minor lines, 5/15/14

AAA: Fresno lost to Albuquerque, 14-8

Fresno: 3B Adam Duvall: 3 for 4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SO, E
Fresno: RF Juan Perez: 3 for 4, 3 R, 2B, RBI, BB
Albuquerque: CF Joc Pederson: 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SO

Fresno: SP Mike Kickham: 2.0 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR

Adam Duvall had his second-straight game with three hits and a home run, picking up his PCL-leading 14th home run.  That 9th inning home run put him ahead of Joc Pederson, whose two home runs temporarily tied Duvall.  The 14th home run is also tying for the the minor league lead with Joey Gallo of the Carolina League's Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A+).  Juan Perez played his first game back in Fresno, and went right back to hitting.  In 6 total games in Fresno, he's batting 11 for 23 (.478) with three doubles, four walks and only four strikeouts.

Mike Kickham had a blow-up game, playing the powerful Isotopes in Fresno.  He last a season-low 2 innings, but gave up season highs in hits (11), runs (9), and home runs (3, after allow two in all of the season before this game).  He pitched against Albuquerque in two games earlier this season, which were two of his best starts of the season, including eight innings of shut out ball in Fresno on April 24th.

AA: Richmond's game against Bowie was postponed due to weather.

A day after a doubleheader, the Squirrels and Baysox had to schedule another one.  This one will happen on Friday, June 27th.

We just did stats a couple of days ago, so I'll refer you to another stat: The Richmond Flying Squirrels are currently ranked 2nd in all the minors in the MILB Clash of the Caps!  They sit behind the El Paso Chihuahuas, a brand new team in the PCL (The Padres affiliate that formerly played in Tucson, and before that they were the Portland Beavers).  I do not represent any of the ruling corporation of the McCovey Chronicles in saying that this can not be allowed to stand, and I do suggest you vote.  And give some love to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, too, who are handicapped using a clearly lesser cap rather than their far superior one.

A+: San Jose defeated Stockton, 6-4

San Jose: LF Brett Krill: 3 for 3, 3 R, 2B, BB
San Jose: 3B Mitch Delfino: 1 for 5, R, HR, RBI
San Jose: 1B Brian Ragira: 2 for 3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, CS, 2 E

San Jose: SP Joe Biagini: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR, 1 HBP

Brett Krill started the season in Richmond, but made his San Jose debut on Tuesday.  He took a Golden Sombrero yesterday, but responded by getting on base all four times he was up today.  Krill hit .213 in 21 games up in AA before making the move.  Mitch Delfino's batting average took a hit, but he hit just his second home run of May to make up for it.  That gives him eight on the season.  Brian Ragira had a mixed day.  The multi-hit game was a nice boon as he'd been hitting just .213, but he got caught stealing (he's been caught both times he's attempted this year) and committed two errors, which gives him five on the year.

Joe Biagini actually had one of his rougher starts of the season, as he'd given up just one earned run in three of his last four starts.  The Menlo Park native also gave up his first home run of the year.

A-: Augusta defeated West Virginia 2-1
(Scoring 2 in the 8th inning)

Augusta: SS Ryder Jones: 1 for 4, RBI, SO
Augusta: DH Jeremy Sy: 0 for 1, RBI, BB

Augusta: SP Carlos Diaz: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 1 WP, 2 HBP
West Virginia: SP Buddy Borden: 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 SO

The GreenJackets only managed two hits, and one of them went to Ryder Jones.  Jones is still batting .293 over the last ten games.  Jeremy Sy was one of two Augusta players to grab two walks, which brought his season total to just 5 in 21 games, but he also game up with the game-winning sacrifice fly.

Carlos Diaz bounced back from his worst start of the year to have his best.  He matched a season high 7 innings, giving up a season low two hits and striking out a season high seven.  The 20-year old Diaz is putting together a nice little season after suffering a rough AZL league last season.  On the opposing mound, UNLV pitcher Buddy Borden carried a no-hitter into the seventh, but as will happen in the minors, was pulled to protect his arm.  Borden was a 7th round pick in 2013, and wasn't one of the prospects most Pirates-watchers put in their top lists.  However, he's had four full starts now out of eight where he hasn't allowed an earned run, and has given up just 23 hits in 36.1 innings.