Friday highlights from the Giants' farm: Kyle Crick, Justin Fitzgerald, and Daryl Maday combined for 17.0 scoreless IP in their starts. Also notable, Brock Bond reached base in all five plate appearances.
AAA: Fresno defeated Tucson 8-5
Fresno: 3B Brock Bond: 3 for 3, BB, HBP, SB, CS
Fresno: SP Yusmeiro Petit: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Tucson: SP Matt Palmer: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K--1 WP
Bond reached base in all five plate appearances. With multiple hits in six of his last eight games, plus 6 BB in that time span, he has improved his season line to .345/.427/.414 through 203 AB. After just one steal attempt in his first 59 games, he made two steal attempts last night.
Petit had his third straight quality start. He pounded the strike zone with 68 of 88 pitches for strikes in 7.0 IP. Palmer, the ex-Giant who pitched for Fresno during the 2006 through 2008 seasons, yielded 6+ ER for the fourth time in his last seven starts. His ERA in fourteen starts is close to 7.00.
AA: Richmond defeated Harrisburg 4-0 (7 innings) in game 1
Richmond: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 4, 2B, CS
Richmond: LF Russell Michell: 1 for 3, HR, SO
Richmond: SP Justin Fitzgerald: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Richmond: RP Brett Bochy: 1.0 IP, 3 K
With his 23rd double and a single, Brown raised his AVG to .290. Making his first stolen base attempt in seven games, he had his 14th CS. Mitchell led off the 6th inning with his 2nd HR for the Flying Squirrels.
Fitzgerald had his third straight strong start, bringing his ERA back below 4.00. The 8 K were the most he has had over his last ten starts. Bochy struck out all three of his batters in a perfect 7th inning. He peripheral stats of 19 H, 11 BB and 49 K in 39.2 IP suggest dominance.
AA: Richmond lost to Harrisburg 3-2 (7 innings) in game 2
(allowing all three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning)
Richmond: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 4, SO, 3 SB
Richmond: RF Juan Perez: 2 for 3, 2B
Richmond: SP Daryl Maday: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Harrisburg: SP Ryan Perry: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Brown and Perez each had two of the Flying Squirrels' seven hits. Both have AVGs above .280. Brown now has 25 SB after 53 SB last year.
Making his first start of the year after 30 relief appearances, Maday had 5.0 scoreless IP. Perry, whom the Tigers drafted in the first round four years but who is now with the Nationals, had a strong start. Although too many walks has been an issue for him in the majors, last night he threw 53 of 73 pitches for strikes.
A+: San Jose defeated Modesto 5-4
(scoring the final go-ahead run in the top of the 9th inning)
San Jose: 2B Carter Jurica: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
San Jose: SS Joe Panik: 1 for 4, HR, BB
San Jose: 1B Aubrey Huff: 2 for 3, 2B, BB
San Jose: SP Jack Snodgrass: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Jurica and Huff were two of three Giants with two hits each. Panik hit his 5th HR.
Despite a season-high 5 BB, Snodgrass allowed just 1 ER for the first time in his last eight starts. After an ERA below 2.50 through his first ten starts, he has had an ERA close to 7.00 in his last eight starts.
A-: Augusta defeated Greenville 3-1
(scoring all three runs in the 1st inning)
Augusta: LF Shawn Payne: 3 for 4, SB
Augusta: SP Kyle Crick: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K--1 WP
Augusta: RP Cody Hall: 1.0 IP, 1 K
With three singles, Payne had half of the GreenJackets' six hits. He now has a .314 AVG with 33 SB.
Crick bounced back from the hiccup in his last start (5 ER in 4.1) to allow no earned runs for the fifth time in his last six starts. After fifteen starts, his ERA is now below 3.00. With just 13 H allowed in his last six starts, his BAA has dropped to .189. Hall pitched a perfect 9th inning for his 16th save.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Yakima 6-4
Salem-Keizer: SS Matthew Duffy: 2 for 3, BB, SB
Salem-Keizer: 3B Mitchell Delfino: 3 for 4
Salem-Keizer: SP Raymundo Montero: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K--1 HR
Salem-Keizer: RP Tyler Mizenko: 1.1 IP, 1 K--1 WP
Duffy and Delfino, whom the Giants drafted with their 18th and 20th round selections this year, each reached base three times.
Montero had perhaps his best start of the year, completing six innings for the first time in six starts. His season-high 8 K against 0 BB raised his K/BB ratio above 3.00. Mizenko had 1.1 perfect IP for his 5th save, although his wild pitch did allow his lone inherited runner to score.
R: Giants defeated Royals 9-8 (10 innings)
Scottsdale: DH Tyler Hollick: 3 for 4, 2 3B, 2B, 2 BB
Scottsdale: SS Travious Relaford: 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB
Scottsdale: SP Brandon Allen: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Scottsdale: RP Eduardo Encinosa: 1.0 IP, 3 K--1 HB
Surprise: SP Kyle Zimmer: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Playing in his second pro game, Hollick had 3 XBH while reaching base five times. Relaford also had a strong game as his 3rd and 4th doubles helped raise his AVG to .297.
Allen's fifth start was a disaster start as 6 ER in the 2nd inning sent him to the showers early. Encinosa, the Giants' seventh rounder this year, struck out three of his four batters. The rookie Giants got to face Zimmer, whom the Royals drafted fifth overall out the University of San Francisco last month, in his pro debut.
DSL: Giants defeated Pirates2 6-2
Domincan: 1B Angel Villalona: 2 for 5, HR, 2 SO
Dominican: SP Carlos Diaz: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K--1 WP
Villalona (21.11 y.o.) had his 4th HR, although he has also had some issues making contact as his SO/AB is just shy of 0.33. Diaz (18.7 y.o.) had his longest start of the year and allowed just 1 ER for the first time in his last six starts.