Friday highlights from the Giants' farm: Ryan Verdugo had 7.0 scoreless IP with 9 K, Wes Hodges homered twice, Craig Westcott allowed just an unearned run in 8.0 IP, Adam Duvall reached base seven times over a doubleheader, and Gaspar Santiago had 5.0 no-hit, scoreless IP. Also notable, Adalberto Mejia had 9 K in 8.0 shutout IP, and Paul Davis had 4.0 perfect IP.
AAA: Fresno defeated Sacramento 4-3 (10 innings)Fresno: SS-2B Edgar Gonzalez: 2 for 4, HBP
Fresno: LF Brandon Belt: 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB, SO
Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Waldis Joaquin: 2.0 IP, 2 K
Fresno: RP Marc Kroon: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Belt and Gonzalez both reached base three times, with Belt's line including his 9th and 10th PCL doubles.
With a season-high 10 K and no walks, Yourkin got his K/BB ratio above 2.50. He has pitched six full innings in eight of his last ten starts but has not pitched into the 7th inning. Joaquin and Kroon combined for 3 K in 3.0 perfect IP to finish the game.
AA: Richmond defeated Bowie 4-2
Richmond: 1B Wes Hodges: 2 for 4, 2 HR
Richmond: C Johnny Monell: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Richmond: SP Ryan Verdugo: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Richmond: RP Heath Hembree: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER
Bowie: SP Zach Britton: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Hodges had his 4th and 5th HRs since joining the Giants organization. Monell was one of two other Flying Squirrels with two hits. Both Hodges and Monell have AVGs just above .250.
Verdugo had one of his best starts of the season. It was his longest start in over a month. In his previous start at Bowie in early June, Verdugo had a similar but better line (8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K). Hembree allowed a run but got his 6th save. The Orioles' Britton made his first minor league start of the year after a 4.05 ERA in 18 MLB starts.
A+: San Jose defeated Visalia 3-1
(scoring a run in each of the last two innings)
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 1 for 5, SO, E
San Jose: C Tommy Joseph: 2 for 5, 2 2B, SO
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, SO
San Jose: SP Craig Westcott: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Cavan reached base three times in three games of the four-games series. Joseph had his 21st and 22nd doubles. Brown had an unremarkable line.
Although he had a few less ground ball outs than usual (9/7 GO/FO line tonight and 1.55 GO/AO ratio for the season), Westcott had a very effective start, lowering his ERA to 2.91 and improving his W-L record to 11-1.
A-: Augusta defeated Hagerstown 7-0 (7 innings) in game 1
(completing the game suspended two days earlier)
Augusta: 3B Adam Duvall: 2 for 3, 3B, 2B, BB, SO
Augusta: 1B Ryan Scoma: 3 for 4, SB
Augusta: C Joel Weeks: 2 for 2, 2B, BB
Augusta: SP Mike Kickham: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Augusta: RP Ryan Bradley: 2.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Augusta: RP Brett Bochy: 1.0 IP, 2 K
In a seven inning game, the GreenJackets had three different hitters--Duvall, Scoma and Weeks--each reach base three times, improving their respective AVGs to .281, .237, and .320.
After Kickham's near-perfect 2.2 IP yesterday, Bradley was the first of three relievers today to complete the shutout. Bochy had another statistically impressive performance.
A-: Augusta defeated Hagerstown 3-2 (11 innings) in game 2
Augusta: DH Adam Duvall: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB (1 IBB), HBP, SO
Augusta: RF Ryan Lollis: 0 for 2, 4 BB
Augusta: SP Gaspar Santiago: 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Augusta: RP Seth Rosin: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Augusta: RP Justin Schumer: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
In the nightcap, both Duvall and Lollis reached base four times. Duvall had his 24th double, and Lollis raised his Sally League OBP to .382.
Santiago not only continued the scoreless inning streak for the GreenJackets but did not allow a hit, facing just one batter over the minimum in 5.0 IP. After Rosin allowed 2 ER in the 6th inning to snap the scoreless inning streak, Schumer nearly matched Santiago's performance with 5.0 scoreless IP in which he also faced just one batter over the minimum.
ssA: Salem-Keizer lost to Yakima 6-1
Salem-Keizer: CF Shawn Payne: 2 for 4, 2B, CS
Salem-Keizer: SP Reiner Roibal: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Batting leadoff, Payne had two of the Volcanoes' six hits. His AVG is now .262.
Roibal has now allowed just 1 ER in four of his six start. He has an impressive K/BB ratio close to 6.00, but his BAA of .319 has contributed to him allowing better than six runs (including unearned runs) per nine innings.
R: Giants defeated Diamondbacks 8-1
Scottsdale: 1B Ben Thomas: 3 for 5, 2B, SO
Scottsdale DH Brian Nicholson: 1 for 4, HR, BB, 2 SO
Scottsdale: SP Paul Davis: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Nicholson had his 2nd pro HR. Thomas had three more hits as he continues to overmatch rookie league pitching with a .429 AVG.
Making his third pro start, Davis had 4.0 perfect IP to maintain his spotless ERA as a starter through 11.0 IP.
R: Giants defeated RangXXers 7-0
Dominican: C Luis Vaszquez: 3 for 5
Dominican: SP Adalberto Mejia: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K--2 HB
Vasquez (20.3 y.o.) was one of three Gigantes with three hits each. In his third DSL season, he raised his AVG to .239. Mejia (18.0 y.o.) had another impressive start, this one perhaps his most impressive yet with 8.0 IP and 9 K both being new career highs. His peripheral stats are now 36 H, 4 BB, and 49 K in 53.1 IP.