This may come as a surprise, but yesterday in San Jose Keury Mella did something he had yet to do in full season ball. He went out for a start, and when his day's work was done there was still a 0 on the scoreboard. Yep. Mella's first scoreless start above rookie league. Congrats Keury! Keep 'em coming. Let's celebrate by watching him K Rockies power hitting 3b prospect Ryan McMahon.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Adam Duvall went 2 for 4 including his 11th HR. Mac Williamson reached base 4 times, including his 4th HR. Keury Mella threw 6.2 scoreless innings.
Sacramento lost at Albuquerque (Rockies), 10-7
splitting the four game series, 2-2
|
Name |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
BA |
CF |
Darren Ford |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.283 |
3b |
Adam Duvall |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.321 |
LF |
Jarrett Parker |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.258 |
C |
Trevor Brown |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.220 |
Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
HR |
HB |
WP |
ERA |
Clayton Blackburn, L 1-2 |
5.1 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4.96 |
Curtis Partch |
1.2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3.27 |
Mike Broadway |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.45 |
A warm afternoon produced good hitting conditions in Albuquerque and Sacramento got into a slugfest. They did some good slugging of their own, like this, (with it's classic Bill Thompson-esque HR call!):
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and this
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In the end 14 baserunners on 10 hits, including 4 XBH wasn't enough for this day. Ford, Duvall, and Parker all reached base three times with at least 1 XBH. They also both scored and drove in 5 runs collectively. Not enough.
Because Clayton done got PCL'd on in this one. His line was definitely worsened by a little help from his friends in the climatic 6th inning, but the crisp hitting environment and high altitude definitely took some of his sharpness away (as the low K total attests, his breaking ball was not its normal snapper). He allowed a 3 run HR to start the scoring in the 2nd but went into the 6th inning on the positive side of a 7-4 score. But Albuquerque dinked and dunked him to death in the 6th, which snowballed into a 6 run inning. Ronny Cedeno threw away the back half of a potential DP which could have shortened it significantly. And when Blackburn was relieved with 2 runners aboard, Curtis Partch immediately came in and served up a 3-run HR to Roger Bernadina. So the line could have looked a lot better with some better fortune. In the end: forget it Clayton, it's just Albuquerque.
Richmond won at Erie (Tigers), 8-5
|
Name |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
BA |
2b |
Kelby Tomlinson |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
PO |
.319 |
SS |
Rando Moreno |
5 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.294 |
DH |
Mac Williamson |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.317 |
RF |
Devin Harris |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
1b |
Ricky Oropesa |
5 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.261 |
Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
HR |
HB |
WP |
ERA |
Kyle Crick |
1.2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2.28 |
Pedro Rodriguez |
3.1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2.37 |
Joan Gregorio |
2.0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3.48 |
Jose Casilla |
0.2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.33 |
Josh Osich, S 6 |
1.1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.08 |
The new found confidence in their offense was on display in this game, as Richmond stormed back from a 4 run deficit to take, in the end, a rather easy 8-5 victory. Five different members of the lineup reached based 3 or more times in this one, as the Squirrels collected 20 baserunners on 14 hits and 6 BB. And the top 5 hitters in the order (all listed in the table in order) had at least two hits. The star was Williamson, who is having himself quite a week. Mac is now 10 for his last 21 with two doubles, two HRs, and 3 BBs (to 4 Ks). Could it be that the Giants might actually get a member on the Prospect Hot Sheet for the first time this year? He did get a Best of the Rest mention in today's BP Minor League Roundup, hanging out with the Carlos Correa's and Joey Gallo's of the World! Go Mac!
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Several folks (including me) have noticed that Mac has also been at DH for the past several days. According to play by play man Jon Laaser it's just a planned rest for the arm. I'd guess it's part of the post-surgery rehab plan that the medical group has mapped out for him this year. He should return to the field soon.
Laaser also had a lot of things to say about Kyle Crick in his all too brief appearance in this game. To start with the good (not today), Laas has noted a few times that Crick has done a good job of forcing himself to use all his pitches this year, which is something he hadn't done in 2014, when he tended to favor nothing but fastball when he got in trouble. And that was true today as well. But while Laaser thought Crick had shown improved sharpness in starts 2-4 this year, he noted that in the last start, coming off a 12 day layoff, Crick was ragged. And in this one, he was just out of sorts from the start. (Crick was on the "FIght Another Day" list on today's BP roundup)
The day last only 1.2 innings, and in that time he went through 54 pitches (28 strikes), walked 4, allowed 3 runs, threw a WP and threw a pickoff throw away down the RF line. He also K'd 3. His final pitch of the night was a 3-2 curveball that went back to the screen, allowing his 3rd run of the night to score. And you could see a positive sign in his attempt to throw a curve in a 3-2 count, but realistically there was little of the positive side for Kyle in this one. One of his worst starts of his professional career.
It's hard to know what to say about the Gregorio to the bullpen experiment thus far. He's done fine, and he's been stingy on the baserunners, with a sub-1.00 WHIP (albeit he's allowed 8 Runs on only 11 hits). His peripherals are ok but not great, with 17K, 6 BB in 20.2 IP. There's good stuff there when he gets his plane going downwards. But with all the RP pitcher talent in the system that's above him on the depth chart, it's hard to see how this 40 man member is separating himself from the group as a reliever.
