Highlights from the Giants' farm: (a) Clay Timpner homered and doubled among his three hits; (b) Buster Posey also homered while reaching base twice; (c) Kevin Frandsen had three hits; (d) Jackson Williams had a couple XBH; (e) Tyler Graham had a HR among his two hits; and (f) Kyle Nicholson allowed 2 ER in 6.0 IP. Notable: Madison Bumgarner pitched but not long enough to have a quality start.
AAA: Fresno defeated New Orleans 6-5
Fresno: CF Clay Timpner: 3 for 5, HR, 2B
Fresno: SS Kevin Frandsen: 3 for 5
Fresno: RF Nate Schierholtz: 1 for 4, 2B
Fresno: C Buster Posey: 1 for 3, HR, BB, SO
New Orleans: RF Brett Carroll: 3 for 5
Fresno: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
New Orleans: RHP Clay Hensley: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Timpner had another big game, including his 5th HR to lead off the bottom of the 1st inning and his 14th double. Batting first and second in the Grizzlies' lineup, both Timpner and Frandsen had three hits, although their AVGs remain appreciably different at .249 and .301. Posey led off the 4th inning with his 3rd PCL HR. Schierholtz played a full nine innings in his third rehab appearance, and his performance included throwing out a runner at the plate. Carroll, who has spent most of this season in the majors (with 88 AB in 67 games), had three singles in his twelfth PCL game.
Pucetas bounced back from his previous start (9 ER on 9 H in in 6.0 IP) with just 2 ER, but he allowed 9 H once again, raising his BAA to .256. Former Giants' farmhand Hensley now has a 3.61 ERA in fourteen PCL starts this year.
AA: Connecticut defeated Erie 6-3
(rallying for three runs in the 8th inning)
Connecticut: LF-CF Mike Mooney: 2 for 3, BB, CS
Connecticut: C Jackson Williams: 2 for 4, 2 2B
Connecticut: LHP Madison Bumgarner: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K--1 IBB
Connecticut: LHP Dan Runzler: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K--1 HR
Connecticut: RHP Matt Yourkin: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Mooney and Williams each had two of the Defenders' eight hits, raising their respective AVGs to .250 and .227. After connecting for his 16th and 17th doubles, Williams now has a line of .227/.318/.314 through 229 AB this year. A year ago in the Cal League, where he spent the latter of half of his season, he had a fairly similar .231/.309/.321 line in 156 AB.
Pitching on five days rest, Bumgarner had his second straight with 2 ER in 5.0 IP. With 3 BB against 5 K last night, his K/BB in his last ten starts has slipped below 2.00 (30 K and 16 K in 52.0 IP). After allowing just 5 R in 47.2 IP previously this year, Runzler allowed a home run in his upper minors debut. Yourkin had 2 K in a perfect 9th inning for his 3rd save.
A+: San Jose defeated Rancho Cucamonga 10-8
(after leading 10-3 in the middle of the 7th inning)
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SO
San Jose: DH Brian Bocock: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
San Jose: RF Tyler Graham: 2 for 4, HR, SO
San Jose: RHP Kyle Nicholson: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
San Jose: RHP David Mixon: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB
Graham and Bocock each had two of the Giants' nine hits, including Graham's 6th HR and Bocock's 20th double. Offensively, Neal added his organization-leading 37th double, while defensively he threw out a runner at the plate but also committed his 2nd error of the season.
Nicholson's second Cal League start webt better than his first (9 H but just 2 ER in 5.0 IP). The 3 BB last night was uncharacteristic of a pitcher who issued just 22 BB in 127.1 IP (0.17 BB/IP ratio) previously this year. Making his first appearance after his start for Fresno, Mixon retired just one of the five batters he faced.
A-: Augusta defeated Charleston 3-2
(scoring the decisive runs in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Augusta: DH Andy D'Alessio: 1 for 3, BB
Augsuta: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 3, BB, 2 SB
Augusta: RHP Mike Loree: 6.1 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HB
Augusta: RHP Edwin Quirarte: 2.2 IP, 1 K
Monell and D'Alessio each had one of the GreenJackets' four hits, all of which were singles; and each had one of their four walks. Not normally a base-stealer, Monell had his 2nd and 3rd SB of the year. All three GreenJackets' runs scored on sac flies.
Loree's third straight start with 2 ER improved his ERA to 4.21, although his ERA in seven second half starts is still above 4.50. Quirarte had perhaps his most effective appearance of the season, stranding both inherited runners while retiring all eight batter he faced. He had a 3/4 GO/FO line as he got his ERA back below 5.00.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Spokane 4-3
Salem-Keizer: CF Evan Crawford: 2 for 4, SB
Salem-Keizer: RHP Jorge Bucardo: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Crawford was the only Volcano to reach base twice. Their offense was limited to six singles and a couple steals.
The younger Bucardo had his second straight sub-par start, but this was an improvement on his last start (5 ER on 9 H in 6.0 IP). In each of his last two starts, he has primarily been victimized by one big inning. Although his ERA is now over 3.00, the 19-year-old's peripheral stats remain fairly impressive through ten starts this year: 50 H, 12 BB, 2 HR, and 51 K in 54.1 IP.
R: Giants lost to Indians 4-2
Scottsdale: 3B Josh Lopez: 2 for 4, 3B, SO
Scottsdale: RF Rafael Rodriguez: 1 for 3, 2B, SO
Scottsdale: RHP Chris Heston: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K--2 HB, 1 BK
Scottsdale: RHP Raul Burgos: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Lopez had two of the rookie Giants' six hits, whose offense was limited to those six hits plus a steal. After being drafted out of high school two years ago, he is now hitting .333/.389/.439 through 66 AB in his third AZL season. Raf-Rod's 5th double as the rookie Giants' other XBH.
Making his fourth start in seven appearances, Heston had new career highs with 5.0 IP and 7 K. This was his second straight start with 1 ER, but his ERA remains above 5.25 after a couple big crooked numbers in two of his appearances. Making his eleventh appearance of the season, Burgos pitched a perfect 9th inning, his first appearance without allowing a baserunner this year. In his first nine appearances, he issued 12 BB in 11.1 IP.
DSL: Giants lost to Blue Jays 10-8
Dominican: 1B Rey Duran: 3 for 5, 2B, SO, E
Dominican: RHP Bertoni Garcia: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K--1 HB, 1 E
Duran's (20.0 y.o.) three hits improved his line to .266/.333/.438 through 203 AB, which is a definite improvement over the sub-.600 OPS he had in 67 AB a year ago. Garcia (18.1 y.o.) entered in the 3rd inning to provide long relief. Victimized by his defense, he allowed six runs despite allowing just five batters to safely reach base. Two of the runs scored after he left the game when the next reliever issued a couple walks and threw a couple wild pitches.