Friday highlight from the Giants' farm: Gary Brown homered and doubled.
AAA: Fresno lost to Sacramento 12-0
Fresno: LF Todd Linden: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Sacramento: RF Michael Taylor: 3 for 4, HR, 2B, BB
Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K--1 HR
Fresno: RP Wilmin Rodriguez: 3.1 IP, 3 H
Sacramento: SP Daniel Straily: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Linden had one of the Grizzlies' three hits and one of their two walks. The Athletics' Taylor was one of four RiverCats with three hits each, including his 6th HR and 22nd double. The 26-year-old is hitting .307/.411/.451 through 277 AB this year.
Yourkin had another ineffective start. His ERA is now 9.25. Rodriguez provided effective long relief, although his ERA remains above 6.00. Straily may have enjoyed as much helium as any prospect in baseball this year. He has emerged from being considered outside the Athletics' top 30 prospects to perhaps one of the top 100 prospects in baseball. He has made two of his four PCL starts against Fresno, during which he has 6 H, 4 BB, 0 R and 15 K in 14.0 IP.
AA: Richmond lost to Binghamton 8-4
(allowing all eight runs in the 6th through 8th innings)
Richmond: CF Gary Brown: 2 for 5, HR, 2B
Richmond: 3B Russell Mitchell: 2 for 2
Binghamton: 3B Wilmer Flores: 3 for 4, HR, BB
Richmond: SP Michael Kickham: 5.0+ IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K--1 BK
Brown continues to swing a hot bat. He led off the bottom of the 1st inning with his 4th HR and later added his 20th double.Through six games in July, he is hitting nearly .500 with 13 H, including 8 XBH, in 29 AB. Although not in the starting lineup, Mitchell was the only other Flying Squirrel with two hits. The Mets' Flores has had a big year to bring back his prospect status. Yesterday's performance further improved his season line to .309/.355/.485.
Kickham had at least 5 BB for the third time in his last four starts. He threw barely half (49 of 97) his pitches for strikes. He began the game with 5.0 scoreless IP before not retiring any of his three batters in the 6th inning.
A+: San Jose lost to Modesto 6-1
San Jose: C Andrew Susac: 0 for 1, 3 BB
San Jose: SP Taylor Rogers: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K--1 WP
While the Giants managed just four hits, Susac walked three times to raise his OBP to .363. He has a very high BB/AB ratio at 0.17.
Despite what I think was a season-high 5 BB for Rogers, he managed a quality start to keep his team in the game.
A-: Augusta defeated Asheville 4-3
(scoring all four runs in the 2nd inning)
Augusta: 2B Jose Flores: 2 for 5, SO
Augusta: SP Adalberto Mejia: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Flores had two of the GreenJackets' five hits, but his season AVG remains just .234.
Mejia allowed a couple 1st inning runs but rebounded for his longest start of the year, allowing just one more run over the next six innings.
ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Vancouver 5-3
Salem-Keizer: 1B Joseph Rapp: 2 for 5, HR, 2B, 2 SO
Salem-Keizer: C Dashenko Ricardo: 1 for 5, HR
Salem-Keizer: 3B Stephen Yarrow: 2 for 4, 3B, 2B
Salem-Keizer: SP Joan Gregorio: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 HR
Rapp and Ricardo had their 4th and 1st HRs, respectively. Yarrow had his 1st triple and 4th double.
Gregorio had perhaps his best start of the season, as 6.0 IP, 1 ER and 7 K all matched his season-best marks.
R: Giants lost to Cubs 10-3
Scottsdale: Mitchell Delfino: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SO, SB
Scottsdale: DH Leonardo Fuentes: 2 for 4, 2 2B, SO
Scottsdale: SP Kelvin Marte: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K--1 WP
Delfino, a late round pick from Cal, and Fuentes both doubled twice for the rookie Giants.
Making his first start after four relief appearances, Marte was not particularly effective, with over half (6 of 11) of his batters reaching base. He was followed by eight relievers.
DSL: Giants lost to Yankees1 10-1
Dominican: 2B Marco Guzman: 2 for 4, BB
Dominican: SP Alejandro Flores: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K--1 HR, 1 WP
Guzman (17.10 y.o.) had two of the Gigantes' five hits. After allowing just 5 ER through his first five starts, Flores (18.9 y.o.) allowed another 5 ER in his sixth start.