Highlights from the Giants' farm seem to come in combos today: (a,b) John Bowker and Drew Biery each had 2 HRs; (c,d) Ben Copeland and Brett Pill reached base in all nine of their plate appearances; (e,f) leadoff-hitting centerfielders Clay Timpner and Darren Ford each had two doubles; and (g,h) Paul Oseguera and Orlando Yntema each allowed just 1 R in 6.0 IP. The one highlight that was not doubled was (i) Kieschnick having three doubles.
AAA: Fresno defeated Nashville 8-5
Fresno: CF Clay Timpner: 2 for 5, 2 2B, E
Fresno: RF Ben Copeland: 2 for 2, 3 BB
Fresno: LF John Bowker: 2 for 4, 2 HR, BB, SO
Fresno: RHP Ryan Sadowski: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Fresno: RHP Waldis Joaquin: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Fresno: RHP Osiris Matos: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Bowker hit his 19th and 20th HRs. Timpner also had a couple XBHs with his 15th and 16th doubles. Copeland reached base in all five plate appearances. Since joining the Grizzlies, he has hit .263/.325/.386 in 255 AB.
Sadowski has allowed 3 ER in both starts since his demotion back to the minors, but today that was enough for the win, improving his PCL W-L record to 6-2. Joaquin and Matos allowed just one of nine batters to reach base. Joaquin has 9 K in 5.2 IP through his first three PCL appearances.
AA: Connecticut lost to Erie 6-5
Connecticut: 1B Brett Pill: 2 for 2, 2B, 2 BB
Connecticut: DH Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 1 for 4, HR, 2 SO
Erie: RF Brennan Boesch: 2 for 4, BB
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Connecticut: LHP Joe Paterson: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER--1 BK
Erie: LHP Jason Waddell: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Pill reached base in all four of his plate appearance, getting his AVG back to an even .300. His performance included his team-leading 33rd double. EME had his 7th HR. Boesch, whom the Tigers selected in the third round out of UC Berkeley three years ago, had his fourth straight multi-hit game, improving his AVG to .275. After slugging just .379 with 7 HRs in the FSL last year, he has slugged .525 with 25 HRs in the EL this year.
Snyder made just his second start among 31 appearances this year. He has pitched five full innings in both starts. He nudged his ERA a little lower to 2.12 today. Paterson seems to be fading in the second half. After a 1.37 ERA in 34 appearances before the break, he has a 4.58 ERA in 14 appearances since. Waddell, the ex-Giants farmhand who made his MLB debut with the Cubs earlier this year before they released him, had his first save of the season appearing against his former team and making his second appearance in the Tigers' organization.
A+: San Jose defeated Stockton 2-1
San Jose: CF Darren Ford: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SB
San Jose: RF Roger Kieschnick: 3 for 4, 3 2B
San Jose: LHP Paul Oseguera: 6.0+ IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K--1 PO
San Jose: LHP Wilmin Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 1 K
Kieschnick and Ford combined for five doubles, which accounted for all but two of the Giants' seven hits. Kieschnick now has 25 doubles, and Ford 13 doubles. They raised their respective AVGs to .296 and .272.
I think it was three weeks ago I noted that Oseguera was consistently having mediocre starts with a line close to 3 ER in 6.0 IP. In his four starts since then, he has been just the opposite, allowing 5 ER in one start but allowing just 2 ER combined in the other three starts. He now has a 4.11 ERA in a dozen starts with San Jose this year. Wi-Rod's 2.0 perfect IP improved his ERA to 2.25.
A-: Augusta lost to Hagerstown 4-1
Augusta: DH Mike Loberg: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 2 for 4
Hagerstown: DH Derek Norris: 0 for 3, BB, SO
Augusta: RHP Orlando Yntema: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HB
Augusta: RHP Eric Stolp: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB
Culberson was the only GreenJacket to reach base twice. His two singles got his AVG back above .240. After today's hat trick, Loberg now has more strikeouts than hits (42 H and 45 SO in 184 AB, .228 AVG). The Nationals' Norris was looking like one of the best prospects in baseball through the end of July, but the 20-year-old catcher is now just 3 for 38 (.079 AVG) so far in August.
After allowing 9 ER in his first two SAL starts, Yntema had perhaps his best start of the season considering the level of the competition. Stolp got just one ground ball out from the seven batters he faced today.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Everett 7-3
Salem-Keizer: DH Drew Biery: 2 for 4, 2 HR
Salem-Keizer: LF Shane Lindsley: 1 for 4, HR, GiDP
Salem-Keizer: RHP Craig Westcott: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K--1 HB, 1 WP, 1 BK
Biery connected for his 5th and 6th HRs as a pro, improving his pro line to .358/.425/.552 through 165 AB. Lindsley had his 3rd HR as a pro, all of which have come this year.
Westcott had his second straight start with 8 K and 2 ER in 5.0 IP. In his four NWL starts, he has 16 H, 5 BB, and 24 K in 15.1 IP.
R: Scottsdale had their regular off-day
(every fifth day, with two more off-days remaining this year)
DSL: no results reported yet for Giants at Mets today
DSL: Giants defeated Yankees1 15-2
(Yestersday's box score now available.)
Dominican: 1B Rey Duran: 4 for 5, 2 HR, 2B
Dominican: RHP Ariel Hernandez: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K--1 WP
Duran's (20.0 y.o.) team-leading four hits included his 9th and 10th HRs of the season, which raised his SLG to .466. Hernandez (17.5 y.o.) had a career-high 8 K in his seventh start and twelfth appearance.