Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Brandon Crawford homered and doubled, Clayton Tanner allowed just 1 ER in 7.0 IP, Brandon Belt reached base four times in his last Cal League game, and Ryan Cavan homered and doubled.
AAA: Fresno lost to Sacramento 6-3(allowing three runs bottom of the 8th inning after scoring two runs to tie in the top half of the 8th inning)
Fresno: CF Eugenio Velez: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Fresno: RF Ben Copeland: 2 for 4
Sacramento: DH Matt Watson: 3 for 4, HR
Sacramento: 1B Chris Carter: 1 for 3, HR, BB, GiDP
Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 7.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Fresno: RP Steven Edlsefsen: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K
Sacrametno: RP Jamey Wright: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Velez's 3rd HR was a deep shot to right field to score two runs and tie the game with no outs in the 8th inning. Copeland was the only Grizzly with two hits, raising his AVG above .250. For the Athletics' affiliate, Watson, who was the RiverCats' only player with a multi-hit line, and Carter, their top prospect, provided back-to-back HRs in the 8th inning.
Yourkin had his longest start of the year, settling in after allowing 3 ER over the first two innings. He then pitched five scoreless innings before allowed the leadoff batter in the 8th inning to reach. Edlefsen, who was the lone Grizzlies' pitcher named to the PCL all-star team, yielded his 4th and 5th HRs of the year--a surpisingly high total in 45.1 IP given his 3.55 GO/AO ratio. Wright, the ex-Giant who was released by the Indians earlier this year and is now with the Athletics, allowed the tying runs in the 8th inning.
AA: Richmond defeated Erie 2-1 (12 innings)
Richmond: SS Brandon Crawford: 2 for 6, HR, 2B, 2 SO
Richmnd: 3B-1B Juan Ciriaco: 2 for 4, BB, SO
Richmond: SP Clayton Tanner: 7.0+ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Richmond: RP Jake Stevens; 4.1 IP, 4 K--1 HB
Crawford had his 7th HR and 12th double. Playing his first game after a week on the DL, Ciriaco reached base three times.
Tanner had one of his best starts of the year, allowing just 1 ER in 7.0 IP and lowering his ERA to 3.28. Steven pitched 4.1 nearly perfect IP, allowing just one baserunner.
A+: San Jose lost to Lancaster 5-4
(allowing all five runs over the final two innings)
San Jose: RF Francisco Peguero: 2 for 4, 3B, BB, CS
San Jose: 1B Brandon Belt: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB, E
Lancaster: CF Jay Austin: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SO
San Jose: SP Kyle Nicholson: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K--1 HB
San Jose: RP Ryan Verdugo: 0.1 IP, 1 K
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 K--1 WP
Belt and Peguero had the Giants' two multi-hit lines, reaching base in seven of their plate appearances. Reportedly, Belt was promoted to the Eastern League following the game after he had hit safely in seven of eight games since the all-star break. Austin, whom the Astros drafted in the second round two years ago but saw his playing time limited last year in his first full season following an injury suffered in a game against the Giants' Sally League affiliate, doubled twice. He is hitting .273/.322/.428 in 297 AB this year.
Nicholson, who last year had a dominant complete-game victory over the Astros' Sally League affiliate in a matchup against Jordan Lyles, who may now be their top prospect, had his longest start of the year, getting his ERA below 6.00. Verdugo struck out the only batter he faced in his Cal League debut. Stoffel had his 4th blown save as his ERA rose above 6.00.
A-: Augusta lost to Charleston 4-2 (7 innings) in game 1
Augusta: 1B Luke Anders: 2 for 3, 2B, SO, SB
Augusta: SP Jorge Bucardo: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K--1 HR, 1 E
Augusta: RP Chris Gloor: 1.1 IP, 1 K
Anders had the GreenJackets' only multi-hit line, with his 18th double being their only XBH.
Bucardo has allowed more than 2 ER in each of two starts since the SAL all-star break after putting together a string of at least seven starts with no more than 2 ER before the break. His ERA remains an impressive 2.23. After 1.1 perfect IP, Gloor now has peripheral stats of 32 H, 17 BB, and 46 K in 37.1 IP.
A-: Augusta lost to Chareleston 4-1 (7 innings) in game 2
Augusta: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, SO
Augusta: 3B Chris Dominguez: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Augusta: RF Dan Cook: 3 for 3, 2B
Augusta: SP Craig Clark: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K--1 HR, 1 WP, 2 PO
Cavan had his 8th HR and 25th double. It was the fourth time in his last six games, he has had two XBH with at least one of those XBH being a HR. In eight games since the SAL all-star break, he has hit .441/.472/1.000. Cook's three hits lifted his AVG to .285. Dominguez had the oh-fer with the hat trick, but his SO/AB ratio remains below 25%.
Clark, who had a 3.51 ERA two years ago in the Sally League, made his first start in over a month. He had a 4.01 ERA in nine starts for Richmond earlier this year.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Everett 6-4
Salem-Keizer: 2B Julio Izturis: 2 for 5, SO
Salem-Keizer: RF Ryan Scoma: 2 for 4, 2B
Salem-Keizer: SP Cameron Lamb: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K--2 HR
Salem-Keizer: RP Aaron King: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Salem-Keizer: RP Shawn Sanford: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Izturis and Scoma each had two of the Volcanoes' two hits, helping to keep their early season AVGs comfortably above .350.
Lamb's second start (5 ER in 3.0 IP) was not nearly as effective as his first start (0 R in 3.0 IP). King pitched a perfect inning in his fifth NWL appearance. Sanford, who had an ERA over 5.00 in the AZL last year summer, struck out two of three batters in his fifth NWL appearance.
R: Scottsdale had its regular off-day (every fifth day)
DSL: Giants defeated Cubs 8-2
Dominican: LF Jorge Lopez: 1 for 2, 3 BB
Dominican: SP Joan Gregorio: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Lopez (18.9 y.o.) had one of the Gigantes' five hits and three of their eleven walks. Despite a sub-.200 AVG, he has an OBP over .300. With another effective start, the tall (6' 7", 180 lb) Gregorio (18.5 y.o.) has a 4-1 W-L record through his first six pro starts. His ERA is 1.72, although his K/IP is just barely above 0.60.