Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Ryan Cavan and Conor Gillaspie both homered, as did Steven Edlefsen.
AAA: Fresno defeated Tucson 5-4
(after taking the early lead with three runs in the 1st inning)
Fresno: SS Ryan Rohlinger: 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SO
Fresno: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 1 for 3, HR, BB, SO
Fresno: RP Steven Edlefsen: 1 for 1, HR
Tucson: 1B Anthony Rizzo: 3 for 4, HR
Fresno: SP Andrew Kown: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Gillaspie had his 2nd HR, a two-run HR in the 1st inning. As a relief pitcher, Edlefsen had to be one of least likely players to homer in this game. I presume this was his first pro HR. There's some chance that it might have been his first pro hit. It's not like hitting stats for minor league relief pitchers get well published. Rohlinger reached base three teams. The Padres' Rizzo had another big game, leading off the 9th inning with his 5th HR. Three hits raised his AVG to .458.
Kown had a quality start to claim his second victory of the season. He threw just 89 pitches, 54 for strikes.
AA: Richmond defeated Altoona 7-3
Richmond: 3B Jose Flores: 2 for 4, SB
Richmond: C Aaron Lowenstein: 2 for 4, PB
Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Richmond: RP Ronnie Ray: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 4 K
Richmond: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Flores and Lowenstein each had two of the Flying Squirrels' nine hits.
Fitzgerald allowed more than half the 22 batters he faced to reach base but kept the damage to just three runs. In relief, Ray and Stoffel faced just one batter over the minimum in 4.2 IP.
A+: San Jose at Visalia 5-4
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 3 for 5, SB
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 5, HR
San Jose: C Hector Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2B, SO, PB, E
San Jose: SP Craig Westcott: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HB
San Jose: RP Chris Wilson: 1.0 IP, 2 K
San Jose: RP Heath Hembree: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Cavan had his 4th HR. He had 17 HRs last year. Brown's three hits raised his AVG to .355. Sanchez also had a multi-hit night, but he also made a couple miscues defensively.
Westcott had a good start, despite 3 ER in the 1st inning. He then settled in to allow just an unearned run over the next six innings. He apparently had his sinker working well given the 11/2 GO/FO line. Wilson and Hembree combined to strike out four of their eight batters.
A-: Augusta lost to Delmarva 8-7
Augusta: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 0 for 2, 4 BB, SO, E
Augusta: LF Devin Harris: 3 for 5, 2B, 2 SO
Augusta: RF Rafael Rodriguez: 2 for 3, 2B, BB
Delmarva: SS Manny Machado: 2 for 5, 2B, BB, SO, E
Augusta: SP Austin Fleet: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 E
With three hits, Harris raised his AVG to .235. Raf-Rod had the GreenJackets' other multi-hit line as his two hits raised his AVG to .255. The double was just his 2nd XBH in fourteen games. After walking four times in his first thirteen games, Willoughby needed just one game to double his season total to 8 BB. He now has a .391 OBP. Machado, whom the Orioles' drafted third overall last summer, reached base three times. He has started his first full season hitting .291/.394/.436 through 55 AB.
For the second time in three starts, Fleet allowed at least seven runs. He has also made 3 errors over his three starts.