minor lines, 8/11/10

Wednesday highlights from the Giants' farm: Ryan Rohlinger reached base in all five plate appearances, Brandon Belt and Joe Borchard homered as part of multi-hit games, Mike MacDonald allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP, and Edwin Escobar had 7 K in 6.0 shutout IP.

AAA: Fresno defeated Albuquerque 7-6

Fresno: CF Ben Copeland: 3 for 5, 2 SB
Fresno: RF Joe Borchard: 2 for 5, HR, SO
Fresno: SS Ryan Rohlinger: 4 for 4, 2B, BB

Fresno: SP Henry Sosa: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Fresno: RP Waldis Joaquin: 0.2 IP, 2 BB

Rohlinger reached base safely in all five plate appearances, with the four hits raising his AVG to .291.  Copeland added three more hits and had his 19th and 20th SBs.  Borchard had his 14th HR.

Sosa allowed better than two baserunners per inning.  He apparently struggled with his control as he threw 56 of 95 pitches for strikes.  After lowering his walk rate over the past six weeks, this performance raised his BB/IP back above 0.50.  Joaquin walked two of the four batters he faced while throwing just 7 of 19 pitches for strikes.

AA: Richmond defeated New Hampshire 5-3 (14 innings)

Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 3 for 7, 2 2B
Richmond: 1B Brandon Belt: 2 for 6, HR, 2B, BB, 3 SO
Richmond: 3B Conor Gillsapie: 2 for 4, 2 BB, SO

Richmond: SP Mike MacDonald: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Richmond: RP Ravael Cova: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Richmond: RP David Quinowski: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K

The bulk of the Flying Squirrels' offense was concentrated in the heart of the lineup as Neal, Belt and Gillaspie combined for seven of the team's eleven hits and three of their five walks.  Neal's three hits included his 32nd and 33rd doubles and raised his AVG to .296.  Belt ended the game with a walk-off, two-run, two-out HR in the 14th inning.  Reaching base four times, Gillaspie raised his OBP to .345.

MacDonald followed up his complete-game shutout in his last start with another fine start.  His ERA remains above 4.00, though.  Cova allowed two runs in the 9th inning, his second inning of work in his longest appearance of the season.  Quinowski now had 5 H, 0 BB, and 5 K in 5.2 IP in three games since his promotion to the upper minors.

A+: San Jose lost to Lancaster 11-9
(despite leading 7-0 through three innings)

San Jose: DH Francisco Peguero: 1 for 5, HR, SO
San Jose: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB
San Jose: SS Jose Flores: 1 for 3, HR, BB
Lancaster: CF Jay Austin: 3 for 5, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 SO

San Jose: SP Oliver Odle: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--2 WP
San Jose: RP Edwin Quirarte: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 HR

Flores homered for the second straight game, this time with a grand slam in the 1st inning.  That was his 6th HR, while in the 8th inning Peguero added his 9th HR.  While every Giant in the lineup had a hit, Monell reached base three times, including once via his 20th double.  Austin, the Astros' second round pick two years ago, was a single short of the cycle.  His 9th HR, 12th triple, and 20th double pushed his OPS above .750.

Odle allowed 4+ ER for the sixth time in his last seven starts.  With runs allowed in seven of his last nine appearances, Quirarte now has a season ERA above 3.00.  His ERA has risen considerably since the start of June when his ERA was below 1.00 through his first thirteen appearances.

A-: Augusta had a scheduled off-day
(Their only remaining scheduled off-day is August 29.)

ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Eugene 7-0

Salem-Keizer: SS Carter Jurica: 2 for 4, 2B

Salem-Keizer: SP Edwin Escobar: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Jurica, the Giants' third rounder this year, had two hits, including his 4th double, to get his AVG back above the Mendoza line.

Escobar had his best start of the season, allowing no runs for just the second time in his eleven starts.  The 3 H matched a season-low, and he has allowed fewer walks or had more strikeouts only once.  For the season, his peripheral stats are now 46 H, 31 BB, and 56 K in 50.0 IP.

R: Giants defeated Indians 6-0

Scottsdale: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 3 for 5, 2 3B, E
Scottsdale: CF Chuckie Jones: 2 for 4, SF, SO

Scottsdale: SP Dan Runzler: 2.0 IP, 4 K
Scottsdale: RP Kendry Flores: 4.0 IP, 2, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Scottsdale: RP Matt Graham: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Willoughby's three hits, including his 5th and 6th triples, raised his AVG back above .300.  The error was just his third.  Jones had the rookie Giants' other multi-hit line.

Runzler struck out four of six batters in his first rehab appearance.  Flores, the normal starter had 4.0 scoreless IP to get his ERA below 4.00.  Graham added two more scoreless innings.

DSL: Giants defeated Orioles2 8-7 (11 innings)

Domincan: 1B Victor Feliz: 3 for 6
Dominican: SP Luis Angeles: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K--1 WP

Feliz's (19.8 y.o.) three singles raised his AVG to .260 through 150 AB.  Angeles (19.7 y.o.) allowed 1 ER or less for the seventh time in his last eight starts.  Over his last three starts, he has 9 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, and 20 K in 18.0 IP.