Monday highlights from the Giants' farm: Brandon Belt had three hits, including his first pro HR; and Kyle Vazquez had 6.0 shutout IP with 8 K. Also notable, Fred Lewis had another strong game, while Buster Posey's streak of big lines ended.
AAA: Fresno lost to Las Vegas 7-1
Fresno: LF Fred Lewis: 2 for 4, 2B, BB, GiDP
Fresno: C Buster Posey: 0 for 3, BB, SO
Fresno: 1B Brett Pill: 2 for 4
Las Vegas: RF Chris Lubanski: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, SO
Fresno: SP Matt Kinney: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--2 HR, 1 WP
Fresno: RP Henry Sosa: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Lewis had another strong game. He and Pill each had two of the Grizzlies' six hits. Posey's streak with four straight multi-hit games came to an end. Lubanski, the 25-year-old whom the Royals drafted fifth overall in 2003, homered and doubled.
Kinney gave up two runs in each of the 1st, 3rd and 4th innings. The wind was blowing out to CF at 20 mph officially. Sosa retired just three of the six batters he faced in his second appearance of the year.
AA: Richmond lost to Altoona 4-1
Richmond: SS Brandon Crawford: 1 for 3, 2B, HBP
Richmond: C Jackson Williams: 1 for 3, BB, SO
Richmond: SP Craig Clark: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
While reaching base twice, Crawford had his first XBH of the year. Williams was one of two other Flying Squirrels to reach base twice.
Clark had a forgettable upper minors debut. He and three relievers combined to issue eight walks (against five strikeouts).
A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 9-7
San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 3 for 4, HR, SO
San Jose: LF Wendell Fairley: 3 for 4, 2B
San Jose: SP Kyle Nicholson: 2.0+ IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 WP
San Jose: RP Eric Stolp: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K--1 WP
Belt and Fairley each had three of the Giants' fifteen hits. Belt had his first pro HR, and Fairley had his first XBH of the year.
Nicholson had a basic disaster start. After getting through the 1st inning unharmed, he yielded three runs in the 2nd inning and then did not retire any of the five batters he faced in the 3rd inning. Stolp provided effective long relief. Although he did allow both inherited runners to score, he faced the minimum nine batters through three innings.
A-: Augusta defeated Savannah 2-0
Augusta: 1B Luke Anders: 2 for 4, 2B
Augusta: 3B Chris Dominguez: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Augusta: SP Kyle Vazquez: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Augusta: RP Jason Jarvis: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Anders had two of the GreenJackets' six hits, including his third double. Dominguez had his 1st HR of the season.
Vazquez, the 15th rounder last year who had three starts and fourteen relief appearances in the NWL last summer, had a statistically impressive season debut as the GreenJackets' fifth starter. He struck out 8 of the 20 batters he faced--just two over the minimum in six full innings. Jarvis got his first save with a perfect 9th inning.