The obvious highlights from the Giants' farm is (a) Madison Bumgarner's first complete-game shutout, albeit in seven innings. The other imporant highlight was (b,c) Scott Barnes and T.J. Brewer combining for 15 K in a combined shutout. Perhaps the top hitting line for the night was (d) Nick Noonan having a couple XBH.
AAA: Fresno lost to Sacramento 5-1
Fresno: C Steve Holm: 1 for 3, 2B
Fresno: DH Brian Horwitz: 1 for 3, 2B
Sacramento: RF Aaron Cunningham: 2 for 4, HR, SO, SB
Sacramento: LF Chris Denorfia: 1 for 4, HR
Fresno: RHP Garrett Broshuis: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--2 HR
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 1.0 IP, 1 H
Sacramento: RHP James Simmons: 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 Er, 1 BB, 3 K
No one reached base twice for the Grizzlies, but Holm and Horwitz had back-to-back doubles in the 5th inning to score the team's only run. Cunningham and Denorfia, who both have seen some time in the majors with the Athletics this year, homered. The 23-year-old Cunningham has a .304/.358/.570 line through 135 AB in the PCL this year.
In his PCL debut, Broshuis allowed 4 ER in 4.0 IP, including a couple big flies. Matos allowed a leadoff double in the 7th inning but did not allow a run. Simmons began the year ranked among the Athletics' top ten prospects but has not performed up that to billing with an ERA above 5.00 in April, May and June. But he has been better over his last four starts with 23 H, 4 BB, 7 ER and 12 K in 27.0 IP. Last night he pitched his first complete game, throwing 71 of 107 pitches for strikes.
AA: Connecticut defeated Harrisburg 4-0 (7 innings) in game 1
Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 2 for 4, 2B
Connecticut: 3B Ramon Castro: 3 for 3, 2 2B
Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Pill and Castro combined for five of the Defenders' nine hits and all three of their XBHs, including Pill's 26th double of the season, which tied him for the organization lead.
Bumgarner pitched his first complete-game shutout, facing just five batters over the minimum. Bumgarner began his stint in the upper minors with three straight quality starts, then had four less than quality starts, and now has had his two longest starts of the season. With the 3 BB, his K/BB ratio did slip below 3.00, but his BAA remains an impressive .209. He further lowered his ERA to 1.70.
AA: Connecticut defeated Harrisburg 2-1 (8 innings) in game 2
Connecticut: LF Bobby Felmy: 2 for 4, SO, SB
Connecticut: RHP Brooks McNiven: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Connecticut: RHP Matt Yourkin: 1.1 IP, 1 BB, 3 K--1 BK
Connecticut: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K--1 IBB
Felmy was the only Defender to reach base twice not via an intentional walk. His seond single ended the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and raised his AVG to .254.
McNiven, who made his first appearance in two weeks, has allowed just 2 ER in his last three starts to get his ERA back under 4.00 after a couple appearances in the first half of May with 6 ER each had inflated his ERA. Yourkin and Joaquin provided scoreless relief, striking out five of the twelve batters they faced.
A+: San Jose defeated Stockton 10-0
(scoring five runs in the 2nd inning and adding five insurance runs in the last two innings)
San Jose: DH Buster Posey: 0 for 3, 2 BB
San Jose: RF Roger Kieschnick: 1 for 5, HR, SO
San Jose: 1B Angel Villalona: 1 for 3, 2 HBP, 2 SO
San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 5, 3B, 2B
San Jose: LHP Scott Barnes: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
San Jose: RHP T.J. Brewer: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 7 K--1 WP
Batting ninth, Noonan had his 5th triple and 13th double to contribute the Giants' only multi-hit line. Villalona reached base three times, getting his OBP back above .310. He hit just .200/.238/.288 in 80 AB in June. Kieschnick added his organization-leading 16th HR in the 9th inning. Posey had his first game after being hit in the helmet by a pitch six days earlier.
Barnes had an impressive start to follow up on his start six days earlier with a season-high 10 K. Over his last six starts, he has 22 H, 10 BB, 7 ER, and 48 K in 34.2 IP. Brewer was perhaps even more impressive in relief, to finish the shutout, facing just one batter of the minimum and having a season-high 7 K. He raised his K/IP above 1.00, although his BAA remains above .300.
A-: Augusta lost to Lexington 2-1
Augusta: RF Josh Mazzola: 2 for 4, SO
Augusta: C Matt Klimas: 0 for 0, 2 BB, HBP
Augusta: LHP Eric Surkamp: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Augusta: RHP Justin Fitzgerald: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Lexington: RHP Jordan Lyles: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K--2 HB
Mazzola had two of the GreenJackets' five hits, raising his AVG to .274. Klimas reached base in all three of his plate appearances, raising his OBP to .364.
Surkamp has been racking up the strikeouts, with a K/IP ratio fo 1.22. Still, he has proven fairly hittable with a H/IP over 1.00 and an ERA of 3.59 through his thirteen starts. Fitzgerald face just one over the minimum in three scoreless innings to lower his ERA back below 3.75 after giving up 2 ER in each of his previous two appearances. Lyles, one of the Astros' top prospects, had a quality start. His peripheral stats are better than his 3.15 ERA in sixteen starts would indicate as the 18-year-old has 79 H, 20 BB, 4 HR, and 108 K in 88.2 IP.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Vancouver 12-6
Salem-Keizer: CF Francisco Peguero: 3 for 5, 2B
Salem-Keizer: C Kyle Henson: 3 for 4, CS
Salem-Keizer: RHP Javier Hernandez: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Salem-Keizer: RHP Taylor Rogers: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER--1 HR
With three hits each, Peguero, who is playing in the NWL for the second time, and Henson (39th rounder) combined for half of the Volcanoes' dozen hits.
Hernandez got nine ground ball outs (9/2 GO/FO line), but he had no strikeouts, and seven balls in play went for hits. Through three starts, he has 16 H, 10 BB and 4 K to go along with 7.07 ERA. Rogers (25th rounder) has had an inauspicious pro debut, allowing nine runs over his first two appearances.
R: Scottsdale had its regularly scheduled off-day (every fifth day)
DSL: Giants lost to Pirates 3-2 (10 innings)
Dominican: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 1 for 3, 2 BB, IBB, SB, E
Dominican: RHP Lorenzo Mendoza: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Willoughby (20.7 y.o.) reached base three times, further raising his OBP to .467, and had his 19th SB. Mendoza (17.11 y.o.) was effective in his second pro start, allowing just four baserunners in five scoreless innings.