Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Brandon Belt, Charlie Culberson, and Luke Anders homered as part of multi-hit efforts; and Kelvin Marte had 6.0 scoreless IP.
AAA: Fresno defeated Sacramento 3-2Fresno: SS-2B Edgar Gonzalez: 1 for 3, HR, BB, 2 SO
Fresno: 1B Brandon Belt: 3 for 3, HR, BB, SB
Fresno: SP Shane Loux: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Fresno: RP Danny Otero: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Sacramento: SP Guillermo Moscoso: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K--2 HR, 1 WP
Belt, who had three of the Grizzlies' six hits, and Gonzalez both had their 7th PCL HRs.
After allowing 6 R in each of his last three starts, Loux rebounded with a quality start. Otero struck out three of his six batters for his 4th save. The Athletics' Moscoso made a PCL start to keep sharp over the all-star break.
AA: Richmond lost to Bowie 7-2
(after leading 2-0 through five innings)
Richmond: 2B Charlie Culberson: 2 for 4, HR
Richmond: SP Henry Sosa: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--1 BK
Culberson had his 7th HR, driving in the Flying Squirrels' only two runs. He was also the only Squirrel in the lineup not to strike out.
Sosa made another solid start, although his ERA rose above 3.00 in six starts.
A+: San Jose defeated Visalia 12-1
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 1 for 4, BB, SO
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB
San Jose: 1B Luke Anders: 3 for 5, HR, 2B, SO
San Jose: SP Kelvin Marte: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 WP
Anders had three hits, including his 8th HR and 17th double. Cavan reached base four times, improving his OBP to .342. Brown reached based a couple times, although that seems not particularly notable considering that seven of the nine Giants in the starting lineup reached base at least twice.
After allowing 16 ER over his previous four starts, Marte got his ERA back below 3.25 with 6.0 scoreless IP. Tonight he had a 7/6 GO/FO line. It may be a challenge for him to replicate his current success at higher levels without increasing his strikeout rate (K/IP below 0.50) or his groundball rate (GO/AO below 2.00).
A-: Augusta hosting Hagerstown in game 1 suspended in 3rd inning
(the game is scheduled to be completed tomorrow as part of a doubleheader)
Augusta: 3B Adam Duvall: 1 for 1, 2B
Augusta: SP Mike Kickham: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Hagerstown: SP A.J. Cole: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Duvall's 23rd double was one of three hits for the GreenJackets in the first two innings.
Kickham retired eight of his nine batters. Cole, one of the Nationals' top five prospects, struck out five of his nine batters but allowed hits to three of the four batters he did not strike out. In ten games this year, he has 41 H, 10 BB, and 57 K in 47.0 IP.
A-: Augusta hosting Hagerstown in game 2 postponed
(with no makeup date yet announced)
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Yakima 6-2
Salem-Keizer: SS Joe Panik: 2 for 4, 2B
Salem-Keizer: SP Brandon Allen: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
The Volcanoes' offense was limited to four hits, and Panik had two of their hits, including his 3rd double. He has hit .340/.413/.468 through his first 94 pro AB.
Allen allowed 3+ ER for the fourth time in six starts, helping to drop his W-L record to 0-5.
R: Scottsdale had an off-day
(two days after their previous day)
DSL: Giants defeated Tigers 11-3
Dominican: CF Randy Ortiz: 2 for 2, 2 BB, CS
Dominican: SP Jose Reyes: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HB
Reaching base in all four of his plate appearances, Ortiz (18.1 y.o.) raised his OBP to .387. Reyes (20.6 y.o.) had his four straight start (and fifth straight appearance) without allowing an earned run, getting his ERA below 1.00.