In their final games of the year, the last two Giants' affiliates in action had different fates--Connecticut lost but San Jose won. The most individual highlight-worthy line in their final games of the year was (a) Eric Surkamp with 3 ER but 12 K in 8.0 IP.
AAA: Fresno ended its season on Labor Day
AA: Connecticut lost to Akron 10-6
(losing the Eastern League championship series 3-1)
Connecticut: 2B Brock Bond: 2 for 4, BB
Connecticut: CF Mike McBryde: 1 for 5, 2B, 2 SO, GiDP
Connecticut: LF-3B Brad Boyer: 2 for 4, SO
Connecticut: LF Bobby Felmy: 2 for 2
Akron: C Carlos Santana: 2 for 3, HR, 2 BB
Akron: RF John Drennen: 2 for 4, HR, BB, E
Connecticut: LHP Ari Ronick: 3.0+ IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Connecticut: RHP Geivy Garcia: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB
Connecticut: LHP Wilmin Rodriguez: 0.2 IP, 3 BB
Connecticut: RHP Dan Griffin: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER--1 HR
Akron: LHP Scott Barnes: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Two Defenders in the starting lineup, Bond and Boyer, each had two hits; but they finished the post-season with very different AVGs, Bond at .367 and Boyer at .188. Felmy, who didn't enter the game until the bottom of the 6th inning, also had two hits, raising his post-season AVG to .368. McBryde had only one hit, but it was the Defenders' only XBH, and he finished with a .417 post-season AVG. He also had two outfield assists, twice throwing out runners at third base in his final game of the year. Santana, the Indians top prospect, whom the acquired from the Dodgers a year ago in the trade for Casey Blake, had his 3rd post-season HR and reached base four times. Drennen, a 23-year-old who was a supplemental first round pick of the Indians in 2005, also homered. With his two hits, he finished his post-season with a .379 AVG.
Ronick allowed just a single run in both the 2nd and 3rd innings, but the wheels came off for the Defenders in the 4th inning. Ronick and then Garcia allowed the first five batters to reach (one of them on an error), and Wi-Rod issued three walks before Griffin finally got the final out of the inning. Griffin did allow a two-run HR then in the 5th inning, though, to give the Aeros a 10-2 lead before the Defenders rallied for a few runs in the final two innings to close the gap. The Defenders' final loss of the year came to Barnes, whom the Giants traded to the Indians in July for Ryan Garko. He allowed just a couple hits and a couple unearned runs in 5.0 IP, while striking out seven of the nineteen batters he faced.
A+: San Jose defeated High Desert 4-3
(sweeping the Cal League championship series)
San Jose: CF Francisco Peguero: 2 for 5
San Jose: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 4, SO
San Jose: LF Thomas Neal: 1 for 3, BB, IBB, SO
San Jose: RF Roger Kieschnick: 1 for 4, 2B, 2 SO
San Jose: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SO, PB
San Jose: SS Brian Bocock: 2 for 4, 2 SO
High Desert: 3B Alex Liddi: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SO
San Jose: LHP Eric Surkamp: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
San Jose: RHP Rafael Cova: 1.0 IP, 1 BB--2 WP
High Desert: RHP Michael Pineda: 5.1 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
In their final game of the season, Peguero, Noonan, and Bocock each had two hits, raising their post-season AVGs to .387, .250, and .292, respectively. Neal and Monell also reached base twice. Monell and Kieschnick provided the Giants' two XBHs. Monell did have his 3rd passed ball of the post-season, though. Although Neal and Kieschnick led the Giants' offense for much of the regular season, they both hit just .242 in the post-season. The Mariners' Liddi, who had a huge breakout season, hitting .345/.411/.594 in nearly 500 AB, had the Mavericks' only XBH as he reached base twice. He hit just .185 in the post-season.
In his final start of the year, Surkamp had what I believe are career highs with 8.0 IP and 12 K. After a poor start in the previous series, he at least finished the post-season with an ERA below 9.00. All three runs he allowed came in the first two innings, and it might have looked like it would be another ineffective start for him, but he allowed just two hits and a walk in his final six innings. Cova pitched a scoreless 9th inning despite a couple wild pitches for his 3rd post-season save. Pineda, who entered the season ranked among the Mariners' top ten propsects but missed over three months of the season with an injury, took the loss in the final game of the year.
A-: Augusta ended its season on Labor Day
ssA: Salem-Keizer won the NWL championship series on September 10
R: Giants lost AZL championship game on August 31
DSL: The Gigantes finished their DSL championship series sweep on August 31