Highlights from the Giants' farm: Eric Surkamp had 10 K with just 2 ER in 7.0 IP, and Chuckie Jones homered and singled twice.
AAA: Fresno had the first day of its three-day all-star break
AA: Richmond leading Altoona 6-3 suspended in the 4th inning
Richmond: 1B Brandon Belt: 2 for 3, 2B
Richmond: RF Clay Timpner: 2 for 2, 2B
Richmond: SP Craig Westcott: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Richmond: SP Tim Alderson: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 HB
Belt and Timpner each had two hits, including a double.
Neither starter--Westcott for the Giants affiliate or Alderson, the former Giant now with the Pirates--pitched that effectively.
A+: San Jose lost to Lake Elsinore 5-1
(after the game was scoreless through five inning)
San Jose: CF Francisco Peguero: 1 for 3, BB, SB
San Jose: 2B Charlie Culberson: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Lake Elsinore: 1B Cody Decker: 2 for 4, 2 HR, SO
San Jose: SP Eric Surkamp: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K--1 HR, 1 HB
San Jose: RP Ryan Verdugo: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--2 HR
Culberson's solo HR in the 9th inning prevented the shutout. With one of the Giants' four hits and one of their three walks, Peguero was their only hitter to reach base twice. He also had his 30th SB. Decker, whom the Padres selected in the 22nd rounder last year out of UCLA after he led the Pac-10 in HRs, had his 18th and 19th HRs of the year.
Surkamp followed up on the career-high 14 K in his previous start with another double-digit strikeout performance, raising his K/BB above 5.00. For the season, he now has 106 K vs 21 BB in 99.0 IP. Verdugo was ineffective in his fourth Cal League appearance.
A-: Augusta defeated Kannapolis 4-3
(rallying for two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Augusta: DH Tommy Joseph: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Augusta: C Hector Sanchez: 2 for 4
Augusta: 3B Juan Martinez: 3 for 4
Augusta: SP Craig Clark: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K--1 HB
Martinez and Sanchez combined for five of the GreenJackets' nine hits, raising their respective AVGs to .241 and .287. By contrast, Joseph and Cavan each had the oh-fer with the hat trick.
The box score suggests that Clark's third start since returning from the DL was his best yet.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City 6-2
Salem-Keizer: DH Brock: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SO
Salem-Keizer: 1B Carlos Quintana: 3 for 3, BB
Salem-Keizer: SP Kevin Couture: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Quintana reached base in all four plate appearances. Although he tends to hit last in the lineup, his OBP of nearly .380 and SLG a bit over .400 is more consistent with what might be expected of a leadoff hitter. Brock had the 3rd and 4th doubles of his pro career.
After four relief appearances, Couture has been very effective in both his starts. He did allow the solo HR, but that was just one of two batters over the minimum as he also had a 12/2 GO/FO line.
R: Giants defeated Padres 11-1
Scottsdale: CF Chuckie Jones: 3 for 4, HR, SB
Scottsdale: 1B Brice Cutspec: 2 for 4, HR, SO, E
Scottsdale: SP Lorenzo Mendoza: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Jones had his 4th HR, and Cutspec his 2nd HR as they combined for half of the rookie Giants' ten hits.
The 18-year-old Mendoza had his best start of the year, with this being his first start without an earned run and with the 6 K doubling his previous season high. On the down side, the 3 BB doubled his season total.
DSL: Giants lost to Marlins 5-2
Dominican: 3B Cristian Paulino: 2 for 4, 2 SO
Dominican: RF Leonardo Fuentes: 0 for 4, 4 SO
Dominican: RP Luis Utria: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Paulino (18.10 y.o.) had two of the Gigantes' five hits. With the sombrero, Fuentes (17.7 y.o.) has struck out in half his at bats (16 of 32) over his last nine games (which is a quarter of his season so far given appearances in 36 games). Utria (17.10 y.o.) made his fifth relief appearance of the season, and he has pitched at least four innings in all of them.