Not too many strong candidates for highlights from the Giants' farm today: (a) Eddy Martinez-Esteve homered and doubled while reaching base three times, (b) Tyler LaTorre reached base in all four plate appearances; (c) Clayton Tanner had less than a quality start but still just 1 R in 5.1 IP; and (d) reliever Steven Edlefsen struck out five of the seven batters he faced.
AAA: Fresno lost to Salt Lake 3-2
Fresno: 2B Emmanuel Burriss: 2 for 5, 2B, E
Fresno: 1B Jesus Guzman: 2 for 4
Fresno: SS Jake Wald: 2 for 3, CS
Salt Lake: CF Terry Evans: 2 for 5, HR, SO
Fresno: LHP Steve Hammond: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Fresno: LHP Alex Hinshaw: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Salt Lake: RHP Shane Loux: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
With two hits each, Burriss, Guzman and Wald accounted for six of the Grizzlies' eleven hits. Their AVGs now stand at .300, .315, and .220, respectively. The Angels' 27-year-old Evans homered for the third straight game, giving him 17 HRs this year.
Hammond had his second straight quality start but saw his W-L record drop to 4-7. His ERA remains above 5.50. Today Hinshaw threw 16 of 20 pitches for strikes. Loux, who began the season in the majors, has now made both of his PCL starts against the Grizzlies.
AA: Connecticut defeated New Britain 4-3
Connecticut: RF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 2 for 3, HR, 2B, BB
Connecticut: C Tyler La Torre: 2 for 2, 2 BB, IBB
Connecticut: RHP Daryl Maday: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
EME had a big game with his 4th HR and 20th double, improving upon the .436 SLG with which he entered the day. LaTorre, the other Defender to reach base twice, reached base in all four plate appearances, boosting his OBP to nearly .400 through 98 AB.
Maday allowed just a run through five innings but retired just one of the batters he faced in the 6th inning. Two of the three runs charged to his record scored after he left game. With a 10/5 GO/FO line today, he continues to have a GO/AO ratio above 2.00.
A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 3-1
San Jose: DH Tyler Graham: 2 for 4, 3B, SO
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 3 for 4
Modesto: CF Charlie Blackmon: 2 for 4, BB, 2 SO
San Jose: LHP Clayton Tanner: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K--1 WP
San Jose: RHP Steven Edlefsen: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 5 K
Modestl: LHP Brandon Durden: 9.0 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Neal and Graham had multi-hit lines for the Giants, raising their AVGs to .348 and .301. As a team, they drew no walks on a day that had a gametime temperature of 108 degrees. Graham's 1st triple of the season was their only XBH. Blackmon, a top ten prospect for the Rockies, reached base three times. He entered the day with a .361 OBP.
Tanner had another fine start, improving his ERA to 3.16. In seven of his last nine starts he has allowed 2 ER or less. After a year and a half in the Cal League, is he ready for a promotion to the upper minors? Edlefsen had a season-high 5 K while recording his 6th save. He also standed the two baserunners he inherited with no outs in the 8th inning. The nearly 25-year-old Durden suffered the rare complete game loss.
A-: Augusta lost to Rome 6-5 (10 innings)
(after allowing two runs in bottom of 9th inning)
Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 1 for 4, HBP, SO
Augusta: LF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 4, HBP, SO
Augusta: 2B Jose Flores: 1 for 3, BB, SO, SB
Augusta: RHP Mike Loree: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Augusta: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB
Three GreenJackets reach base twice--Flores, playing in just his second SAL game of the year, and Culberson and Fairley, two high draft choices two years ago.
Loree allowed two 1st inning runs and then did not allow another run until the 7th inning, a run which scored after he left the game. Quirarte entered the game in the 8th inning with two outs and two on. After stranding those two runners and getting the first batter to ground out in the 9th inning, he allowed three of the next four batters to reach base, leaving with the bases loaded. In eight SAL appearances, Quirarte has an ERA over 6.00.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Vancouver: 5-0
(adding four insurance runs in the 9th inning)
Salem-Keizer: 1B C.J. Ziegler: 3 for 3, 2B, BB, E
Salem-Keizer: 2B Juan Martinez: 2 for 4, SB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Wilbur Bucardo: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 WP
Playing in his first game in a wekk, Ziegler batted cleanup and led the Volcanoes offense by reaching base in all four plate appearances. Martinez, a late-round draft pick earlier this month playing in his sixth pro game, had the Volcanoes' other mutli-hit hit.
The older Bucardo brother has had two very effective starts so far this year, allowing just 1 R in 10.0 IP. A year ago he had a 4.57 ERA in 67.0 IP.
R: Giants defeated Cubs 11-3
(after trailing 1-0 after five innings)
Scottsdale: SS Ydwin Villegas: 3 for 5
Scottsdale RF Scoma: 3 for 5, BB, SO
Scottsdale: DH Christopher Dominguez: 1 for 5, HBP, SO
Scottsdale; RHP Cameron Lamb: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
The rookie Giants had seventeen hits, although no XBHs. Villegas, an 18-year-old from Colombia playing in his fourth game in the U.S., and Scoma, the Giants' 36th rounder this year, each had three of those hits. Dominguez, the Giants' 3rd round pick, made has his pro debut as the rookie Giants' cleanup hitter, reaching base twice in six plate appearances.
The 20-year-old Lamb, who missed all of last year with injury, has faced the Cubs in both starts this year, and this time he was even more effective than in his previous start. His 6 K were undoubtedly a career high.
DSL: no results reported for Giants at Royals