Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Roger Kieschnick and Justin Christian both homered and singled. Also notable, Joel Weeks reached base in all four plate appearances.
AAA: Fresno defeated Tacoma 8-4Fresno: CF Darren Ford: 0 for 3, SO
Fresno: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 2 for 3, 2B, BB, E
Fresno: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, SO, SB
Fresno: C Hector Sanchez: 2 for 4, 2B
Fresno: SP Barry Zito: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Danny Otero: 0.2 IP, 1 K
Gillaspie, Neal, and Sanchez each had two hits, including Gillaspie's 3rd triple and Sanchez's 2nd PCL double. Along with Ford, who was playing his first rehab game, they are perhaps the top hitting prospects for the Grizzlies.
Making his third rehab start, Zito came up a bit shy of the quality start while throwing 95 pitches (58 strikes). Otero got the save in his PCL debut.
AA: Richmond defeated Binghamton 11-9
(after leading 9-3 after four innings)
Richmond: LF Justin Christian: 2 for 4, HR, BB
Richmond: RF Roger Kieschnick: 2 for 4, HR, SF, SO
Binghamton: SS Jordanny Valdespin: 3 for 6, 2 HR, SB, E
Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Richmond: RP Edwin Quirarte: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER--1 HR
Richmond: RP Heath Hembree: 0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Christian and Kieschnick each delivered a three-run, two-out HR--Christian with his 4th HR in the 2nd inning and Kieschnick with his 6th HR in the 4th inning. Valdespin, one of the Mets' top thirty prospects, had his 6th and 7th HRs of the year, as well as his 16th SB and 15th error.
With his second straight below average start, Fitzgerald saw his ERA rise to 3.75. Quirarte yielded 4 ER to see his ERA climb above 5.00. Making his upper minors debut, Hembree walked his first batter but struck out the second batter to get the save.
A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 6-3
(after trailing 2-1 through six innings)
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 1 for 4, 3B
San Jose: C Tommy Joseph: 2 for 4
San Jose: SP David Mixon: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K--1 HR
San Jose: RP Michael Main: 1.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 K--1 WP
Joseph, who had his hitting streak snapped in his previous game, had a multiple-hit performance for the sixth time in his last ten games. His AVG is now .249. He was the only Giant to reach base twice. Brown had his 4th triple.
For the first time in five starts this year, Mixon came up shy of a quality start. Making his first appearance in nearly two months, Main faced six batters, striking out half but walking the other half.
A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 6-5
Augusta: CF Chris Lofton: 2 for 3, 2B, BB, SB
Augusta: LF Rafael Rodriguez: 2 for 4, 2B, SO GiDP
Augusta: C Joel Weeks: 2 for 2, 2 BB, E, PB
Augusta: SP Shawn Sanford: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4, ER, 5 BB, 5 K--2 WP
Augusta: RP Bretty Bochy: 1.0 IP, 3 K
Augusta: RP Stephen Harrold: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Weeks reached base in all four plate appearances. Lofton, who has batted ninth nearly all season but batted second in the lineup tonight, reached base three times. Raf-Rod was the third GreenJacket with two hits.
Sanford, who had issued just 4 BB over his previous seven starts combined, had a season-high 5 BB. The 4 ER was the most allowed in his last nine starts, bumping his ERA up to nearly 3.00. Bochy and Harrold combined for 5 K in 2.0 perfect IP.
DSL: Giants hosting Marlins postponed
(as every DSL game today was postponed)