For all the Joe Biagini fans out there (and I know you're there), here's a feature story on today's Richmond starter:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">READ: Latest feature story on <a href="https://twitter.com/GoSquirrels">@GoSquirrels</a> starter Joe Biagini- the <a href="https://twitter.com/UCDavisBaseball">@UCDavisBaseball</a> alum is performing this season: <a href="http://t.co/ktqe78DOMH">http://t.co/ktqe78DOMH</a></p>— Josh Mathews (@SquirrelsRVA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SquirrelsRVA/status/600853093484523522">May 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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San Jose beat Modesto (Rockies), 2-0
|
Name |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
BA |
1b |
Ryan Lollis |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.322 |
LF |
Hunter Cole |
3 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.351 |
3b |
Ryder Jones |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.287 |
C |
Ty Ross |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.189 |
Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
HR |
HB |
WP |
ERA |
Keury Mella, W, 2-1 |
6.2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3.06 |
Ian Gardeck |
0.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3.42 |
Ray Black |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
Daniel Slania, S 7 |
1.0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.12 |
The SJ offensive attack wasn't exactly humming, but it did just enough. The team had 7 hits, including 1 double, and 4 BBs. Hunter Cole was the only member of the lineup with more than 1 hit, while Austin Slater and Ryder Jones each chipped in with an RBI hit. But the team's struggles with RISP continued in this one as they went just 1 for 6 in those situations. Cole also had one scary moment that bears watching:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ooh! Ouch!! Modesto nuts third baseman steps on Hunter Cole's hand as he slide into third base! He's staying in game tho <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SJGiants?src=hash">#SJGiants</a></p>— Julie (@phibear35) <a href="https://twitter.com/phibear35/status/600851025822547968">May 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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But the story of the game came from the mound. As I've mentioned before: Tapia, McMahon, Herrera, this Modesto unit is a really good offensive club. And Mella made them look like this:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/SJGiants">@SJGiants</a> they would not stop screaming "let's go Giants, Let's go" all game. It's a great thing you do for the teams <a href="http://t.co/p4oPA5PJ2X">pic.twitter.com/p4oPA5PJ2X</a></p>— Paul Mudgett (@pmudge) <a href="https://twitter.com/pmudge/status/601007907392491520">May 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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This was Mella's second longest outing of the year and he surrendered his fewest baserunners. And as I mentioned at the top, it was his first scoreless start since he was in the AZL in 2013. The pounding, sinking fastball dominated Modesto hitters. And when Mella was done with them, they got to deal with Ian Gardeck and Ray Black, who made them look like they were hitting from inside these things:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This was unreal. The <a href="https://twitter.com/SJGiants">@SJGiants</a> mascot taunting the 'men in the bubble' as they raced. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarketingOuting?src=hash">#MarketingOuting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NimbleStorage">@NimbleStorage</a> <a href="http://t.co/ne2rnBbb6W">pic.twitter.com/ne2rnBbb6W</a></p>— marion gardoce (@mgardoce) <a href="https://twitter.com/mgardoce/status/600917728216514560">May 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ray Black with a quick 1-2-3 inning! So nice to see him pitch in SJ! Going from 97 fastball to 77 is just not fair <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/swingandmiss?src=hash">#swingandmiss</a></p>— Julie (@phibear35) <a href="https://twitter.com/phibear35/status/600870947877298177">May 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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All in all, a very positive night on the mound in SJ. Ash Marshall of MiLB.com (who we may remember from his ST interview with Bobby Evans) wrote a game story on Mella's start which you can find here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFGiants?src=hash">#SFGiants</a> No. 2 prospect Keury Mella hurls 6 2/3 scoreless innings, wins second straight start for <a href="https://twitter.com/SJGiants">@SJGiants</a>. <a href="http://t.co/vUQt8wLXFY">http://t.co/vUQt8wLXFY</a></p>— MiLB.com (@MiLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/600898896005500928">May 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Augusta lost at Savannah (Mets), 4-0
|
Name |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
BA |
CF |
Seth Harrison |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.259 |
3b |
Will Callaway |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
.309 |
C |
Aramis Garcia |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.224 |
1b |
Skyler Ewing |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.208 |
DH |
Jonah Arenado |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.272 |
Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
HR |
HB |
WP |
ERA |
Matt Gage |
3.2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3.41 |
Ramon Del Orbe, L 0-2 |
3.0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6.33 |
Carlos Diaz |
1.1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4.50 |
This game featured an hours long rain delay, and a great opportunity to make bad puns about the Augusta offense being all wet. The formally humming scoring machine has hit the skids (I can do this all day you know!) and a 6 game win streak has been backed up by a 6 game losing streak. No Augusta batter reached base twice in this game, as their offense was limited (as we can see in the table) to a bunch of scattered singles. With 8 Ks, they actually had more strikeouts in this game than baserunners (7) which is no way to build a rally.
Matt Gage's night was cut short by the rain delay, and when he left Ramon Del Orbe, who appearas to be the main long man for the team, resumed his season-long struggles. He did K 4 in 3 innings of work, but he allowed two more runs and his ERA now stands at 6.33, which is about three runs above league average.
Sacramento travels tonight, so only three games on the docket, including a morning affair in Erie. Biagini, Snelten, and Mark Reyes are the scheduled starters.