HR, 2 SO

Richmond: SP Craig Clark: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Reading: SP Joe Blanton: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 PO
Reading: RP Brad Lidge: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Neal had his first two HRs of the year, a two-run blast in the 5th inning and a three-run blast in the 7th inning, driving in all five of the Flying Squirrels' runs.  Seven hits in Ford's last two games have lifted his AVG above .300.  Brown, the Phillies' top prospect, had his 1st HR of the year in his first game back after spending a week on the DL.  Through ten games, he is hitting .314/.351/.514.

Clark's third start was his longest this year, although he still fell an out short of qualifying for a "quality start."  With a season-high 4 K, he got his K/BB ratio back above 1.00.  The Phillies' Blanton and Lidge both made rehab appearances, pitching the first four innings of the game.

A+: San Jose lost to Bakersfield 4-1
(allowing all four runs in the 6th inning)

San Jose: CF Francisco Peguero: 1 for 3, BB, SO
San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 1 for 4, HR

San Jose: SP Craig Westcott: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
San Jose: RP Eric Stolp: 0.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER--1 E
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K--1 HB
Bakersfield: SP Carlos Pimentel: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 WP

Belt led off the 2nd inning with a HR, his 2nd pro HR.  Peguero was one of three Giants' to reach base twice.  After drawing just 8 BB all of last year, he has already drawn 4 BB this year.  His OBP is currently .333.

Westcott, a 30th rounder a year ago, has yet to allow a run through three starts.  His peripheral stats are now 10 H, 5 BB, and 10 K in 14.0 IP, along with a 2.00 GO/AO ratio.  Stolp allowed hits to all four batters he faced, and the four runs ballooned his ERA to 6.00.  Stoffel allowed a couple baserunners but otherwise maintained his 0.00 ERA.  Pimental, whom Baseball America did not rank among the Rangers' top 30 prospects, had his second straight start against San Jose allowing just two hits and one run.

A-: Augusta defeated Savannah 9-5

Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 3 for 4, 3B, BB, SO
Augusta: RF Ryan Lollis: 2 for 4, HR

Augusta: SP Zach Wheeler: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 WP

Cavan reached base four times, with the three hits, including his 1st triple, raising his AVG above .250.  Lollis had the GreenJackets' other multi-hit line.  He led off the 8th inning with his 1st HR.  Last year's 37th rounder is hitting .326/.408/.465 through his first 43 AB this year.

Making his third pro start, Wheeler pitched four perfect innings, but in the other inning (the 3rd inning) he allowed three earned runs on three hits and a walk.  With this start, he got both his BB/IP and H/IP below 1.00, but his ERA remains above 9.00.