Sunday highlights from the Giants' farm: Roger Kieschnick homered while reaching base in all five plate appearances, Jarrett Parker homered and doubled, Joe Staley homered twice, Mike Kickham had 5.0 scoreless IP, and Lorenzo Mendoza had 9 K and 1 ER in 6.0 IP.
AAA: Fresno lost to Tucson 10-9(scoring five runs in the top of the 9th inning but then allowing three runs in the bottom half)
Fresno: 2B-1B Brett Pill: 3 for 5, 2 2B
Fresno: LF Thomas Neal: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
Fresno: 1B-RF Brad Eldred: 4 for 5
Tucson: RF Aaron Cunningham: 3 for 5, HR, 2B, SO
Fresno: SP Josh Banks: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--1 IBB
Fresno: RP Marc Kroon: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Neal, Pill, and Eldred combined for nine of the Grizzlies' thirteen hits. Pill had his 21st and 22nd doubles. Eldred's four singles raised his AVG to .281. Neal had just his second multi-hit line in his last eight games. With an XBH/AB ratio below 10%, his power has been less than what is typically expected of a corner outfield prospect in the PCL. The Padres' Cunningham had his 7th HR, which tied the game with two outs in the 9th inning, and his 22nd double.
After four relief appearances (the shortest of which was 3.1 IP), Banks returned to the rotation. With 6 ER, his ERA rose back above 6.00. Kroon suffered the blown save and the loss in the 9th inning, during which he threw just 8 of 19 pitches for strikes.
AA: Richmond defeated Erie 10-1
(scoring eight runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings)
Richmond: DH Francisco Peguero: 3 for 4
Richmond: RF Roger Kieschnick: 2 for 2, HR, 3 BB
Richmond: 3B Chris Dominguez: 3 for 5, 2 2B
Richmond: SP Ryan Verdugo: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 WP, 1 PO
Richmond: RP Jason Stoffel: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K--1 HB
Kieschnick had his 8th HR while reaching base in all five plate appearances. With 5 HRs and an OPS above .950 in June, he has improved his season line to .263/.316/.421 through 266 AB. Dominguez had his 7th and 8th doubles, although perhaps the bigger news for him is that he had a single. In ten games since his promotion to the upper minors, he has had 10 XBH and just two singles. Playing his fourth game in the upper minors, Peguero had three hits.
Verdugo bounced back from his past two starts (13 ER in 7.0 IP) with this good start. His BB/IP rate crept a little higher but remains shy of 0.50. He threw 86 pitches (52 strikes). Stoffel pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
A+: San Jose lost to Stockton 9-8
(after trailing 7-2 through two innings)
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 5
San Jose: RF Jarrett Parker: 3 for 5, HR, 2B
San Jose: DH Andrew Burg: 2 for 5, 2 2B, SO
San Jose: 3B Jose Flores: 2 for 4, 2 2B
San Jose: SP Craig Westcott: 3.2 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 WP
San Jose: RP Chuck Lofgren: 3.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Parker had his 6th HR and 16th double. Burg and Flores also had a couple XBH each. Brown had just his second multi-hit line in his last ten games.
Westcott, who had yielded just 1 ER in his previous five starts combined, had his worst start of the season. His ERA jumped just above 3.00 as he suffered his first loss of the year. Lofgren retired ten of his eleven batters in long relief.
A-: Augusta lost to Savannah 2-0
Augusta: LF Raynor Campbell: 2 for 3, BB
Augusta: SP Mike Kickham: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K--1 E
Campbell had two of the GreenJackets' five hits (all singles) and their only walk. While last year's fourteenth round selection has not hit for much average, he has at least shown some secondary average. His hitting line is .224/.332/.417 through 156 AB.
Kickham had one of his better starts of the year. For the third time in his last eight starts, he did not allow an earned run. Despite having just nine starts this year (since making his season debut on May 13), he leads all GreenJackets starting pitchers with 51 K.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Vancouver 8-1
Salem-Keizer: 2B Kaohi Downing: 4 for 5, 2B
Salem-Keizer: C Joe Staley: 3 for 4, 2 HR, SO
Salem-Keizer: LF Leo Ochoa: 1 for 4, HR, SO
Salem-Keizer: SP Lorenzo Mendoza: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Staley, who had 5 HRs in the AZL last summer, had his first two NWL HRs. Downing's four hits give him a .400 AVG through his first 25 pro AB. Ochoa homered for the second straight day, giving him a big fly in each of his first two NWL games.
Mendoza had perhaps the best start so far this year for a Volcanoes' starting pitcher. He has allowed just 1 ER in each of his first two NWL starts.
R: Giants defeated Reds 6-5
Scottsdale: 1B Ben Thomas: 2 for 4, HR
Scottsdale: C Eric Sim: 2 for 3, BB
Scottsdale: SP Joan Gregorio: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K--1 HB
Thomas, the Giants' 34th rounder this year, homered in his second straight game. Sim, who hit just .108 (in 37 AB) in the AZL last year, reached base three times.
Gregorio's second start in the U.S. went well. Although he had just 1 K, he did have a 9/1 GO/FO line.
DSL: The Gigantes had their usual Sunday off-day