minor lines, 5/10/10

Highlights from the Giants' farm: Joe Borchard had three XBH, Eric Surkamp allowed 0 ER in 6.0 IP, and Bryan Salsbury had 1 ER and 10 K in 8.0 IP.  Also notable, Buster Posey homered for the second straight day, and Tommy Joseph and Francisco Peguero each had three hits.

AAA: Fresno defeated Salt Lake 4-2

Fresno: CF Eugenio Velez: 2 for 4, SO, GiDP, 2 SB
Fresno: C Buster Posey: 1 for 3, HR, BB, SO
Fresno: DH Joe Borchard: 3 for 4, HR, 2 2B
Fresno: SS Angel Berroa: 2 for 4, 2B

Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 PO
Fresno: RP Henry Sosa: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB
Fresno: RP Santiago Casilla: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Salt Lake: SP Trevor Reckling: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--2 HR

Borchard's 6th HR and 7th and 8th doubles accounted for three of the Grizzlies' eleven hits and raised his AVG to .358.  Posey had his 5th HR.  Adding two more hits each were Velez, playing in his first game with Fresno, and Berroa, playing in his third game.

On two days rest, Yourkin made his second start among seven appearances.  He threw 64 pitches (40 strikes).  In relief, Sosa and Casilla each had a WHIP of 2.00 but allowed no runs.  Sosa's ERA fell below 1.00.  This was Casilla's first appearance of the year.  Reckling, who began the year ranked among the Angels' top five prospects and has yet to reach his 21st birthday, has an ERA of nearly 5.00 through seven starts.

AA: Richmond defeated Bowie 5-4
(after trailing 4-0 through six innings)

Richmond: RF Roger Kieschnick: 1 for 3, BB
Richmond: 3B Conor Gillsapie: 1 for 3, BB, SO

Richmond: SP Ronnie Ray: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Richmond: RP Wilmin Rodriguez: 1.0 IP
Bowie: SP Steven Johnson: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

Kieschnick and Gillaspie were two of four Flying Squirrels to reach base twice, but they did so in just four plate appearances.

After nine relief appearances, Ray made his first start of the year.  His ERA is 6.75.  Wi-Rod made his first apperance of the year, inducing ground ball outs from all three batters he faced.  He had a 2.72 ERA in 48 appearances, all in the Cal League, a year ago.  Johnson, whom the Orioles acquired for George Sherrill last summer, has made three of seven starts against Richmond, and he has allowed just two runs in those three starts.

A+: San Jose lost to High Desert 2-1 (10 innings)

San Jose: RF Francisco Peguero: 3 for 4, SO, SB, CS
San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 0 for 4, 3 SO

San Jose: SP Eric Surkamp: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
San Jose: RP Edwin Quirarte: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K--1 HR

Peguero's three singles raised his AVG to .295.  He now has a 16/4 SB/CS line.  Belt had his second oh-fer with a hat trick in his last eight games.  In the six games in between, he struck out only twice, though.  His AVG dipped back below .400.

Surkamp allowed a season-low 2 H, after entering the evening with a .267 BAA.  With two walks, his K/BB ratio fell below 5.00, which is still extremely good.  Quirarte had perhaps the longest appearance of his career.  His 4 K doubled his season total.  He has allowed a run just twice this year and suffered the loss on both occasions.

A-: Augusta defeated Hagerstown 3-2
(after the game was scoreless through seven innings)

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

Augusta: SP Bryan Salsbury: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K

Joseph's three singles raised his AVG to .243.  In his previous eight games in May, he had had just four hits, although two of them were home runs.  Lollis's line included his 3rd triple.  It was his third straight game with an XBH, raising his SLG to .440 despite just 1 HR in 84 AB.

Salsbury continued his season-long trend of being either unhittable or quite ineffective.  Fortunately, he has been nearly unhittable four times while ineffective just two times, although his ERA remains above 4.00.  I believe that 8.0 IP is the longest start for any Giants' farmhand this year and that 10 K is the most for any GreenJackets' starter this year.  Last year's fourteenth round selection now has peripheral stats of 26 H, 7 BB, 4 HR, and 28 K in 34.1 IP.