Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Brandon Crawford had four hits; (b) Brock Bond reached base four times; (c,d) Thomas Neal and C.J. Ziegler each had three hits, including three doubles between them; and (e) Eric Surkamp faced just one batter over the minimum in 3.0 IP before rain suspended his game.
AAA: Fresno defeated Colorado Springs 4-3
(rallying for three runs in bottom of 9th inning)
Fresno: C Buster Posey: 1 for 3, BB, GiDP, PB
Fresno: 1B John Bowker: 1 for 3, BB, SO
Fresno: LF Joe Borchard: 1 for 4, HR
Fresno: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HB
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 0.1 IP
Fresno: RHP Steven Edlefsen: 2.0 IP, 3 K
Colorado Springs: RHP Adam Eaton: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Posey and Bowker both reached base twice, including in the 9th inning to set up Borchard's three-run, no-out, walk-off HR, his 11th HR in fifty games with the Grizzlies.
Pucetas had another quality start. He has allowed 3 ER or less while having 6.0 IP or more in seven of his last nine starts. Matos stranded both runners he inherited from Pucetas. Edlefsen struck out three of the six batters he faced in 2.0 perfect IP. In eight PCL games, he now has 6 H, 4 BB, 2 ER, and 11 K in 11.1 IP. The Rockies' Eaton has an ERA below 2.50 through nine PCL starts.
AA: Connecticut defeated Bowie 13-12 (11 innings)
(despite trailing 7-2 after three innings)
Connecticut: 2B Brock Bond: 3 for 6, 2B, BB, 2 SO
Connecticut: 3B Brad Boyer; 3 for 7, 2 2B, SO
Connecticut: PH-DH Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 1 for 3, HR
Connecticut: SS Brandon Crawford: 4 for 6, 2 2B, HBP, SH, SO
Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 0.0 IP, 1 H
Connecticut: LHP Steven Calicutt: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB--1 IBB
Connecticut: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 2.0 IP, 2 K
Connecticut: RHP Ramon Castro: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER
Crawford had four of the Defenders' 22 hits, getting his AVG in July back above the Mendoza line. With a sub-.600 OPS in July, he is now hitting just .242/.290/.346 in 206 AB since his promotion in early May to the upper minors. Bond had his fifth straight multi-hit game, helping to keep his OPS this month over 1.000. Boyer also had three hits. EME connected for his 5th HR, a two-run, one-out HR in the 11th inning.
Bumgarner had perhaps the worst start of his career before being ejected in the 2nd inning. Snyder then faced just one batter, allowing a double that according to the recap was a "on a line drive to third baseman Brad Boyer, deflected by pitcher Ben Snyder." Calicutt then gave up 4 ER in his upper minors debut. Joaquin and Paterson restored order with two scoreless innings each. Castro, an infielder, was the Defenders' seventh reliever to appear in the game and received a save after the previous two relievers had both blown save opportunities.
A+: San Jose lost 16-7
San Jose: CF Darren Ford: 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SO, SB
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 3 for 5, 2B, SO
San Jose: 1B C.J. Ziegler: 3 for 5, 2 2B, 2 SO
San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Stockton: 2B Jemile Weeks: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 BB
Stockton: C Yusuf Carter: 4 for 5, BB
San Jose: RHP T.J. Brewer: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 3 BB, 1 K--1 HR, 2 WP
San Jose: RHP Ryan Shaver: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Neal and Ziegler each had three hits, helping to maintain an AVG above .300 for both players. Defensively, Ziegler looked pretty limited, though. Noonan also had a multi-hit line. Reportedly, the Giants had asked Ford to take up switch-hitting after last season, but apparently that experiment is over with Ford taking all his at bats last night as a right-hander. Perhaps not coincidentally, this has been his best month of the season. Carter, who repressented the Athletics' affiliate in the all-star game, reached base five times. Weeks, the Atheltics' first round pick a year ago, reached base four times. After a red-hot June with an OPS over 1.200, he has had just a .571 OPS in July.
Back in the rotation following the Scott Barnes trade, Brewer was alternatively wild and hit hard. His ERA ballooned to 4.20. Shaver made his first appearance with a full-season affiliate in over a year. He was the only one of four Giants relievers facing more than one batter not to allow a run.
A-: Augusta at Hickory suspended in the 4th inning because for rain
(The GreenJackets were leading 4-1 in a game that will be resumed at noon today.)
Augusta: LF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 2, HR
Augusta: DH Andy D'Alessio: 1 for 1, HR, BB
Augusta: LHP Eric Surkamp: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, ER, 0 BB, 4 K--1 PO
Fairley and D'Alessio both homered, with the 3rd and 7th HRs, respectively.
Surkamp faced just one batter over the minimum in his three innings. This was his fifth straight start with more strikeout than innings pitched.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City 3-1
Salem-Keizer: 1B Chris Dominguez: 1 for 3, HR, BB, 2 SO, CS
Salem-Keizer: 3B Andrew Biery: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Salem-Keizer: SS Ryan Cavan: 1 for 1, 2B, 2 BB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jeremy O'Toole: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Tri-City: RHP Rex Brothers: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB< 4 K
Dominguez led off the 2nd inning with his 7th NWL HR. Cavan reached base in all three plate appearances, raising his OBP over .400. The previously red-hot Biery had the oh-fer with the hat trick.
O'Toole's fifth pro start was his best yet, and he now has a 1.40 ERA in his five starts although he has issued 9 BB in 19.1 IP. Brothers, whom the Rockies selected in the supplemental first round last month, struck out four of the seven batters he faced in his third pro game.
R: Giants defeated Cubs 7-3
Scottsdale: 3B Josh Lopez: 2 for 3, 2 BB, SO, SB
Scottsdale: C Jesse Shriner: 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB, SO, SB
Scottsdale: RHP Chris Heston: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Scottsdale: RHP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Batting leadoff, Lopez reached base four times. After hitting just .195 last summer in the AZL, he has a .326 AVG this year. Shriner raised his AVG above .300, and half of his 22 H have been doubles.
In his third pro start and sixth appearance, Heston set a new pro career-high with 5 K. Stoffel worked a perfect 8th inning in his fourth pro appearance.
DSL: Giants defeated Pirates 8-7
Dominican: DH Robedluis Fuentes: 2 for 4, HR, BB
Dominican: RF Jose De La Cruz: 4 for 4, 2 2B, CS
Dominican: RHP Ariel Hernandez: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--2 HB, 1 WP
Fuentes (20.10 y.o.) had his 1st HR of the season (in 169 AB). He also had 1 HR last year. De La Cruz's (18.3 y.o.) four hits raised his AVG to .274. Hernandez (17.4 y.o.) has now allowed 9 ER in his last two appearances, ballooning his ERA to 3.45 after having allowed just 3 ER in his previous season appearances.