minor lines, 7/8/10

Highlight from the Giants' farm: Johnny Monell homered, doubled twice and drew a walk.  Also notable, Joe Borchard homered and singled.

AAA: Fresno lost to Tacoma 5-4

Fresno: 2B Brock Bond: 1 for 2, 2 BB, SO
Fresno: DH Joe Borchard: 2 for 4, HR, SO
Tacoma: 1B Matt Mangini: 2 for 3, HR, 2B

Fresno: SP Kevin Pucetas: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Fresno: RP Geno Espineli: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Tacoma: SP Ian Snell: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K--1 HR

Borchard had his 10th HR and the Grizzlies' only multi-hit line.  Bond also reached base three times as he started a game for just the third time this month.  Mangini, a supplemental first round pick of the Mariners three years ago whom Baseball America did not rank among the Mariners top 30 prospects this past off-season, had his 10th HR and 13th double.

Pucetas and Snell ended up with very similar lines in their matchup, although they got there differently.  Pucetas allowed two runs in both the 2nd and 4th innings, but Snell did not allow a run until the 7th inning.  Pucetas threw 56 of 100 pitches for strikes.  Snell has a 3.63 ERA through four PCL starts, while Pucetas has an ERA of 5.74 through fifteen starts.  Espineli retired all three batters he faced over two innings.

AA: Richmond lost to Harrisburg 9-7

Richmond: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 4, BB, SO
Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 2, BB
Harrisburg: 1B Chris Marrero: 2 for 4, HR, SO

Richmond: SP Michael Main: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K--1 HR, 1 HB, 1 WP
Richmond: RP Dan Turpen: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB

Neal and Noonan both reached base three times as two of four flying Squirrel with two hits each.  Neal left the game as part of a double switch in the 7th inning.  Marrero, whom the Nationals drafted fifteenth overall four years ago and is still considered among the Nationals top ten prospects, had his 12th HR, driving in three runs in the 1st inning.

Main allowed 6 ER in his second start as part of the Giants' organization.  Is he ready for the upper minors?  Turpen retired just one of his five batters to take the blown save and the loss as his ERA rose above 4.50.

A+: San Jose defeated Stockton 11-5

San Jose: C Johnny Monell: 3 for 4, HR, 2 2B, BB, E
San Jose: DH Michael Sandoval: 3 for 5, 2 2B, SO
Stockton: SS Grant Green: 2 for 4, 2B, SO, E

San Jose: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--2 WP
San Jose: RP Ryan Verdugo: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 4 K

Monell, who entered the year considered among the Giants top 30 prospects but has generally had a disappointing season, at least statistically, had his biggest game of the year.  He entered the day hitting .228/.303/.372 through 250 AB, but he has heated up in July including his current six-game hitting streak.  Tonight he homered, doubled twice, and reached base a fourth time via a walk.  The Panda's younger brother also had three hits, including two doubles.  He had gone hitless in his two previous games this year.  Green, the Athletics' first rounder last year, had two more hits, including his 22nd double, to raise his AVG to .318, but he also committed his 21st error.  Reportedly scouting reports on his defense have not been positive this year.

Fitzgerald got the win with less than a quality start.  After an ERA barely above 2.00 through his first ten starts, his ERA has been over 6.00 in his last five starts.  Verdugo struck out for of ten batters in his third Cal League appearance.

A-: Augusta defeated Kannapolis 5-4

Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 0 for 1, 3 BB, E
Augusta: C Hector Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2B, GiDP, PB

Augusta: SP Zach Wheeler: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Augusta: RP Andrew Reichard: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--2 HR
Augusta: RP Jose Casilla: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB--1 HB, 1 WP

With two hits, including his 13th double, Sanchez had the GreenJackets' only multi-hit line and raised his AVG to .274.  Cavan reached base three times.  Defensively, though, Cavan committed his 18th error, and Sanchez allowed his 9th passed ball.

Wheeler made his first appearance in more than a month and a half in what essentially amounted to a one-inning relief appearance in the first inning.  Reichard, the normal starter, entered the game in the 2nd inning and had his longest "start" of the year, also picking up his first win.  Casilla, who retired just two of his seven batters, has now allowed seven hits over his last four appearances after a long string of appearances with no hits allowed.

ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City 6-4 (14 innings)

Salem-Keizer: RF Jesse Shriner: 2 for 5, BB, 3 SO
Salem-Keizer: PH-2B Raynor Campbell: 1 for 4, 2B, SO

Salem-Keizer: SP Shane Kaufman: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 HB
Salem-Keizer: RP Jake Dunning: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Tri-City: RP Casey Weathers: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K

Shriner, one of three Volcanoes with two hits each, reached base three times.  Normally a catcher, he got a start in the outfield.  Campbell struck out as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning, but his two-RBI double in the 14th inning was the Volcanoes' only XBH.

Kaufman, a late round draftee two years ago, made his second career start.  Dunning had another effective relief appearance.  Weathers, whom the Rockies drafted eighth overall three years ago, made his ninth appearance of the year as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery.

R: Giants defeated Reds 11-7

Scottsdale: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 1 for 1, 3 BB, HBP, SB, CS
Scottsdale: CF Chuckie Jones: 3 for 4, HR, BB, SO, E

Scottsdale: SP Kendry Flores: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Jones, the Giants' eighth rounder last month, homered for the second straight day and had three hits to raise his AVG above .300.  He also has 3 E in in just nine games, a surprisingly high total for an outfielder.  Willoughby reached base in all five plate appearances and was also caught stealing for the first time this year (12/1 SB/CS line).

Nothing too remarkable about this start for Flores.  At least he got his ERA below 10.00, albeit ever so slightly (9.98).

DSL: Giants lost to Orioles2 3-0

Dominican: RF Hector Mercedes: 2 for 4
Dominican: SP Juan Nova: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 WP

Mercedes (18.9 y.o.) had two of the Gigantes' five hits (all singles), but his AVG remains just .184 through 87 AB.  Making his seventh pro start, Nova (18.9 y.o.) had more than 5.0 IP for the first time.  It was also his first start with fewer than two walks.