The highlights today come mostly from the lower minors, with one highlight from the upper minors coming from a prospect often maligned by commenters on this site. The highlights: (a,b) catchers Buster Posey and Jackson Williams both had three hits, including a double for each, in four plate appearances; (c) Thomas Neal had his 7th HR and 13th double; (d,e) Craig Clark and Ari Ronick both allowed just 1 ER in 7.0 IP in their starts.
AAA: Fresno lost to Omaha 4-1
Fresno: LF Andres Torres: 2 for 3, 2B
Fresno: 1B John Bowker: 2 for 4, SO, CS
Fresno: 3B Ryan Rohlinger: 2 for 4
Omaha: 1B Kila Ka'aihue: 2 for 3, HR, BB, SO
Fresno: RHP Ryan Sadowski: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K--1 HR
Torres had two hits, including the Girzziles' only XBH, before being removed for a pinch runner in the 5th inning. He has now played more games on his rehab assignment than he played in the majors before going on the DL. Bowker and Rohlinger also had two hits, with both of them raising their AVGs to .304. The Royals' Ka'aihue, who had a breakout season hitting .314/.456/.628 in the minors a year ago, hit his 8th HR this year to help improve his line to .277/.439/.539 in his first full-season in the PCL.
Sadowski still has yet to allow more than 3 ER in any start this year, and this was the fifth time in nine starts that he has pitched at least six full innings. He had a season-high 8 K, but his K/BB ratio remains below 2.00. So far this year his BAA is just .222, much improved upon his .294 BAA from a year ago.
AA: Connecticut lost to Portland 9-8
Connecticut: SS Brandon Crawford: 3 for 5
Connecticut: DH Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SO
Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 1 for 4, HR, SF, GiDP
Connecticut: LF Bobby Felmy: 2 for 4, 2B, HBP
Connecticut: C Jackson Williams: 3 for 4, 2B
Portland: 1B Lars Anderson: 2 for 4, HR, BB, 2 SO
Connecticut: RHP Daryl Maday: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
With three hits each, Crawford and Williams accounted for nearly half of the Defenders' thirteen hits, raising their respective AVGs to .333 and .219. EME and Felmy also reached base three times. Pill had his 2nd HR. Anderson, who entered the year considered the Red Sox' top prospect, connected for his 6th HR while reaching base three times.
Maday had his least effective start of the season. Despite matching his shortest start of the season with 4.0 IP, he allowed a season-high 9 H, matched a season high with 3 BB, and doubled his previous season high with 6 ER. His 1 K was also a new season low. His overall stats remain good, except that his K/IP is fairly low at 53%. He had a 5/5 GO/FO line, but his GO/AO ratio remains above 2.00. Snyder struck out five of the eight batters he faced but allowed two extra base hits and a walk to the other three batters. He allowed an earned run for just the second time in his dozen appearances this year.
A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 7-5
(scoring six runs in the first three innings)
San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SO
San Jose: C Buster Posey: 3 for 4, 2B
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, HR, 2B
San Jose: 1B Angel Villalona: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
San Jose: SS Brian Bocock: 2 for 4, 2B, CS
San Jose: DH Ryan Lormand: 2 for 4, 2B
San Jose: LHP Craig Clark: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K--1 HR
San Jose: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
While every Giant in the lineup had at least one hit, six of them contributed a double while reaching base twice. Neal had his 13th double and his 7th HR. Posey had his 12th double, and his three hits' paced the Giants' fifteen hit attack. Villalona had his 7th double, while Noonan had his 6th double and drew the Giants' only walk. Occupying the bottom two spots in the batting order, Bocock and Lormand each contributed their 3rd double.
Even with one disaster start that included 7 ER, Clark has found his groove in May. For the month, his peripheral stats are now 24 H, 4 BB, and 33 K in 30.0 IP. For the month, he has a 3.30 ERA, although he has also allowed 5 HR. Making his first appearance in over a week, Quirarte had perhaps his least effective appearance of the season. After being nearly unhittable in April with a .148 BAA, he has been far more hittable in May with a .464 BAA. He did not allow an earned run through his first eight appearances, but his last four appearances have raised his ERA to nearly 5.00.
A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 8-1
Augusta: RF Josh Mazzola: 2 for 4, HR
Augusta: 2B Juan Perez: 2 for 3, HR, BB
Augusta: DH Mike Loberg: 3 for 4
Augusta: LHP Ari Ronick: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Augusta: RHP Trey Webb: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Going back-to-back in the 5th inning, Mazzola had his 2nd HR followed by Perez's 5th HR. After beginning the season with over 120 AB before drawing his first walk, Perez has now drawn three walks in his last nine games. Perez and Loberg both reached base three times, with Loberg's three hits raising his AVG to .229.
Bouncing back from his shortest start of the season, Ronick had one of his two best starts of the season, matching his season high with 7.0 IP and setting a new season high with 8 K. His K/BB ratio is now above 3.00. He improved his ERA to 3.76. The 27-year-old Webb pitched a perfect 9th inning, although with "just" 1 K. Prior to this appearance, he had 20 K in 10.1 IP over his previous nine appearances.