Friday highlights from the Giants' farm: Bumgarner had 7.2 shutout IP, Jeremy Toole had 6.0 shutout IP, and Jose Flores homered as part of a multi-hit night. Also notable, Buster Posey reached base three times, and both Ryan Cavan and Daniel Cook had two XBH each as part of three-hit nights.
AAA: Fresno defeated Salt Lake City 8-0
Fresno: 1B Buster Posey: 2 for 3, 2B, BB, SF
Fresno: 3B-LF Jesus Guzman: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Fresno: C Steve Holm: 2 for 4, 2B
Fresno: SP Madison Bumgarner: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Fresno: RP Henry Sosa: 1.1 IP, 1 K
As most readers probably already know, there is speculation that this might have been Posey's final PCL game this year. He, Guzman, and Holm each had two hits, including a double. Posey had his 13th double, which is more doubles than Guzman and Holm have combined this year.
Bumgarner had perhaps his best start of the year, facing just four batters over the minimum in 7.2 IP. It was at least his longest start of the year (in terms of IP). He lowered his ERA to 2.72. On the downside, the 3 BB did match a season high, causing his K/BB ratio to slip to 2.50. Sosa finished the shutout with 1.1 perfect IP.
AA: Richmond lost to Bowie 10-1
(although they trailed only 3-1 through six innings)
Richmond: RF Clay Timpner: 2 for 4, SO
Richmond: DH Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 0 for 2, BB, HBP, 2 SO
Richmond: SP Daryl Maday: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HB
Richmond: RP Tony Pena Jr.: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 K
Richmond: RP Rafael Cova: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Richmond: RP Andy Sisco: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Bowie: SP Chorye Spoone: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K--2 HB, 1 WP
EME played his first game of the year, reaching base twice. Timpner had the Flying Squirrels only multi-hit line, raising his AVG to .374. After hitting over .400 in April (in 37 AB), he has cooled off only slightly in May, hitting .357 (in 70 AB).
Maday allowed more than 1 ER for the just the third time this year, suffering his first loss of the year as his ERA rose to a still very impressive 1.68. Pena and Sisco both allowed crooked numbers. Pena's ERA is still below 2.00, while Sisco's ERA rose to nearly 6.00. With 1.0 perfect IP, Cova lowered his ERA to nearly 0.50. Spoone, who barely made Baseball America's top 30 prospects list for the Orioles, had his longest and perhaps best start of the year. He has a 4.42 ERA in his ten starts this year but has allowed just 5 ER (2.81 ERA of 16.0 IP) in his three starts against the Squirrels.
A+: San Jose lost to Stockton 6-5
(allowing two runs in bottom of 9th inning)
San Jose: 2B Charlie Culberson: 1 for 4, HR, SO
San Jose: DH Jose Flores: 2 for 4, HR, SO
San Jose: SS Ehire Adrianza: 2 for 3, SB, E
San Jose: RF James Simmons: 1 for 2, HR
Stockton: SS Grant Green: 3 for 4, HBP, SO
San Jose: SP Eric Surkamp: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 10 K--1 HR, 1 WP
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K--1 HB
Flores and Adrianza each had two hits, including Flores' 1st HR. Simmons also had his 1st HR, while Culberson had his 6th HR. The bottom five hitters in the Giants' lineup went 7 for 18 with the team's only walk, while the top four hitters in the starting lineup went 0 for 14. Adrianza had his 11th SB but his 9th error. Green, whom the Athletics selected thirteenth overall a year ago, had three hits to raise his AVG to .276.
Surkamp has been the Giants' best starting pitcher this year, except when facing the Ports. In three starts against Stockton, he has yielded at least 3 ER each time. In his other six starts, he has yielded no more than 2 ER and just 5 ER total over those six starts. Since yielding four runs to Stockton three and a half weeks ago, Stoffel had made eight appearances pitching a scoreless inning each time. This time he retired just one of the four batters he faced to take his third loss of the year.
A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 7-0
Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 3 for 4, 2 2B
Augusta: RF Daniel Cook: 3 for 4, 3B, 2B
Augusta: SP Jeremy Toole: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Augusta: RP Hector Correa: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Cavan and Cook each had three hits, including two XBH each. Cook had his 2nd triple and 12th double; Cavan had his 16th and 17th doubles. Cavan, the Giants' sixteenth rounder a year ago, is hitting .274/.338/.389 through 190 AB in his first full season.
Toole had his second straight start with 6.0 scoreless IP, this time including a career-high 8 K. For the season, he has 19 H, 9 BB, and 19 K in 26.0 IP with a 1.04 ERA.