Friday highlights from the Giants' farm: Conor Gillaspie and Johnny Monell homered while reaching base at least three times, Tommy Joseph homered and singled in his two plate appearances, Daniel Cook reached base six times, and Jorge Bucardo allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP in his Cal League debut.
AAA: Fresno defeated Tacoma 9-3
Fresno: CF Tyler Graham: 3 for 4, 2B, CS
Fresno: DH John Bowker: 2 for 4, HR, 2 SO
Fresno: 2B Matt Downs: 1 for 3, HR, BB, SO
Tacoma: 2B Dustin Ackley: 2 for 3, 3B, BB
Fresno: SP Kevin Pucetas: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Tacoma: SP Ian Snell: 5.2 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--2 HR
In the 2nd inning, Bowker and Downs had their 14th and 7th HRs, respectively. Both hitters reached base twice. Graham had three hits to raise his AVG back above .350. Ackley, the Mariners' top hitting prospect, reached base three times. He is hitting .268/.388/.394 in his first pro season.
It's been a struggle for Pucetas this year with his ERA still above 6.00 through nineteen starts, but he does have three quality starts in his last five starts. Snell surrendered 7+ ER for the second time in his last three starts.
AA: Richmond defeated Altoona 8-4
Richmond: CF Darren Ford: 2 for 4, BB, SO
Richmnd: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 2 for 3, HR, 3B, BB, E
Richmond: SP Mike MacDonald: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Gillapsie had his 5th HR and 7th triple while reaching base three times. He enters the final day of July hitting .400/.457/.550 in 80 AB this month. Ford, one of three other Flying Squirrels with a multi-hit line, also reached base three times, with his two singles lifting his AVG above .250.
MacDonald made his second start after four relief appearances earlier this month. His ERA remains a bit above 4.50.
A+: San Jose defeated Inland Empire 6-1
San Jose: RF Juan Perez: 2 for 5, 3B, SO
San Jose: C Johnny Monell: 2 for 3, HR, 2 BB
San Jose: SP Jorge Bucardo: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Now batting cleanup, Monell had his 9th HR this month while also reaching base four times. He has hit .370/.453/.730 in 100 AB this month. Perez was one of three other Giants with two hits each, and his 9th triple was the Giants' only other XBH.
Bucardo allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP in his Cal League debut. Even with 6 K, perhaps he did not have his best stuff given his 6/5 GO/FO line.
A-: Augusta defeated Savannah 15-2
(after scoring seven runs in 1st inning)
Augusta: C Tommy Joseph: 2 for 2, HR
Augusta: LF Daniel Cook: for 4, 2B, 2 BB
Augusta: SP Jeremy Toole: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Augusta: RP Zach Wheeler: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Joseph singled in the 1st inning, homered in the top half of the 2nd inning, and then was removed for a defensive replacement to start the bottom of the 2nd inning. Cook reached base six times as his four hits, including his 20th double, paced the GreenJackets' twenty-hit attack.
Toole had just his second quality start in his last eight starts. Top prospect Wheeler pitched a perfect 7th inning.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Yakima 7-4
Salem-Keizer: SS Carter Jurica: 1 for 4, HR
Salem-Keizer: C Jesse Shriner: 1 for 2, 2B, BB, E
Salem-Keizer: SP Taylor Rogers: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K--1 WP
Salem-Keizer: RP Aaron King: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K--1 WP
Jurica, the Giants' third rounder this year, had his 3rd pro HR. Shriner was the only Volcano to reach base twice.
Making his ninth start, Rogers issued a season-high 5 BB. His 5 R would be a season-high aside from his 6 R in his NWL opening day start. Making his first appearance in nearly three weeks, the 21-year-old King struck out three of his five batters.
R: Giants defeated Mariners 2-0
Scottsdale: 1B Brice Cutspec: 2 for 4, SO
Scottsdale: CF Chuckie Jones: 0 for 4, 4 SO
Scottsdale: SP Armando Paniagua: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 HB
Scottsdale: RP Jake Shadle: 2.0 IP, 2 K
Cutspec had two of the rookie Giants' six hit (all singles), raising his own AVG to .325. Jones has fallen on hard times, struggling just to make contact. He has multiple strikeouts in eight of his last night starts (23 SO in 33 AB), including a sombrero in each of his last two starts.
Paniagua had 3.0 scoreless IP in his sixth start. Shadle had 2.0 perfect IP for his 1st save (in eight appearances).
DSL: Giants defeated Yankees1 3-2 (7 innings) in game 1
Dominican: C Fernando Pujadas: 2 for 3, HR
Dominican: SP Juan Nova: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K--1 HR, 1 HB, 1 WP
Pujadas's (18.7 y.o.) 2nd HR was one of just three hits for the Gigantes and drove in all three of their runs. In limited playing time (57 AB), he has hit .316/.391/.509 in his first pro season. Nova (18.9 y.o.) pitched less than four full innings for the fourth time in his ten starts.
DSL: Giants lost to Yankees1 3-2 (7 innings) in game 2
Dominican: 2B Critian Paulino: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, SB
Dominican: SP Yeini Martinez: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K--2 WP
Batting leadoff, Paulino (18.10 y.o.) had his 3rd HR, 7th double, and 16th SB, while the rest of the Gigantes' lineup managed just two singles, two walks, and a steal. Martinez (19.8 y.o.) made his second start in nine appearances. He took his first loss, but his ERA remains below 2.00.