Thursday highlight from the Giants' farm: Nick Noonan homered in both games of a doubleheader.
AAA: Fresno lost to Colorado Springs 9-6
(allowing six runs in the 8th inning)
Fresno: CF Andres Torres: 0 for 3, BB, GiDP
Fresno: LF-CF Tyler Graham: 3 for 4, SH
Fresno: 2B Brett Pill: 3 for 5, CS
Fresno: C Tyler LaTorre: 2 for 2, 2B, 2 BB (1 IBB)
Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Fresno: RP Steven Edlefsen: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB--1 HB, 1 WP
Grahan and Pill each had three of the Grizzlies' thirteen hits, raising their respective AVGs to .284 and .347. LaTorre reached base in all four of his plate appearances. Torres reached base once in his first rehab game.
Yourkin had a reasonably good start, although he fell short of six innings. In his six starts, this was just the second time he had fewer H than IP. Edlefsen had one of the least effective appearances of his pro career. He had allowed just 2 ER previously this year, and his ERA ballooned to 4.70.
AA: Richmond lost to New Britain 2-1 (7 innings) in game 1
Richmond: SS Nick Noonan: 1 for 3, HR
Richmond: RF Mike McBryde: 0 for 1, BB, HBP
Richmond: SP Clayton Tanner: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K--2 WP, 1 PO
Noonan's 1st HR was one of just three hits for the Flying Squirrels. Drawing the Squirrels' only walk, McBryde reached base twice.
Tanner made his second quality start of the year but still suffered the complete game loss. He had a season-high 6 K, although his K/BB ratio remains just below 2.00 as he has had 3 BB in three of his last four starts.
AA: Richmond defeated New Britain 7-4 (10 innings) in game 2
(after both teams scored two runs in the 7th inning)
Richmond: SS Nick Noonan: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, BB, 2 SO
Richmond: DH Roger Kieschnick: 0 for 5, 3 SO
Richmond: SP Ryan Verdugo: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Richmond: RP Justin Dowdy: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 4 K
Noonan homered in both games of the doubleheader, garnering in this game his 2nd HR and his 2nd double. He improved his season line to .246/.324/.377 through 61 AB. Kieschnick had the oh-fer with the hat trick, giving him more strikeouts than hits this year (19 SO vs 18 H in 101 AB, .178 AVG). He has just one hit in his last six games.
Verdugo had his shortest start of the season Although he allowed ten of nineteen batters to reach base, he kept the damage to just two runs. Dowdy had 4 K while retiring nine of ten batters faced in extra innings.
A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 6-5
(allowing the game's final run in the bottom of the 8th inning)
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 1 for 5, HR, 3 SO
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 4
San Jose: C Hector Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2 SO
San Jose: SP Jake Dunning: 3.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 WP, 2 PO
Brown had his 2nd HR. He also had a hat trick, but his SO/AB ratio remains below 20%. Cavan had two hits and was the lone Giant to not strike out. Sanchez was one of two other Giants with two hits. Both Cavan and Sanchez have AVGs fairly close to .250.
Dunning had his shortest start of the year (just 3.0 IP) but still allowed a season-high 8 H. His ERA rose above 5.50.
A-: Augusta defeated West Virginia 7-6
(after scoring four runs in the 1st inning)
Augusta: C Jeff Arnold: 3 for 4, 2B
Augusta: LF Rafael Rodriguez: 2 for 5, 2B
Augusta: SP Austin Fleet: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Augusta: RP Stephen Harrold: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Raf-Rod and Arnold had the GreenJackets' two multi-hit lines. They had their 4th and 6th doubles, respectively, as they raised their AVGs to .299 and .246.
Making his fifth start, Fleet continued his trend of having a really high hit total in every other start but he broke the trend of also allowing a lot of earned runs in every other start. His BAA is .327, while his ERA is 4.74. Harrold had 2 K in a perfect 9th inning for his 2nd save.