Highlights from the Giants farm on the minor league's opening day: both Darren Ford and Ryan Cavan homered and doubled, Charlie Culberson had three hits, and Kelvin Marte combined with three relievers for a shutout.
AAA: Fresno defeated Las Vegas 11-1
(after scoring nine insurance runs in the 8th inning)
Fresno: CF Darren Ford: 2 for 5, HR, 2B, SO
Fresno: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 3, BB, SB, CS
Fresno: SP Ryan Vogelsong: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Ford homered and doubled in his PCL debut. Neal was the other Grizzly with a multi-hit line as he also made his PCL debut.
Vogelsong had a strong start, racking up 9 K. Those strikeouts contributed towards a relatively high pitch count of 97 pitches (59 strikes) which prevented him from pitching six full innings. He left the game with the bases loaded, and all three of those runners were stranded.
AA: Richmond defeated New Britain 6-4
Richmond: 2B Charlie Culberson: 3 for 5, 2B, SO
Richmond: C Johnny Monell: 2 for 3, 2 2B, BB, SO
Richmond: SP Daryl Maday: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Richmond: RP Justin Dowdy: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Richmond: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP
Culberson had three hits, including a double, in his upper minors debut. Monell, who was also playing his first game in the Eastern League, doubled twice. Both hitters had hits in the 8th inning as the Flying Squirrels rallied for the opening day win.
Maday allowed hits to 7 of the 21 batters he faced, before Dowdy provided effective long relief in his debut in the Giants organization as he retired nine of the ten batters he faced. Stoffel worked a perfect 9th inning his upper minors debut.
A+: San Jose defeated Lake Elsinore 4-0
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 3, HR, 2B, BB
San Jose: DH Tommy Joseph: 2 for 4
Lake Elsinore: CF Reymund Fuentes: 1 for 2, 2B, BB, SH, SO
San Jose: SP Kelvin Marte: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
San Jose: RP Jake Dunning: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Cavan had an impressive Cal League debut, homering and doubling while reaching base three times. Joseph also added two hits. Fuentes, whom the Padres acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, had a solid Cal League debut with his double being just one of four hits for the Storm.
Marte, who had an ERA over 4.00 in 37.2 IP last year after returning from injury, had an impressive season debut, which included a 10/2 GO/FO line. Dunning, one of three Giants relievers, pitched a perfect 7th inning.
A-: Augusta lost to Greenville 12-6
(after trailing 9-1 after four innings)
Augusta: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 2 for 5
Augusta: DH Josh Mazzola: 1 for 4, HR, BB, SO
Augusta: SP Justin Schumer: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--3 HR, 2 HB
While every GreenJacket in the lineup had a hit, Willoughby, who was making his full-season debut, was the lone GreenJacket with two hits. Mazzola, who missed basically all of last year (just 11 AB in three games), led off the 9th inning with a HR.
Schumer's full-season debut was likely a start he'd rather forget after 9 ER in 3.2 IP, including six runs in the 4th inning.