minor lines, 5/13/11

Friday highlights from the Giants' farm: Gary Brown homered, doubled and singed; Nick Noonan and Brad Eldred joined Brown with at least two XBH among their three hits; and both Brandon Crawford and Drew Biery reached base in all five of their plate appearances.

AAA: Fresno lost to Nashville 3-2
(after leading 1-0 through five innings)

Fresno: 2B-SS Emmanuel Burriss: 2 for 5, 2B
Fresno: LF-1B: Brandon Belt: 1 for 3, 2 BB, GiDP
Fresno: RF Brad Eldred: 3 for 5, 3 2B
Fresno: C Jackson Williams: 2 for 3, BB

Fresno: SP Josh Banks: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Fresno: RP Waldis Joaquin: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 K
Fresno: RP Marc Kroon: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER

Eldred doubled his season total of doubles from three to six, raising his SLG to a very impressive .638.  Williams and Belt joined Eldred in reaching base three times.  Burriss had a couple hits, including his 6th double, in his first game back in the PCL following his recent stint in the majors.

Banks had an abbreviated start when the game was interrupted by a three-hour rain delay.  He faced just one batter over the minimum.  Joaquin pitched the next three innings, allowing just an unearned run, while he faced just two batters more than the minimum.  Kroon allowed hits to both batters he faced in the 9th inning to take the loss.  His ERA is now 3.95.

AA: Richmond lost to Harrisburg 5-2

Richmond: LF Justin Christian: 2 for 4, 2B
Richmond: SS Nick Noonan: 3 for 4, 2 2B
Harrisburg: C Derek Norris: 1 for 3, HR, BB, PB

Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K--1 WP
Richmond: RP David Quinowski: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Richmond: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K
Harrisburg: SP Brad Peacock: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 14 K

Christian and Noonan combined for five of the Flying Squirrels' seven hits, including all three of their XBHs, as they raised their respective AVGs to .286 and .258.  Norris, rated by Baseball America as the Nationals #2 prospect, had his 2nd HR.  With five hits in his last three games, he has improved his season line to .194/.354/.323 through 62 AB.

Making his seventh start, Fitzgerald pitched a full seven innings for the first time this year and so had his first "quality start," although the quality start did raise his ERA a bit (now just above 4.00).  Quinowksi pitched a perfect 7th inning, lowering his ERA to 1.69.  Stoffel saw his ERA rise to nearly 5.00 with a run in the 9th inning.  Peacock, one of the Nationals' top ten prospects, continued his outstanding season striking out more than half the batters he faced for a season-high 14 K.  His stats this year are now 30 H, 7 BB and 56 K in 42.1 IP with a 2.13 ERA.  He bounced quite effectively from his last start in which he allowed 5 ER in 4.1 IP.

A+: San Jose defeated Lancaster 9-7

San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 3 for 5, HR, 2B, E
San Jose: SS Brandon Crawford: 4 for 4, BB
San Jose: RF Jarrett Parker: 3 for 4, 2B

San Jose: SP Santiago Casilla: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
San Jose: RP David Mixon: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--1 E

Playing in his third game, Crawford had four hits as he reached base in all five plate appearances.  Brown and Parker, the Giants' top two draft picks a year ago, added three hits each, including Brown's 3 HR and 9th double.  Brown's hitting line is now .371/.445/.524 through 143 AB.  His eight-game hitting streak includes four games with at least three hits.

Casilla allowed a couple baserunners in his first rehab appearance.  Mixon, who had previously made seven appearances with Fresno and two appearances with Richmond this year, effectively got the start in his first game with San Jose this year.

A-: Augusta defeated Hickory 8-4
(scoring four runs in the 9th inning)

Augusta: 3B Adam Duvall: 1 for 2, HR, 3 BB, CS
Augusta: DH Drew Biery: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB

Augusta: SP Mike Kickham: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K--2 WP

Duvall had his 7th HR, including three HRs in his last five games, as he reached base four times.  Playing in his third game, Biery reached base in all five plate appearances.

Kickham, the Giants' sixth round pick last summer, made his season debut with a short but effective start.  He was limited to three relief appearances in the AZL a year ago.