Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Conor Gillaspie and Francisco Peguero both homered while having at least three hits each, and Matt Yourkin allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP.
AAA: Fresno lost to Salt Lake 3-1(their seventh straight loss)
Fresno: 1B Brett Pill: 2 for 4, SO
Fresno: LF Ben Copeland: 2 for 4, 2B
Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Fresno: RP Steven Edlefsen: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB
Salt Lake: SP Matt Palmer: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Pill and Copeland each had two of the Grizzlies' eight hits.
Making his final start of the year, Yourkin bounced back from his previous start (10 ER in 6.0 IP) with this very good start. In his second season in the Giants' system, he had a 4.08 ERA in 24 starts. Edlefsen retired just one of his four batters, while throwing just 4 for 14 pitches for strikes. His ERA rose to 2.29 as he suffered just his second loss of the season. Palmer, the ex-Giant now with the Angels, made just his seventh PCL start this year.
AA: Richmond defeated Erie 14-0
(scoring twelve runs over the 5th and 6th innings)
Richmond: DH Brad Boyer: 1 for 5, HR
Richmond: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 4 for 5, HR
Richmond: LF Juan Ciriaco: 2 for 5, HR, 2B, SO
Richmond: SP Mike MacDonald: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Gillaspie, who will be playing in the Arizona Fall League, continued his second half surge with four hits. In the 1st inning, Boyer had his 2nd HR and Gillaspie his 7th HR to provide the Flying Squirrels' only early offense. Ciriaco added his 2nd HR later in the game.
MacDonald, the Flying Squirrels' opening day starter, made his final start of the year, combining with two relievers for the shutout. He had a 3.94 ERA in 23 starts.
A+: San Jose defeated Inland Empire 8-7
San Jose: RF Francisco Peguero: 3 for 4, HR, SO
San Jose: DH Brandon Crawford: 0 for 4, 3 SO
San Jose: 2B Charlie Culberson: 1 for 4, HR, SO, SB
San Jose: LF Wendell Fairley: 2 for 3, BB
San Jose: SP Oliver Odle: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
San Jose: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Inland Empire: SP Ethan Martin: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Peguero connected for his 10th HR as part of his second straight three-hit game, improving his season line to .322/.352/.476 through 494 AB. Fairley had the Giants' other multi-hit line as he also reached base three times. Culberson had his 16th HR but just his second HR since the end of July. Playing his first game in more than two months, Crawford had the oh-fer with the hat trick.
Odle had a quality start in his final start of the regular season, but his ERA this year remains close to 6.00. Stoffel retired just three of the seven batters he faced while allowing 2 ER, but according to the rulebook that performance was still good enough to award him his 24th save. Martin, the Dodgers' first rounder two years ago, finished his second full season in disappointing fashion. After pitching 8.0 scoreless IP on July 5, in his last nine starts, he had just two starts with fewer ER than IP, posting an ERA just shy of 11.00 over his final nine starts.
A-: Augusta lost to Lakewood 4-1
Augusta: LF Nick Liles: 3 for 4, 3 SB
Augusta: SP Chris Heston: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K--1 HR
With three of the GreenJackets' seven hits, Liles was their only hitter to reach base twice. He also had his 25th, 26th, and 27th SB.
Heston pitched the complete game loss, which is perhaps a fitting way to end his season given the lack of run support he experienced in the season's second half when he had 3-6 W-L record despite a 2.56 ERA in thirteen starts. This start also included an 11/2 GO/FO line, although this was also only the third time in his last ten starts with more than 1 ER allowed.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Eugene 2-1
Salem-Keizer: LF Ryan Scoma: 2 for 3, BB, SO, CS
Salem-Keizer: RF Devin Harris: 3 for 4, 2 2B, SO
Salem-Keizer: SP Justin Schumer: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 HB
Salem-Keizer: RP Aaron King: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 WP
Salem-Keizer: RP Addison Proszek: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 3 K
The Volcanoes' two corner outfielders--Scoma and Harris--combined for five of the Volcanoes' eight hits.
Schumer has not allowed a run in three of his four NWL starts. King allowed the Emeralds' only run. Proszek faced the minimum in 3.0 IP, getting his ERA below 9.00.
R: The rookie Giants concluded their season earlier this week
DSL: Giants defeated Reds 3-1
(winning the best-of-five series in four games)
Dominican: SS Shurendell Mujica: 2 for 3, BB, HBP
Dominican: SP Luis Angeles: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HR, 1 HB
Dominican: RP Franklin Noel: 2.1 IP, 3 K--1 WP
After hitting just .219 in 192 AB in the regular season, Mujica has hit .421 in the playoffs. Angeles (20.8 y.o.) allowed just one run in his second playoff start. Noel (21.8 y.o.), who had 8 saves in 14 appearances during the regular season, pitched 2.1 perfect IP for his 4th playoff save.