minor lines, 6/9/11

Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Eric Surkamp allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP, Mike Kickham had 6.0 scoreless IP, and Chris Dominguez had a four-hit night.

AAA: Fresno defeated Salt Lake 6-2
(scoring all six runs in the first three innings)

Fresno: 3B Pablo Sandoval: 2 for 3, BB, SF
Fresno: 1B-2B Brett Pill: 2 for 4, 2B, SO, GiDP

Fresno: SP Dan Runzler: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Fresno: RP Josh Banks: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Salt Lake: SP Scott Kazmir: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 3 K--3 HB, 1 WP

With two hits each, Sandoval and Pill accounted for half of the Grizzlies' eight hits.

Pitching on five days rest, Runzler made his second PCL start.  He has not allowed a run in those two starts, although he threw barely half his pitches for strikes (31 of 60) in this start.  Once again, Banks relieved Runzler.  The Angels' Kazmir has now allowed 5+ ER in three of his four rehab starts, during which he has 17 H and 17 BB in 13.2 IP.

AA: Richmond defeated Portland 7-2

Richmond: 2B Charlie Culberson: 1 for 4, HR, BB, SO, SB
Richmond: DH Johnny Monell: 3 for 4, 2B, BB

Richmond: SP Eric Surkamp: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Richmond: RP David Quinowski: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Richmond: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K

The Flying Squirrels' highlights were similar to those the previous day.  Culberson homered for the second straight day.  A day after reaching base five times, Monell reached base four times.  His OBP is now back above .300.

Surkamp bounced back from his previous start (5 ER in 4.2 IP), having a start with 1 R or less in 6.0+ IP for the seventh time in his last nine starts.  His season ERA remains below 2.00.  He threw 90 pitches (62 strikes).  With 3 K in 2.0 scoreless IP, Quinowski got his ERA also below 2.00.  Stoffel allowed a run in the 9th inning.

A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 11-5
(after leading 8-3 through three innings)

San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 5, 2B, HBP
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 3 for 4, 2B, 2 BB
San Jose: 3B Chris Dominguez: 4 for 5, 2B, BB

San Jose: SP David Mixon: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 WP

While combining for seven hits, Cavan and Dominguez reached base five times each, raising both of their OBPs above .340.  Brown reached base three times.  Both Brown and Cavan had their 17th doubles, while Dominguez had his 8th double.

All four of Mixon's starts for San Jose have been quality starts, although this was his least effective start with a season-high 3 ER.  He has a 4-0 W-L record in his five Cal League appearances.

A-: Augusta lost to Savannah 5-3
(allowing all five runs in the 7th inning)

Augusta: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 2 for 2, 2B, BB, HBP, CS
Augusta: RF Rafael Rodriguez: 2 for 4, 3B
Augusta: C Joel Weeks: 2 for 4, 2 SO

Augusta: SP MIke Kickham: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K--1 WP
Augusta: RP Jacob Dunnington: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Willoughby reached base in all four plate appearances, raising his OBP to .378.  Raf-Rod and Weeks also had two hits, although Raf-Rod's AVG remains below .250.

Kickham rebounded from his worst start of the year (7 ER in 3.2 IP) with perhaps his best start of the year.  Making his sixth start, he had his first start without allowing a run and matched his season high of 6.0 IP.  Dunnington retired just one of six batters as his ERA ballooned to 4.32.  He had allowed just 1 ER in his previous nine appearances.

DSL: Giants lost to Yankees1 9-5

Dominican: CF Jorge Lopez: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, SO
Dominican: SP Adalberto Mejia: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Lopez (19.9 y.o.) homered and doubled to have his first two XBHs of the year (in 12 AB over four games).  He had 1 HR during his previous two DSL seasons.  Mejia (17.11 y.o.) has been effecitive in all three of his pro starts.  He set a new high with 7 K, but he also allowed more baserunners in this start than in his previous two (dominant) starts combined as 6 H and 2 BB were also new highs.