Sunday highlights from the Giants' farm: Justin Christian homered while reaching base four times, Chris Heston had 11 K and 1 ER in 6.0 IP, and Jack Snodgrass allowed just 1 ER in 6.0 IP.
AAA: Fresno defeated Colorado Springs 8-3
Fresno: CF Justin Christian: 2 for 3, HR, 2B, 2 BB
Fresno: C Jackson Williams: 1 for 4, HR
Fresno: SP Jason Stevenson: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Dan Otero: 1.0 IP, 1 K
Fresno: RP Heath Hembree: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Colorado Springs: SP Jorge De La Rosa: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--2 HR, HBP
Christian had another huge game. He had his 6th HR. With a .362 AVG, 25 XBH and 21 BB in 196 AB, his OPS is just shy of 1.000. Williams had his 3rd HR.
After nine starts in double-A, Stevenson made his first start this year for the Grizzlies. He made two of his three starts last year for Fresno, so this was not his PCL debut. He was lifted after five innings, despite having thrown just 75 pitches (42 strikes). Otero pitched a perfect 8th inning. In 14.2 IP since being optioned back to the PCL, he has yielded 20 H for a .339 BAA. Hembree yielded a run for the sixth time in his last seven appearances. The Rockies' De La Rosa, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, was roughed up in his first PCL rehab start. He had previously made a couple rehab starts in both the Cal League and Texas League. Over his five rehab starts, his WHIP is nearly 2.00.
AA: Richmond defeated Trenton 5-2
Richmond: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 4, 2B, CS
Richmond: SS Ehire Adrianza: 2 for 4, 3B
Richmond: 1B Tommy Joseph: 2 for 3, SF, SO
Richmond: SP Chris Heston: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 K--1 WP
Adrianza, who had his 2nd triple, and Brown, who had his 7th double, were two of five Flying Squirrels with two hits each. Joseph was one of the other three, raising his AVG to .272.
Heston had another fine start, featuring a season-high 11 K. Still, this start was perhaps below his recent standard as this start had his only earned run allowed in five May starts. Not efficient with his pitch count in this game with 98 pitches (64 strikes) in 6.0 IP, he issued a season-high 4 BB. He had issued just 11 BB over his previous nine starts.
A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 2-1 (10 innings)
San Jose: 2B Carter Jurica: 1 for 3, BB, SO
San Jose: SP Jack Snodgrass: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K--2 WP
San Jose: SP Andrew Chafin: 8.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
With one of the Giants' six hits (all singles) and their only walk, Jurica was the lone Giant to reach base twice. After a hot April start with an OPS above .750, he has cooled off in May with an OPS below .550.
Snodgrass bounced back from his previous start (5 ER in 3.2 IP) with a very good start. Through ten starts he has a 2.34 ERA, which ranks 4th in the Cal League. Chafin entered the year ranked by Baseball America as the Diamondbacks' #13 prospect, but he may now be the best prospect to have appeared in the game (ahead of the Giants' Joe Panik and Andrew Susac). He has made three of his ten starts against the Giants, and in those starts has allowed 1 ER in each start and had 30 K in 21.0 IP. For the season, his peripheral stats are 48 H, 20 BB and 77 K in 58.2 IP.
A-: Augusta lost to Savannah 5-4
(taking a one-run lead in the 8th inning but allowing two runs in the 9th inning)
Augusta: 1B Ben Thomas: 1 for 2, 2 BB
Augusta: LF Elliott Blair: 2 for 4, SO
Augusta: SP Edwin Escobar: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K--1 HB, 1 WP
Batting ninth, Blair had the GreenJackets' lone multi-hit performance, raising his AVG above the Mendoza line. Thomas reached base three times, raising his OBP to .318.
Escobar pitched into the 7th inning for the first time this year. Walking the final two batters he faced, he walked more than two batters for the first time this year. His BB/IP remains below 0.25, though.