Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Kevin Frandsen had 2 HRs; (b,c) Jesus Guzman and Mike McBryde each had four hits, including two XBH each; (d,e) Thomas Neal and Josh Mazzola both reached base four times, including a couple XBH for Neal; (f,g) Wendell Fairley and Charlie Culberson each had three hits; (h,i) Craig Clark and Jorge Bucardo each had good quality starts.
AAA: Fresno lost to Tacoma 10-5
Fresno: 2B Matt Downs: 1 for 5, HR
Fresno: SS Kevin Frandsen: 2 for 4, 2 HR, E
Fresno: 1B Jesus Guzman: 4 for 4, HR, 2B, SO
Tacoma: 2B Matt Tuiasosopo: 3 for 6, HR, SO
Fresno: LHP Steve Hammond: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--3 HR--1 HB, 1 WP
Fresno: RHP Steve Palazzolo: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Frandsen had 2 HRs, his 11th and 12th HRs in the PCL this year. Guzman had four hits, including his 15th HR and 24th double. Still, Guzman's SLG is down nearly .100 points since the all-star break as compared to before the break. Downs also homered, as he and Frandsen went back-to-back in the 9th inning when the game was largely out of reach. The Mariners' Tuiasosopo homered for the second straight day.
Hammond saw his ERA rise to 5.66. He has allowed 24 HRs in his 25 starts. Palazzolo struck out two of the four batters he faced in the 9th inning.
AA: Connecticut defeated Binghamton 7-6
(rallying for three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Connecticut: CF Mike McBryde: 4 for 5, 2 2B
Connecticut: RF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 2 for 4, 2B, BB, GiDP
Connecticut: LHP Ben Snyder: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Batting .358 in August, including seven hits in his last two games, McBryde has raised his season AVG to .276 (.287 with Connecticut). EME's solid game, which included his 29th double, raised his AVG above .300.
Snyder made his third start among 32 apperances this season. Roughed up for 6 ER, his ERA increased to 2.65. Previously this year, the most ER he had yielded in an entire month was five.
A+: San Jose defeated Stockton 7-2
San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 5, 2B, BB
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 3, 2 2B, 2 BB
San Jose: LHP Craig Clark: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K--1 HR
Neal reached base four times. He had his organization-leading 38th and 39th doubles. Noonan reached base three times. His seven-game hitting streak has raised his AVG to .255.
Another quality start for Clark improved his W-L record to a remarkable 15-2. He has now made effectively a dozen starts both before and after the Cal League's all-star break. His ERA and WHIP are fairly similar before and after the break. Since the break, his strikeout rate has declined, but not because he's getting more ground ball outs. In fact, he was a bit of a groundball pitcher in the first half but has been more of a flyball pitcher in the second half.
A-: Augusta lost to Charleston 14-13
Augusta: RF Josh Mazzola: 2 for 4, 2 BB
Augusta: 2B Juan Perez: 1 for 4, HR, 3 SO
Augusta: 3B Charlie Culberson: 3 for 5
Augusta: LF Wendell Fairley: 3 for 4, 2B, SF, SO
Augusta: RHP Orlando Yntema: 1.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Augusta: RHP Eric Stolp: 2.0 IP, 1 BB
Culberson and Fairley both had three hits, but both still have AVGs below .255. Fairley has shown improvement in the second half of the season, batting .289/.358/.387, although most of that "improvement" came in a hot month of July. Mazzola reached base four times. Perez had his 9th HR, which was just his second big fly since homering in the SAL all-star game.
Yntema retired just four of the twelve batters he faced in what was basically a disaster start, although he allowed just 4 ER. His ERA rose above 7.00. Stolp was the onely one of four GreenJackets' relievers not to allow multiple runs.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Vancouver 7-2
Salem-Keizer: SS Ryan Cavan: 0 for 2, 2 BB, HBP
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jorge Bucardo: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Salem-Keizer: RHP Taylor Rogers: 1.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB--1 HR, 1 HB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jose Valdez: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jose Casilla: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Cavan reached base three times for the Volcanoes, improving his OBP to an even .400. His BB/AB ratio is above 20%.
Bucardo had an excellent start. His sinker was apparently working well given his 12/1 GO/FO line. His GO/AO ratio for the season is now 2.33. He improved his ERA to 2.79. Rogers had about as bad an inning as a pitcher can usually have and still pitch a full inning. He faced ten batters before finishing the frame. Valdez and Casilla each had 2 K in a perfect inning of work.
R: Giants lost to Athletics 10-8
Scottsdale: CF Andres Torres: 1 for 2, BB, SO
Scottsdale: LF Jonathan White: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Scottsdale: 1B Carlos Quintana: 2 for 4, BB
Scottsdale: RHP Cameron Lamb: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K--1 WP
Scottsdale: RHP Ricardo Castro: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB
Torres played in his first rehab game. White had his 2nd HR. Quintana reached base three times. He has a .299 AVG that is fairly empty given his sub-.700 OPS.
Lamb allowed a season-high 5 ER and a season-high 8 H in what was perhaps his worst start of the year. He had allowed just 5 ER total over his previous nine starts. His ERA remains just below 2.25. Castro's season debut did go well. He is a 20-year-old from Mexico.
DSL: The Gigantes have a bye in the first round of the playoffs