Highlights from the Giants' farm: both Nick Noonan and Sharlon Schoop homered and doubled; Tommy Joseph homered among three hits, and Kyle Nicholson allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP. Also notable, Daniel Burkhart had four in his second NWL game.
AAA: Fresno lost to Albuquerque 8-2
Fresno: 1B Brett Pill: 1 for 4, HR
Fresno: PH-LF Tyler Graham: 2 for 2, 2 2B
Fresno: SP Craig Whitaker: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Fresno: RP Alex Hinshaw: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Albuquerque: SP Seth Etherton: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Graham did not enter the game until the 6th inning, but he was the only Grizzly with multiple hits. His 18th and 19th doubles accounted for two of the Grizzlies' five hits and raised his AVG back above .350. Pill had his 15th HR.
Whitaker made just his second start of the past four seasons. He threw 58 pitches (33 strikes). Hinshaw worked a perfect 9th inning with seven of eight pitches thrown for strikes. Etherton, who last appeared in the majors four years ago and is now in the Dodgers organization, shut the Grizzlies down with perhaps his best start of the year.
AA: Richmond defeated Portland 16-8
(scoring fifteen runs in the 3rd through 5th innings)
Richmond: CF Darren Ford: 4 for 6, 2 2B, 2 SO
Richmond: 2B Nick Noonan: 2 for 6, HR, 2B
Richmond: LF Thomas Neal: 4 for 6, 2B
Richmond: 1B Sharlon Schoop: 4 for 5, HR, 2B
Portland: 1B Anthony Rizzo: 4 for 5, HR
Richmond: SP Craig Westcott: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 HR, 1 WP
With four hits each, Schoop, Ford, and Neal accounted for two thirds of the Flying Squirrels' eighteen hits. Noonan had his 3rd HR, and Schoop his 2nd HR. Rizzo, who is among the Red Sox' top ten prospects, added four hits, including his 19th HR this year.
Westcott allowed 5 ER for the second time in thre starts, raising his ERA to 4.35.
A+: San Jose defeated Bakersfield 4-2
San Jose: RF Francisco Peguero: 3 for 5, SO, SB, CS
San Jose: CF Juan Perez: 2 for 5, 2B, SO
San Jose: SP Kyle Nicholson: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Peguero's three hits raised his AVG to .314. Perez had his organization-leading 33rd double.
Nicholson had his most effective start in some time. He had allowed 4+ ER in six of his last seven starts. Stoffel struck out two of his three batters. In his last five appearances, he has 1 H, 1 BB, and 9 K in 4.2 IP.
A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 4-3
(after scoring the game's final three runs in the 6th inning)
Augusta: 1B Luke Anders: 1 for 3, HR, SO
Augusta: C-1B Tommy Joseph: 3 for 4, HR
Augusta: SP Andrew Reichard: 7.0 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Augusta: RP Chris Wilson: 2.0 IP, 2 K
Anders and Joseph went back-to-back in the 6th inning for their 12th and 14th HRs, respectively. Joseph's three hits raised his AVG to to .233.
Despite matching a season-high 10 H, Reichard had a quality start. With no walks in a start--the first time he had done so this year--he raised his season K/BB ratio above 2.00. Making his second full-season appearance this year, Wilson threw 2.0 perfect IP.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Eugene 9-1
Salem-Keizer: DH Daniel Burkhart: 4 for 4, 2 2B
Salem-Keizer: SP Kevin Couture: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Salem-Keizer: RP Aaron King: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Playing in his second NWL game, Burkhart hit safely in all four plate appearances, including a pair of doubles.
Couture had his worst start of the season, allowing three runs in both the 1st and 2nd innings. King finished the game with four strikeouts and five flyouts but six free passes (to the fifteen batters faced).
R: Giants deated Royals 14-10 (12 innings)
Scottsdale: CF Chuckie Jones: 3 for 6, 3B, BB, 2 SO, PO
Scottsdale: C Joe Staley: 3 for 6, 3B, 2B, SO
Scottsdale: SP Austin Fleet: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Scottsdale: RP Matt Graham: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Jones and Staley were two of the five rookie Giants with at least three hits.
Fleet struck out better than one third of his seven batters, although 2 ER in 4.0 IP edged his ERA upwards to 3.32. Graham allowed a run in his first AZL appearance.