Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Madison Bumgarned allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP; (b) Brad Boyer homered while reaching three times; and (c,d) Andrew Reichard and Jeremy Toole both also allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP.
AAA: Fresno had a scheduled off-day
(It was their final scheduled off-day this year.)
Grizzlies on PCL leaderboard in selected stats:
--Hitters:
AVG: Bowker 1st, Guzman 4th
OBP: Bowker 1st, Guzman 19th
SLG: Bowker 3rd, Guzman 13th
OPS: Bowker 1st, Guzman 12th
HR: Bowker 11th
BB: Bowker 5th
SB: (none; Velez leads team with 16)
--Pitchers:
ERA: RaOrtiz 1st, Pucetas 10th
WHIP: RaOrtiz 2nd, Pucetas 9th
K: Kinney 5th, RaOrtiz 13th, Pucetas 18th
IP: Pucetas 2nd, Kinney 7th, Hammond 12th
AA: Connecticut defeated Akron 3-2
Connecticut: LF-3B Brad Boyer: 2 for 4, HR, BB, 2 SO
Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 1 for 4, BB
Akron: C Carlos Santana: 2 for 3, 2 BB, IBB
Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 WP
Connecticut: LHP Dan Runzler: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K--1 IBB
Boyer had two of the Defenders' six hits, including his 3rd HR. On fire since coming off the DL in July, an OPS over 1.000 in his last 24 games has improved his season line to .284/.346/.415 through 282 AB this year. Santana, the Indians' top prospect continues to have a big series in Norwich, going 7 for 12, with 2 XBH and 3 BB. With a line of .294/.416/.545 through 354 AB this year, he is one of the very best prospects in baseball, and often the best prospect in any game in which he plays.
But maybe Bumgarner was the best prospect in the game last night. After allowing 2+ ER in each of his last three starts, Bumgarner allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP yesterday. Atypical for him, he did have more ground ball outs than fly ball outs (9/7 GO/FO line and 0.78 GO/AO ratio for the year). In his last seven starts, he has just 18 K against 10 K. With two scoreless innings, Runzler got his ERA since his promotion to the Eastern League under 2.00.
A+: San Jose lost to Bakersfield 2-1
San Jose: CF Darren Ford: 1 for 2, BB, HBP, SB
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 4
San Jose PR: Shane Jordan: 0 PA
Bakersfield: C Elio Sarmiento: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
San Jose: RHP Kyle Nicholson: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Neal had two of the Giants' six hits, all of which were singles. His AVG is .337. Ford reached base three times and had his 23rd SB. Sarmiento, whom the Rangers selected from the Giants in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft this past winter, has been ret hot recently. In his last four games, he has hit 11 for 18 with 4 XBH and 1 BB. With an OPS over 1.000 since the all-star break, the 23-year-old who had been a backup catcher but is playing everyday now is now hitting .335/.406/.469 through 179 AB this year. Last year both his OBP and SLG were below .285 in 131 AB in the Giants' organization. The game apparently ended with some fireworks when Shane Jordan was doubled off first base on a popped up bunt for the second out in the 9th inning. He was subsequently ejected from the game, as were hitting coach Gary Davenport and manager Andy Skeels.
Nicholson allowed just 1 ER, but he has not been the innings eater with San Jose that has was for Augusta. He has 16.1 IP in his three Cal League starts.
A-: Augusta lost to Lake County 3-1
Augusta: C Johnny Mondell: 2 for 3
Augusta: RHP Andrew Reichard: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Lake County: LHP T.J. McFarland: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Monell had two of the GreenKackets' five hits, all of which were singles, raising his own AVG to .273.
Reichard, the Giants' 13th rounder two years ago, has been very effective in his four starts this year, with a line of 14 H, 1 BB, and 10 K in 19.0 IP with a 1.42 ERA. McFarland, the Indians' 4th round pick a year ago, shut out the GreenJackets for six innings, improving his ERA to 3.75. With an 11/5 GO/FO line, he kept his GO/AO ratio over 2.00.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Spokane 2-1 (10 innings)
Salem-Keizer: RF Ryan Lollis: 2 for 5, SO, GiDP
Salem-Keizer: 3B Andrew Biery: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jeremy Toole: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 WP
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jorge Casilla: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Lollis had two of the Volcanoes' seven hits, raising his own AVG to .293. Biery was the other Volcano to reach base twice, and his 11th double was their only XBH.
After allowing 3 ER in each of his previous two starts, Toole bounced back with the longest start of his young pro career, allowing just 1 ER to improve his ERA to 2.43. He has had 11 K against 2 BB in his last two starts, and his BB/IP ratio is now below 0.50. The 20-year-old Casillia has had an outstanding season as the Volcanoes' closer, at least so far. With saves in nine of his eighteen appearances, he has a stat line that includes a 1.35 ERA, a BAA of .187 and a K/IP ratio of 1.20.
R: Giants defeated Athletics 1-0
(scoring only run in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Scottsdale: SS Jake Dunning: 2 for 3, SB
Phoenix: 1B Daric Barton: 0 for 2, SO
Scottsdale: RHP Chris Heston: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Scottsdale: RHP Audy Santana: 1.0 IP, 3 K
Scottsdale: RHP Aaron Davidson: 2.0 IP, 3 K
Phoenix: RHP Justin Duchscherer: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
With two singles in each of his last two games, Dunning has his AVG up above the Mendoza line. He was the only player in the game (for either team) to reach base twice. Not even the Athletics' Barton, in his first rehab game, reached base. Just 61 batters came to the plate, just nine over the minimum who can come to the plate in a nine-inning game won by the home team.
Heston had his second consecutive very good start, with 4 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, and 13 K in 10.0 IP over his last two starts. Santana and Davidson combined for 6 K in 3.0 perfect IP in relief. Duchscherer made his third rehab start of the year, with one start coming previously in the Cal League and another in the PCL. He has been very good in rehab apeparances so far with 6 H, 1 BB, 0 R, and 8 K in 11.0 IP.
DSL: Giants defeated Orioles/Brewers 8-0
Dominican: RF Jose De La Cruz: 3 for 5, 2B, CS
Dominican: RHP Miguel Ferrer: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K--1 WP
De La Cruz (18.3 y.o.) led the Gigantes' with three hits, improving his AVG to .293. Ferrer (19.0 y.o.) returned to the rotation for his sixth start among eleven appearances. He was certainly not out of the rotation based on performance has in his previous five starts, he had 17 H, 0 BB, 4 ER, and 24 K in 25.2 IP. The 4 BB yesterday stand out given that he had issued just one walk previously this year.