Saturday highlights from the Giants farm: Todd Linden homered among four hits, and Eric Hacker allowed just 1 ER in 7.0 IP. Also notable, Gary Brown doubled, singled and walked twice.
AAA: Fresno defeated Round Rock 10-3
Fresno: LF Roger Kieschnick: 2 for 5, HR, SO
Fresno: 1B Todd Linden: 4 for 5, HR, 2B, SB
Round Rock: CF Julio Borbon: 3 for 4, 2B, SB, CS
Fresno: SP Eric Hacker: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K--1 HB
Fresno: RP George Kontos: 2.0 IP, 3 K
Round Rock: SP Neil Ramirez: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 HR, 1 PO
For the second straight day, both Linden and Kieschnick homered, their 5th and 11th HRs of the year, respectively. In the first three games of the series, Linden has hit 10 for 14 with 2 HR and 3 doubles, improving his season line to .291/.365/.503 through 151 AB. The Rangers' Borbon had three of the Express's five hits, raising his AVG to .269.
Hacker has now allowed 1 ER or less in five of his eight minor league starts this year, including three of four starts since his spot start in the majors in late April. His PCL ERA is 3.35. Kontos had 2.0 perfect IP for his 1st save to get his ERA just below 2.00. Ramirez, who entered the year as perhaps one of the top 100 prospects in baseball has allowed 6+ ER in four of his last five starts, boosting his ERA to 6.75.
AA: Richmond lost to Akron 15-5
(after trailing 11-1 entering the 5th inning)
Richmond: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB
Richmond: DH Juan Perez: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, HB
Akron: LF Ben Copeland: 3 for 4, 2 2B, BB, SO
Akron: RF Thomas Neal: 3 for 5, 3B
Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--1 HR--1 HB
Brown had one of his best games of the season. He had his 6th double and reached base four times, raising his OBP to .332. In the 9th inning, Perez connected for his 3rd HR. Copeland and Neal, two of three ex-Giants in the lineup for the Indians affiliate, were two of the five Aeros with three hits each. They raised their respective AVGs to .170 and .291.
Making his ninth start of the year, Fitzgerald allowed season highs with 8 R, 7 ER and 9 H in a season-low 3.1 IP. His ERA rose to 4.25.
A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 7-5
San Jose: 1B Ricky Oropesa: 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SO
San Jose: DH Luke Anders: 2 for 4, 2B
San Jose: SP Shawn Sanford: 5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K--1 WP
San Jose: RP Edward Concepcion: 1.1 IP, 2 K
Among five Giants who reached base twice were Oropesa and Anders, who had their 9th and 6th doubles, respectively.
Sanford's recent pattern of alternating good and bad starts continued. He matched season highs with 6 ER and 10 H. After having not had more than 1 BB in any previous start, he had 4 BB in this start. He also had just 1 K for the fifth time in nine starts. For the season his peripheral stats are now 53 H, 10 BB and 19 K in 48.2 IP. Concepcion had 1.1 perfect IP. While his walk rate remains too high, it is trending in the right direction with 6 BB in 8.2 IP in May after 11 BB in 9.1 IP in April.
A-: Augusta lost to Savannah 7-4
(after leading 4-3 at the end of the 1st inning)
Augusta: SS Kelby Tomlinson: 0 for 1, 3 BB, 2 SB
Augusta: DH Mark Minicozzi: 2 for 3, HR, BB
Agusta: SP Kyle Crick: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 6 K--1 WP
After oh-fers in his first two games, Minicozzi homered in the 1st inning and reached base in two of three plate appearances after that. (Note: I made the rare decision not to include the performances by Kieschnick, Perez and Minicozzi with a HR among multiple hits in the highlights because the first two had HRs which arguably came in "garbage" time with the games already decided and the last one is appreciably older than most other players in the league.) Tomlinson also reached base three times. He is second on the team (behind Shawn Payne) with 13 SB.
This was Crick's least effective start of the year as 5 H, 6 BB and 5 ER all were new season-highs. This snapped a string of three rather good starts. Through seven starts, his peripheral stats are now 19 H, 24 BB and 38 K in 31.1 IP.