Thursday highlights from the Giants' farm: Adam Duvall homered among four XBH, and James Simmons homered and tripled. Also notable, Garrett Buechele homered and doubled, and Kelby Tomlinson homered twice.
AAA: Fresno lost to Tucson 10-0(falling behind 6-0 after three innings)
Fresno: RF Brandon Belt: 0 for 3
Fresno: C Hector Sanchez: 1 for 3, SO
Tucson: 1B Kyle Blanks: 2 for 4, HR, BB, SO
Fresno: SP Josh Banks: 5.0 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--3 HR
Tucson: SP Wade LeBlanc: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Sanchez had one of just four hits for the Grizzlies (all singles). Despite batting cleanup, Belt got three plate appearances. The Padres' Blanks had his 11th HR in 26 PCL games.
Banks gave up 3 ER in each of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th innings, raising his ERA above 7.25. LeBlanc faced just three batters over the minimum in 8.0 shutout IP.
AA: Richmond defeated Trenton 3-2 (7 innings) in game 1
(rallying with two runs in the bottom of the 7th inning)
Richmond: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 1, 2 BB
Richmond: SP Ryan Verdugo: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K--1 HR
Trenton: SP Dellin Betances: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Trenton: RP Pat Venditte: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB
Monell reached base in all three plate appearances.
After having just 8 K over his past three starts combined, Verdugo had 7 K in this start--the most strikeouts he has had in a start in over a month. Betances, one of the Yankees' top five prospects, had one of his best starts of the year. He has 86 K and just 54 H in 75.2 IP this year. Venditte, the somewhat infamous switch pitcher, retired just one of his four batters.
AA: Richmond defeated Trenton 2-1 (7 innings) in game 2
(scoring both runs in the bottom of the 6th inning)
Richmond: 2B Charlie Culberson: 2 for 3
Richmond: 3B Chris Dominguez: 3 for 3, 2B
Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K--1 HB, 2 WP
Richmond: RP Heath Hembree: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Dominguez hit safely in all three of his plate appearances, raising his AVG to .315. Culberson also had a couple hits.
Fitzgerald struck out better than one third of his batters. The 7 K were his most over his last ten starts. He was pitching on two days rest after his last two starts had been suspended by rain. Hembree pitched a perfect 7th inning for his 4th save.
A+: San Jose defeated Bakersfield 6-3
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 0 for 3, BB, HBP, SB
San Jose: RF Jarrett Parker: 1 for 3, 2 BB
San Jose: LF James Simmons: 2 for 3, HR, 3B, BB, SO
San Jose: SP Kelvin Marte: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 HR, 1 BK
San Jose: RP Mitch Lively: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Simmons had the Giants' lone multi-hit line with his 4th HR and 2nd triple (in the Cal League). Both he and Parker reached base three times. Brown had his 35th SB.
After not pitching more than five innings in any of his last three starts, Marte had 7.0 IP in a quality start. Lively pitched a perfect 9th inning for his 5th save.
A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 7-4
(after trailing 4-1 through five innings)
Augusta: SS Raynor Campbell: 2 for 4, BB, SO
Augusta: 3B Adam Duvall: 4 for 5, HR, 3 2B
Augusta: SP Mike Kickham: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 8 K--2 HR, 1 E
Augusta: RP Brett Bochy: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Duvall, who had had only one XBH over his previous nine games, had 4 XBH, including his 18th HR, which was a two-out, grand slam, walk-off HR in the 9th inning. Campbell reached base three times, giving him a .395 OBP in 38 AB since the Sally League's all-star break.
With just two quality starts in his eleven starts this year, Kickham has an ERA just below 5.00. Bochy pitched a perfect 8th inning.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City 6-5
Salem-Keizer: CF Jesus Galindo: 3 for 4, 2B, SB
Salem-Keizer: RF Brett Krill: 2 for 4, HR, 2B
Salem-Keizer: 3B Garrett Buechele: 3 for 4, HR, 2B
Salem-Keizer: SP Cameron Lamb: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Krill homered in his third straight game, and Buechele homered in his second straight game. Galindo had three hits to raise his AVG to .233.
Lamb's fifth start was perhaps his best start of the year. He had a season-high 6 K in a season-high 7.0 IP.
R: Giants defeated Cubs 17-2
Scottsdale: 3B Kelby Tomlinson: 3 for 6, 2 HR, 2 SO
Scottsdale: DH Leonardo Fuentes: 3 for 6, 3B, 2 SO, GiDP
Scottsdale: SP Joan Gregorio: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 WP
Scottsdale: RP Clayton Blackburn: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Tomlinson had the first two HRs of his pro career. He and Fuentes both had three hits, raising their respective AVGs to .364 and .271.
Gregorio had another solid start. He has a 2.04 ERA after four starts. Blackburn, the Giants' sixteenth rounder this year making his third pro appearance, struck out three of four batters.
DSL: Giants lost to Rangers 11-5
Dominican: 2B Nelder Gonzalez: 1 for 3, BB, SO
Dominican: RP Gregorio Minier: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K--1 HR, 1 HB, 1 WP
Gonzalez (17.10 y.o.) has two hits and three walks through his first five pro games. Minier (19.4 y.o.) had his third straight relief appearance of 3.0+ IP, although he has given up 5+ R in two of those appearances.
DSL (7/6): Giants defeated Blue Jays 2-0 (17 innings)
Dominican: CF Randy Ortiz: 2 for 6, BB, 2 SO, 2 SB
Dominican: SP Enmanuel De Jesus: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K--1 WP, 2 BK, 1 PO
Ortiz (18.0 y.o.) was the lone Gigante with two hits, raising his AVG to .269. De Jesus's (17.6 y.o.) third start was by far the best of his three pro starts.