Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Dan Runzler had 9 K in 5.0 scoreless IP, and Sharlon Schoop homered among three hits.
AAA: Fresno lost to Salt Lake 1-0(allowing the game's only run in the top of the 9th inning)
Fresno: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Fresno: CF Tyler Graham: 1 for 1, BB, SB, CS
Salt Lake: LF Paul McAnulty: 3 for 3, HR, BB
Fresno: SP Dan Runzler: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Gillaspie was the lone Grizzly with two hits. Graham, who reached base in both of his plate appearances, now has a 50/10 SB/CS line. McAnulty, who came up with the Padres and is now with the Angels, had three of the Bees' five hits, including his solo HR in the 9th inning. He also threw out Gillaspie at the plate to preserve the shutout.
Facing just three batters over the minimum and striking out half of his eighteen batters, Runzler had his best appearance of the year--perhaps even sending a message to GMs that he would be a good trade target. He threw 80 pitches (50 strikes).
AA: Richmond defeated Trenton 8-3
(after trailing 1-0 through five innings)
Richmond: LF Roger Kieschnick: 2 for 5, 2B
Richmond: SS Sharlon Schoop: 3 for 4, HR
Richmond: SP Chuck Loftren: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Trenton: SP Dellin Betances: 5.0+ IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Schoop's bat has come alive since the all-star break. After scuffling with a .174/.228/.235 line in 115 AB prior to the break, the 24-year-old has hit .340/.400/.532 in 47 AB since. Kieschnick, who is three months older than Schoop, had his 20th double.
Lofgren has now allowed just 1 R in both of his starts for the Flying Squirrels. For the year he has a 3.63 ERA in 44.2 IP. Betances, one of the Yankees' top five prospects, had 5.0 scoreless IP before not retiring any of his six batters in the 6th inning. He has scuffled since mid-June (when his ERA was just under 2.00) with 4+ ER in five of his seven starts, raising his ERA to 3.43.
A+: San Jose defeated Lancaster 10-3
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 4, BB, SB
San Jose: SS Ehire Adrianza: 2 for 3, BB, 2 SB
San Jose: DH Tommy Joseph: 1 for 4, HR, BB, SO
San Jose: 1B Luke Anders: 2 for 4, HR
San Jose: SP Andrew Reichard: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K--2 WP
Joseph and Anders had two of the Giants' three big flies. Batting in the top two spots in the lineup, Brown and Adrianza both reached base three times. Brown got his 40th SB.
Reichard allowed nearly two baserunners per inning but kept the damage to two runs (one of which scored after he left the game).
A-: Augusta lost to Hickory 5-3
Augusta: CF Chris Lofton: 1 for 3, BB, PO
Augusta: SP Gaspar Santiago: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 HR, 1 PO
Lofton was the lone GreenJacket to reach base twice.
Santiago had his second straight with 3 ER in 5.0 IP. In eleven starts, he has a 3.99 ERA and a K/BB a bit below 2.00.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Yakima 4-3
Salem-Keizer: SS Joe Panik: 2 for 3, SF
Salem-Keizer: C Dan Burkhart: 2 for 4, HR
Salem-Keizer: SP Lorenzo Mendoza: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K--1 HR
Burkhart and Panik were two of four Volcanoes with two hits each, improving their respective AVGs to .272 and .329. Burkhart's 4th HR was a two-run, no-out, go-ahead HR in the top of the 9th inning.
Mendoza had a K/BB ratio just shy of a very impressive 8.00 but an ERA above 5.00.
R: Giants defeated Rangers 15-9
Scottsdale: SS Kelby Tomlinson: 3 for 5, 3B, 2B, SO
Scottsdale: 3B Jose Cuevas: 3 for 5, 3B, 2B, E
Scottsdale: C Gabriel Cornier: 1 for 2, HR
Scottsdale: SP Kyle Vazquez: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Scottsdale: RP Miguel Ferrer: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 4 K--1 HB
Scottsdale: RP Derek Law: 1.0 IP, 2 K
Tomlinson and Cuevas were both a big fly shy of the cycle. Cornier, playing just his seventh game in the U.S., had his 1st HR stateside and his 2nd pro HR.
Vazquez had another ineffecitve start, although still much better than his previous start (10 ER in 1.0 IP). Ferrer was effective in long relief and improved his peripheral stats to 11 H, 3 BB, and 20 K in 15.1 IP this year. Law, the Giants' ninth rounder this year, had 2 K in a perfect 9th inning.
DSL: Giants defeated Marlins 8-1
Dominican: C Fernando Pujadas: 2 for 4, 2B, HBP, GiDP
Dominican: C Jose Reyes: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K--1 HB
Batting cleanup, Pujadas (19.6 y.o.) had his 3rd double and a single. Reyes (20.6 y.o.) has allowed 0 ER in five of his last six starts, helping him to a 1.55 ERA.