minor lines, 5/4/10

Highlights from the Giants' farm: Brandon Belt reached base in all five plate appearances; Bryan Salsbury had a complete game shutout; Jesus Guzman, Francisco Peguero, and Johnny Monell each homered as part of multi-hit lines; and Chris Dominguez had four hits over a doubleheader.

AAA: Fresno defeated Colorado Springs 9-6

Fresno: SS-3B Ryan Rohlinger: 3 for 4, HBP
Fresno: 1B Brett Pill: 3 for 4, 2B, BB
Fresno: LF Jesus Guzman: 3 for 4, HR

Fresno: SP Joe Martinez: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Fresno: RP Waldis Joaquin: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K
Fresno: RP Alex Hinshaw: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB
Fresno: RP Henry Sosa: 0.2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Three Grizzlies had three hits each.  Among them, Guzman had his 2nd HR.  Rohlinger and Pill reached base four times.  Pill is now hitting .282/.330/.410 through 78 AB, which is presumably below average for a first baseman in the PCL.  The Eastern League leader in RBIs a year ago, he has not done so well in that department this year.  He has gone just 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position and has 9 RBIs total.

Despite a wind blowing out to LF at 26 mph, Martinez still managed the quality start.  It was his longest start of the year.  He did allow a season-high 8 H, but it was also his first start without issuing a walk.  At the plate, Martinez also contributed a couple hits to raise his AVG to .333.  Joaquin pounded the strike zone with 12 of 14 pitches for strikes in his first appearance since being optioned to the minors.  By contrast, Hinshaw threw just 6 of 21 pitches for strikes as he retired just one of the five batters he faced.  Sosa had another walk and another strikeout, giving him 9 BB and 11 K in 14.0 IP.

AA: Richmond lost to Altoona 9-1
(falling behind 8-0 after four innings)

Richmond: 2B Nick Noonan: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Richmond: CF Clay Timpner: 1 for 3, SO

Richmond: SP Craig Clark: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Richmond: RP Craig Whitaker: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Richmond: RP Felix Romero: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K

Timpner had one of the Flying Squirrels two hits.  He also threw out a runner at the plate.  Noonan had the oh-fer with the hat trick.

Clark had one one of his least effective pro starts.  Even with a season-high 8 H, his BAA is still under .260, but his ERA rose above 4.50.  Whitaker struck out six of the nine batters he faced, nearly doubling his season total.  He now has peripheral stats of 6 H, 7 BB, and 13 K in 11.2 IP.  After seven appearances with Fresno and fifty of his appearances a year ago being with Fresno, Romero made his first Eastern League appearance this year.

A+: San Jose lost to Stockton 8-7
(with the teams combining for six runs in the 9th inning)

San Jose: CF Francisco Peguero: 2 for 5, HR, SB
San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 1 for 1, 2B, 4 BB, IBB
San Jose: C Johnny Mondell: 2 for 4, HR, BB, 2 SO

San Jose: SP Eric Surkamp: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K--1 HR, 3 PO
San Jose: RP Joe Paterson: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K--1 IBB
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Going deep in the 4th inning, Peguero lined a home run to left-center field, and later Monell flied a shot to the top of the grass berm beyond the outfield fence in right-center.  It was the 2nd HR for both players.  Peguero also had his 13th SB.  Drawing four walks and connecting for his 9th double, Belt reached base in all five plate appearances, raising his OBP to .522.

Surkamp had his least effective start of the year as 9 H and 4 ER both represent season highs.  His ERA rose above 3.00.  He yielded a three-run HR in the 2nd inning and otherwise pitched around trouble, but did help his cause with the three pickoffs.  After nine appearances in the PCL this year and after spending all of last year in the Eastern League, Paterson made his first appearance this year in the Cal League.  Two days after Stoffel's worth appearance as a pro, he followed up with another ineffective appearance, retiring just one of the six batters he faced.  Officially one batter reached on an error, although I am surprised to find that was not scored as a hit.

A-: Augusta defeated Greenville 3-1 (7 innings) in game 1

Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 3, 2B, CS
Augsuta: 3B Chris Dominguez: 2 for 3, 2B

Augusta: SP Jorge Bucardo: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Cavan and Dominguez each had two of the GreenJackets' six hits, including Cavan's 7th double and Dominguez's 8th double.

Although Bucardo matched a season high with 3 BB, he otherwise had his sinker working getting nine ground ball outs (9/0 GO/FO line) as he secured his first of the year.  He lowered his ERA to 2.67.

A-: Augusta defeated Greenville 1-0 (7 innings) in game 2

Augusta: CF Evan Crawford: 2 for 3, SO, SB
Augusta: 3B Chris Dominguez: 2 for 3
Augusta: C Tommy Joseph: 0 for 3, 3 SO

Augusta: SP Bryan Salsbury: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Crawford and Dominguez each had two of the GreenJackets' six hits (all singles), raising their respective AVGs to .220 and .284.  Joseph managed the hat trick in just three plate appearances.  With five strikeouts and no hits in his last three games, he now more strikeouts than hits (25 SO and 20 H in 86 AB, .233 AVG).

Salsbury, the Giants' fourteenth round pick a year ago, had his best start as a pro.  After allowing a leadoff single to the first batter of the game, he retired the next 21 batters he faced for the complete game shutout and near perfect game.  He's been hardly the model of consistency this year, throwing six no-hit innings in his first start, being dominant in his second start aside from a couple solo home runs, then yielding six or more runs in his last two starts, and then this gem.