minor lines, 6/4/10

Friday highlights from the Giants' farm include the two starters in the upper minors and a trio of San Jose Hitters: Joe Martinez and Clayton Tanner both allowed just 1 ER in their longest starts of the year, with Martinez going the full nine innings; Drew Biery hit  2 HRs with four hits overall; Brandon Belt homered while reaching base three times; and Jose Flores had four hits.

AAA: Fresno defeated Las Vegas 7-1

Fresno: 3B Brock Bond: 2 for 4, 3B, BB
Fresno: 2B Mark DeRosa: 1 for 3, BB
Fresno: DH Jesus Guzman: 1 for 4, HR

Fresno: SP Joe Martinez: 9.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K--1 HR
Las Vegas: RP Merkin Valdez: 1.0 IP

One of three Grizzlies with two hits each, Bond reached base three times, raising his OBP a bit further to .417.  He also played 3B in deference to DeRosa, who played in his third rehab game at 2B.

On a warm Vegas day (102 at gametime), Martinez threw his first complete game of the year and just the second complete game of his pro career, with the previous complete game being four years ago when he was in the Sally League.  Valdez, the ex-Giant now in the Blue Jays' organization, threw a perfect 9th inning.

AA: Richmond defeated Trenton 2-1
(with no runs scored over the final five innings)

Richmond: SS Brandon Crawford: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, SO
Richmond: CF Darren Ford: 1 for 2, BB, SO, 2 SB

Richmond: SP Clayton Tanner: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 WP

With two hits, including his 5th double, Crawford led the Flying Squirrels' offense.  Dropped to seventh and ninth in the batting order, Neal and Ford also reached base twice.  Ford also had his 15th and 16th SB.

Tanner's tenth start was easily his longest of the year as he had pitched just six full innings once previously this year.  After allowing 11 ER over his past three starts, he got his ERA back below 3.50.  He had a 17/4 GO/FO line, which got his GO/AO ratio back above 2.00.

A+: San Jose defeated Bakersfield 14-9
(rallying for ten runs in the 6th through 8th innings)

San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 2 for 4, HR, HBP
San Jose: DH Jose Flores: 4 for 5, 3B
San Jose: 3B Drew Biery: 4 for 5, 2 HR
San Jose: RF Jose Medina: 0 for 5, 3 SO

San Jose: SP Eric Surkamp: 4.0+ IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB< 3 K--1 HB, 1 WP
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Bakersfield: SP Michael Main: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 HB

Biery had perhaps his best game as pro, connecting for his 4th and 5th HRs as part of a four-hit evening.  Flores also had four hits.  He is arguably the Giants' hottest hitter as those hits bumped his AVG above .400.  Belt added his 5th HR while reaching base three times.  Making his first Cal League start, Medina had the oh-fer with the hat trick.

Surkamp's tenth start of the season was easily his least effective start of the year.  He had not allowed more than four runs in any start previously this year but allowed 7 ER in this start, boosting his ERA to 3.51.  And for the first time this year, he had a poor start against a team other than Stockton.  In fact, in his two previous starts against Bakersfield, he had allowed just 1 R and 5 H with 16 K in 16.0 IP.  Stoffel pitched a perfect 9th inning, getting his ERA back below 5.00.  Main, whom the Rangers drafted 24th overall three years ago, also allowed a season-high 6 R as both starting pitchers scuffled despite a wind that was officially blowing in at 11 mph from RF.

A-: Augusta lost to Rome 5-3
(allowing two runs in the 8th inning after tying the game in the top half of the inning)

Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 1 for 2, 2 BB
Augusta: 1B Luke Anders: 2 for 4, HR, SO, GiDP
Augusta: C Tommy Joseph: 1 for 3, BB
Rome: SS Mycal Jones: 1 for 3, HR, SF, E

Augusta: SP Kyle Vazquez: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 HR, 1 E
Rome: SP Cory Rasmus: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 HR, 1 WP

Anders had his 8th HR and the GreenJackets' only multi-hit line, raising his AVG to .279, although he still has considerably more strikeouts than hits (68 SO vs 57 H).  Cavan reached base three times, nudging his OPS just above .700.  Joseph, who had a very poor .202 OBP in May, also reached base twice.  The Braves' Jones had just one hit but with his 5th HR continues to feast on GreenJackets' pitching.  His error was his 21st.

Vazquez has had a quality start in four of his last five starts.  After ten starts this year, he has a 3.17 ERA.  With a 6/9 GO/FO line, this was just his third start this year with fewer ground outs than fly ball outs.  This was Rasmus's second straight against the GreenJackets' allowing just 1 ER.  His ERA is 2.57.

DSL: Giants defeated Phillies 3-1

Dominican: 3B Cristian Paulino: 0 for 2, BB, HBP, SO
Dominican: SP Keurin Feliz: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Dominican: RP Ebert Fernandez: 3.0 IP, 2 K

Paulino (18.9 y.o.) was the only Gigante to reach base twice.  Feliz (19.9 y.o.), who had a 4.32 ERA primarily as a starter a year ago, allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP in his season debut.  Fernandez (19.7 y.o.) had 3.0 perfect IP for his first pro save, as he pitched for the first time this year in his third DSL season.