Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Paul Oseguera had perhaps the best stat line of any Giants minor league starter this year facing just two batters over the minimum in eight innings; (b) Matt Downs homered, doubled and singled; (c,d) Ryan Lormand and Wendell Fairley each had an XBH plus a couple singles; and (e) in short-season ball Luke Anders reached base in all five plate appearances.
AAA: Fresno lost to Colorado Springs 6-4
Fresno: SS-1B Kevin Frandsen: 3 for 4
Fresno: 2B Matt Downs: 3 for 4, HR, 2B
Fresno: RHP Matt Kinney: 5.1 IP, 11 BB, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Colorado Springs: LHP Damian Moss: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Colorado Springs: RHP Matt Herges: 1.1 IP
Downs and Frandsen each had three of the Grizzlies' six hits, includings Downs' 10th HR and 24th double.
Kinney's ERA is back above 5.50 after allowing 6 ER in this start. Matos improved his ERA to 3.28 with 1.2 scoreless IP. After 44 relief appearances for the Rockies' affiliate, the ex-Giant Moss made his first start of the year. Herges, another ex-Giant, was better than perfect, getting five outs from four batters and stranding both runners inherited from Moss.
AA: Connecticut hosting New Hampshire was postponed by rain
(A makeup doubleheader is scheduled for today.)
A+: San Jose defeated Rancho Cucamonga 7-2
San Jose: CF Darren Ford: 3 for 5, 2 SB
San Jose: SS Ryan Lormand: 3 for 4, 3B, E
San Jose: LHP Paul Oseguera: 8.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
With three more singles, Ford finished July hitting .352/.397/.486 in 105 AB with a 10/2 SB/CS line. For the season, he now has a 20/8 SB/CS line, and his AVG is now above .270. Lormand, a reserve infielder, had the Giants other multi-hit line, including his 2nd triple.
Oseguera not only had his best start of the season, but his best start of the season by a significant margin, and perhaps even the best start of any Giants minor league this year. He faced just two batters over the minimum. He had a 10/5 GO/FO line as he improved his ERA to 4.05.
A-: Augusta lost to Greenville 10-4
(allowing seven runs in the 7th and 8th innings)
Augusta: 1B Josh Mazzola: 2 for 5, SO
Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 2 for 4, SO, E
Augusta: LF Wendell Fairley: 3 for 4, 2B
Greenville: 3B Will Middlebrooks: 3 for 5, 2B, SO
Augusta: RHP Mike Loree: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Augusta: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 1.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER 1 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Batting ninth, Fairley's three hits, including his 15th double, led the GreenJackets' fifteen-hit attack and raised his AVG above .250. Culberson and Mazzola also had multi-hit hits. Culberson raised his AVG to an even .250 but also committed his 35th error. Middlebrooks, who had a signing bonus over $900,000 a year ago and whom BA rated as the Red Sox' #18 prospect to begin this year, had his second straight three-hit game against the GreenJackets. He is now hitting .266/.346/.426 through 256 AB this year.
Loree pitched well enough to win but took the loss, evening his W-L record at 7-7 to go along with his 4.30 ERA. Quirarte had a poor outing, allowing both runners inherited with two outs to score and then allowing four more runs to score, all of which scored while he was in the game. His ERA is now nearly 6.00.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City 16-1
Salem-Keizer: CF Evan Crawford: 3 for 4, SO, SB
Salem-Keizer: 1B Luke Anders: 4 for 4, 2B, BB
Salem-Keizer: LF Shane Lindsley: 2 for 3, HR, HBP
Salem-Keizer: RHP Craig Westcott: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 WP
Salem-Keizer: LHP David Quinowski: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jose Valdez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K--1 WP
Anders reached base in all five of his plate appearances, with the four hits raising his AVG above .300. Batting leadoff in his fifth NWL game after sixteen AZL games, Crawford had three singles. Lindsley had his 1st pro HR (in two pro seasons).
After seven relief appearances in the AZL, Westcott made his debut in the NWL as a starter. Quinowski had the longest appearance with 2.2 IP among the four Volcanoes pitchers. Valdez pitched two scoreless innings in his first appearance in two weeks. His previous five appearances had been as a starter.
R: Giants defeated Royals 5-1
Scottsdale: C Jesse Shriner: 2 for 5, SO, E
Scottsdale: LF Ryan Scoma: 0 for 2, 2 BB, SB
Scottsdale: RHP Cameron Lamb: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Scottsdale: RHP Brennan Flick: 1.1 IP, 1 K
Scottsdale; RHP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 2 H
Shriner had the rookie Giants' only multi-hit line to help keep his AVG well above .300. Scoma also reached base twice, although his OPS remains below .500. The UC Davis alum also threw out a runner at the plate.
Making his eight start of the season, Lamb saw his ERA nudge up a bit to 2.14. After issuing just 9 BB in his first six starts, he has now issued another 9 BB in his last two starts. His K/BB does remain above 2.00, though. In his eighth pro relief appearance, Flick had 1.1 perect IP. Stoffel allowed a couple hits in his fifth pro appearance.
DSL: Giants defeated Brewers/Orioles 6-4
Dominican: SS Gilberto Almonte: 2 for 4, 2B
Dominican: RHP Kendry Flores: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Almonte (21.0 y.o.) was one of four Gigantes with two hits each. His OPS is now just over .500.as his SLG is just .224. The young Flores (17.8 y.o.) continues to post impressive stats with 31 H, 17 BB, and 44 K in 47.0 IP with a 2.49 ERA through his first ten pro starts.