Friday highlights from the Giants' farm: Clayton Tanner and Shawn Sanford both had quality starts, and Ryan Cavan had a couple XBH and a couple BB. Also notable, top prospect Zack Wheeler yielded 5 ER.
AAA: Fresno defeated Tucson 9-8
Fresno: LF Thomas Neal: 3 for 4
Fresno: 3B Edgar Gonzalez: 2 for 3, 2B, BB
Tucson: 1B Anthony Rizzo: 1 for 3, HR, 2 BB, 2 SO
Fresno: SP Josh Banks: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Henry Sosa: 1.2 IP, 1 BB, 2 K
Tucson: RP Scott Munter: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER
Neal, who according to Baseball America is the only one of the Giants' pre-season top 15 prospects in triple-A, had three of the Grizzlies' eleven hits, raising his AVG to .333. However, Neal has shown limited power so far with just 2 XBH through his first 30 AB in nine games. The 32-year-old Gonzalez also reached base three times. For the third straight game, the Padres' Rizzo homered while reaching base three times.
Banks made his second start after beginning the year with three relief appearances. He has allowed 8 H in both starts and has a .374 BAA over all five of his appearances. Sosa had a fine relief appearance, including stranding all three runners he inherited with one out in the 6th inning. The ex-Giant Munter allowed 4 ER in the 8th inning to break a 5-5 tie.
AA: Richmond lost to Altoona 11-5 (15 innings)
(after leading 5-0 through five innings)
Richmond: SS Nick Noonan: 2 for 5, BB, HBP, SO, E
Richmond: 2B Charlie Culberson: 2 for 6, 2B, 2 SO, GiDP
Altoona: CF Starling Marte: 3 for 7, 3B, BB, SO, CS
Richmond: SP Clayton Tanner: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Richmond: RP Danny Otero: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Richmond: RP Osiris Matos: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K--1 BK
Altoona: RP Tim Alderson: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K--1 HB
Noonan and Culberson each had two hits, raising their respective AVGs to .333 and .290. Culberson's 4th double was the Flying Squirrels' only XBH. Marte, one of the Pirates' top five prospects, had a big night with 6 RBIs. He has hit .364/.417/.527 through 55 AB this year.
Making his third start, Tanner had his best start so far this year, with 2 ER and 3 H both being season lows and 6.0 IP being a season high. Otero, which pitched a perfect 8th inning, was the only one of seven Squirrels pitchers not to allow a hit. Matos got the final out of the 11th inning and pitched three more scoreless innings before allowing a flood of runs in the 15th inning. He threw 47 pitches (33 strikes). Alderson, the former Giants' prospect, retired just five of his ten batters.
A+: Giants lost to Visalia 6-5
(after trailing 5-0 through four innings)
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 3, 3B, 2B, 2 BB
San Jose: LF Wendell Fairley: 2 for 3, SH
San Jose: SP Zack Wheeler: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 7 K--1 HR
San Jose: RP Jose Casilla: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Cavan's strong surge continues. He had 2 XBH while reaching base four times. Over his last six games, his stat line includes 24 AB, 10 H, 7 XBH, 3 HR and 2 BB. Fairley also had two hits, raising his AVG to .354.
Wheeler's third start was his least effective start of the season. After allowing just 2 ER in his first two starts, his ERA approximately tripled to 4.02. He still struck out nearly one third of his 22 batters. Casilla struck out two of his four batters, and his third straight appearance without allowing a run lowered his ERA to 9.00.
A-: Augusta lost to Delmarva 6-5
(after leading 3-1 through six innings)
Augusta: 3B Adam Duvall: 2 for 4, BB, SO
Augusta: RF Rafael Rodriguez: 3 for 4, 2B
Augusta: SP Shawn Sanford: 6.0+ IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Augusta: RP Edwin Escobar: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Raf-Rod and Duvall both reached base three times as they had the GreenJackets' only multi-hit lines. Both have AVGs close to .290.
Making his first start after five relief appearances, Sanford delivered a quality start, beginning the game with 6.0 scoreless IP. He had a 9/2 GO/FO line. Escobar, who began the year in the rotation, made his second relief appearance. He retired just three of his seven batters.