Minor league opening day highlights: Buster Posey reached base four times, including three singles, and Chris Heston was nearly perfect over four innings.
AAA: Fresno lost to Reno 5-4 (12 innings)
Fresno: C Buster Posey: 3 for 5, HBP
Fresno: PH-3B-RF Brad Boyer: 2 for 4, 2B, BB, GiDP
Reno: 1B Brandon Allen: 1 for 3, 3 BB, SO
Fresno: SP Kevin Pucetas: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Henry Sosa: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Fresno: RP Denny Bautista: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Fresno: RP Joe Paterson: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB
Posey had three of the Grizzlies' fourteen hits. Boyer made his PCL debut pinch hitting for Rohlinger in the 4th inning and later provided the Grizzlies' only XBH. Allen, who made his MLB debut last year with the D'backs and remains one of their top prospects, reached base four times.
Pucetas apparently struggled with his control, throwing just 45 of 78 pitches for strikes. He yielded a three-spot in the 2nd inning before finishing with two scoreless innings. Making his PCL debut, Sosa struggled even more with his control, throwing just 17 of 33 pitches for strikes; but he managed 2.0 scoreless IP. Working a perfect 9th inning with a couple punch outs, Bautista was the only one of six Grizzlies pitchers not to issue at least two walks. Paterson, another Grizzly making his PCL debut last night, failed to retire any of the four batters he faced, including walks to the first two batters before an error and a game-ending single.
AA: Richmond at Bowie suspended in 5th inning, with Bowie leading 1-0
Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 1 for 2, 2B
Richmond: SP Mike MacDonald: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K--1 HB
Bowie: SP Zach Britton: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Neal's double was one of three hits for the Flying Squirrels.
MacDonald, who had previously been in the Blue Jays' organization, got the opening day start. He allowed just one run despite allowing two baserunners per inning. Britton, the Orioles' third rounder in 2006 who is now considered among the top 100 prospects in baseball, shut down the Squirrels' lineup. He and MacDonald combined for a 16/4 GO/FO line.
A+: San Jose lost to Modesto 4-2
San Jose: SS Ehire Adrianza: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 SO
San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 0 for 4, 2 SO
Modesto: CF Tim Wheeler: 1 for 4, HR, SO, E
San Jose: SP Eric Surkamp: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Batting leadoff, Adrianza was the only Giant to reach base twice. He had an RBI double in the 3rd inning to plate the Giants' first run and then subsequently scored their only other a couple batters later. Belt, the Giants' fifth rounder last summer, had an oh-fer in his pro debut. Wheeler, whom the Rockies selected 32nd overall last summer out of Sac State, led off the 7th inning with a big fly.
Making his Cal League debut after a 3.30 ERA in 23 Sally League starts a year ago, Surkamp allowed a fair number of baserunners, but pitched well enough to leave the game with a tie score after a couple innings. He had a 6/2 GO/FO line.
A-: Augusta at Greensboro suspended in 5th inning with Augusta leading 2-0
Augusta: RF Ryan Lollis: 1 for 1, 2B, BB
Augusta: SP Chris Heston: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Lollis, the 37th rounder last summer, reached base safely in his first two plate appearance of the season--the only GreenJacket to do so.
Heston, the 12th rounder a year ago, faced just one batter over the minimum in his full-season debut. He had a 6/2 GO/FO line.