Opening day highlights from the Giants' farm: Roger Kieschnick doubled twice, and Shawn Sanford had 6.0 scoreless IP.
I think this must be the first time in at least a decade that the minor league season has not begun several days after the major league season. On to the box scores ...AAA: Fresno defeated Tucson 3-0
Fresno: CF Tyler Graham: 2 for 4
Fresno: LF Roger Kieschnick: 2 for 4, 2 2B
Fresno: SS Joaquin Arias: 2 for 4, E
Fresno: SP Ryan Vogelsong: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Fresno: RP Shane Loux: 3.0 IP, 2 K--1 HB
Fresno: RP Heath Hembree: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Tucson: SP Joe Wieland: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Kieschnick doubled twice in his PCL debut. Graham and Arias also had two hits each.
Vogelsong threw 83 pitches (49 strikes) in his rehab start. Loux, bumped from making the start, faced just one batter over the minimum in 3.0 scoreless IP as he combined with Hembree and another reliever to finish the shutout. Wieland, one of the Padres' top ten prospects after they acquired him from the Rangers last July in the Mike Adams trade, allowed a run in the 1st inning and two runs in the 6th inning.
AA: Richmond lost to New Britain 3-2
Richmond: CF Gary Brown: 1 for 3, BB, PO
Richmond: DH Tommy Joseph: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Richmond: LF Chris Dominguez: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K--2 WP
New Britain: SP Luke French: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HB
Brown and Joseph are perhaps the top two prospects in the Giants organization. Making their upper minors debuts tonight, they had very outcomes as Brown reached base twice but Joseph had the oh-fer with the hat trick. Dominguez was the lone Flying Squirrel with two hits and had their lone XBH.
Making the opening day start, Fitzgerald perhaps threw too many strikes with 26 of 30 pitches being strikes (assuming the box score is correct, see below). French, who has 25 MLB starts over the last three years (although none last year) and is now with the Twins, had an effective season debut facing just three batters over the minimum in 5.0 scoreless IP.
A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 4-3
San Jose: CF Ryan Lollis: 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB
San Jose: C Andrew Susac: 0 for 5, 3 SO, E
San Jose: RF Jarrett Parker: 1 for 4, HR, SO
San Jose: SP Shawn Sanford: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
San Jose: RP Seth Rosin: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Modesto: SP Tyler Matzek: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Susac had an inauspicious pro debut with an oh-fer, hat trick and an error. Lollis had a nice Cal League debut with a couple doubles. Parker, who had 13 HRs in the Cal League a year ago, led off the 7th inning with a homer.
Sanford's Cal League debut was an effective 6.0 scoreless IP. He had just 1 K but a 9/4 GO/FO line. Rosin pitched a perfect 8th inning. Matzek, whom the Rockies drafted 11th overall three years ago, struck out 7 of his 19 batters while allowing just a couple unearned runs.
A-: Augusta lost to Savannah 3-2
(allowing the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Augusta: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 2 for 5, 3B
Augusta: CF Chuckie Jones: 0 for 4, 3 SO
Augusta: SP Clayton Blackburn: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--2 HB
Willoughby had two of the GreenJackets' four hits. Jones had an inauspicious full season debut with the oh-fer and hat trick.
The 19-year-old Blackburn made his full-season debut with 4.0 scoreless IP before allowing a couple earned runs in the 5th inning, one of which scored after he left the game. Is the box score correct on his pitches for strikes (30 for 32)? It seems quite remarkable that he would throw every pitch for a strike except for the two that resulted in a hit batter.