SF Giants Minor Lines, April 23

Not strictly speaking Giants minor league related news, but let's start this off today by noting some big news from one of our favorites:

Proud to say I'll be contributing to the Baseball Prospectus prospect team. Thanks to everyone there for this opportunity.

— David Lee (@David11Lee) April 23, 2015

Congrats, David! We're really pleased to know that more people are going to be able to read your work. Given the recent history of BP's prospect team, this should mean David Lee will be scouting for some major league team in another couple years.

HIGHLIGHTS: Keury Mella was one pitch away from a gem; Jeremy Sy reached base 4x. Dusten Knight K'd 5 in 2 innings in season debut.

Sacramento loses at El Paso (Padres), 7-3

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA
CF	Brett Jackson	5	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.293
1b	John Bowker	3	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.302
LF	Adam Duvall	4	0	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.419
RF	Jarrett Parker	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	.261

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA
Austin Fleet	4.0	9	7	7	1	1	2	0	0	7.88
Juan Gutierrez	3.0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	5.59
Steven Okert	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1.04

After getting out to a hot start to open the year, the RiverCats have now dropped four games in a row. They struggled to do much offensively in this game, scoring single runs in three different innings (two of them late far after the game was a rout). They mustered 8 hits, 2 XBH (both doubles), and 10 baserunners, nearly all of which was crowded into the top of the order but not sequenced very well. Following Duvall in the cleanup spot there the 5-9 hitters managed only two hits combined. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game was Duvall's defensive position, as he played the OF for the first time in his professional career. He also knocked in a run with a double of course.

On the pitching side, things went south for Austin Fleet very quickly in his 2nd start of the year. He gave up a leadoff HR to Rymer Liriano and things just got worse from there. Liriano, who I guess is currently BA's #4 propsect in the Padres system (he's actually listed at 6 in their most recent top 10 but Wisler is gone and Trea Turner is soon to be), had a huge night with 3 hits including 2 HRs. Austin Hedges, their #3 remaining prospect also went 2 for 4. The series wraps up tomorrow oddly and then Sacramento heads to Tacoma for a strange wraparound Sat-Tues series.

Richmond lost to New Britain (Rockies), 6-2

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA
SS-2b	Kelby Tomlinson	4	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	.320
LF	Daniel Carbonell	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.148
3b	Mitch Delfino	3	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	.262
RF	Mac Williamson	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.260
2b-1b	Blake Miller	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.208
PH-SS	Rando Moreno	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.455

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA
Jack Snodgrass	5.0	6	3	3	1	3	0	0	1	6.08
Jose Casilla	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	1.42

This was the first time the Squirrels have faced New Britain as an NL affiliate (used to be the Twins AA team) and so the first time they played them with no DH (EL rules allow DH to both teams in any game featuring at least one AL affiliate). That likely didn't help a Squirrels team that is really struggling to hit throughout the lineup (as the above batting averages suggest). They managed only 5 hits and 7 baserunners (against 8 Ks) on the day, and scored their two runs (in the 8th inning of a 6-0 game) with the help of a walk, PB, WP, and an error in addition to singles from Moreno and Tomlinson. Some Richmond bats really need to heat up.

The New Britain squad has some very fine prospect hitters, including the Rockies #1 prospect, and #22 on BA's top 100 David Dahl as well as former 1st round (Supp) pick Trevor Story. Jack Snodgrass is in his 3rd straight AA season and so far it's going decidedly worse than the previous two, both of which ended with him being named Richmond's Pitcher of the Year. The 27 year old 27th rounder from 2011 could easily be a guy to get knocked out of the rotation when Blackburn and Mejia return at some point.

After starting the year 2-0, Richmond has lost 9 of its last 10 games including 7 in a row.

San Jose lost at Bakersfield (Mariners), 3-2

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA
2b	Hunter Cole	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.333
3b	Ryder Jones	4	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.346
RF	Tyler Horan	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200
1b	Brian Ragira	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.132
LF	Rafael Rodriguez	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.367

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA
Keury Mella	7.0	4	2	2	0	5	1	0	0	3.60
Martin Agosta	1.1	1	1	1	4	2	0	0	2	8.71

I guess you can say the Giants offense on this night was tremendously efficient, as they managed to create 2 runs from their 2 hits (6 baserunners).  The injury depleted squad got one of their key members back as Tyler Horan returned to the lineup, and he contributed their only XBH of the game and scored their first run following his double, on a WP and a ground out (both of their runs scored on RBI ground outs). Austin Slater took BP before the game and should be able to return off the DL when his 7 days are up.

Impressive start for Keury Mella, who matched a career-high with seven innings (4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 SO). Mella 18/1 SO/BB in 15 IP this season

— Joe Ritzo (@JoeRitzo) April 24, 2015

In many ways this was one of Mella's best overall starts as a pro. It was his longest. He posted a 5:0 K:BB ratio and only allowed 4 hits.  Only Tyler Morette's two out, two run HR in the 6th marred the outing and ultimately prevented the win.  Martin Agosta returned to his wild ways in this outing, virtually gift wrapping a victory for Bakersfield in the 9th inning, with some help from manager Russ Morman. Following a first batter fly out, the final rally proceeded thus: walk, WP, IBB, WP, IBB, single game over. Speaking of Morman, you can hear his thoughts on the early season in this interview with Joe Ritzo on yesterday's pregame show.

Before the game, veteran Jason Forjet was added to the bullpen. The 25 yr old Forjet, 31st rd pick in 2012, was a part of the 2013 SJ bullpen but last year he was returned to short season SK.

Augusta won at Rome (Braves), 5-3

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA
CF	Johneshwy Fargas	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	.357
SS	Jeremy Sy	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	.327
C	Aramis Garcia	4	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	.194
1b	Skyler Ewing	5	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	.250
3b	Jonah Arenado	5	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.265

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA
Matt Gage	6.0	6	3	3	1	3	0	0	1	4.32
Dusten Knight	2.0	2	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	0.00
Carlos Alvarado	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0.00

The Greenjackets were somewhat more profligate with their baserunners than SJ, piling up 19 baserunners to score their 5 runs. Seven of their starting 9 reached base twice or more, including the first 5 batters in the order. The 1 and 2 hitters, Fargas and Sy, collectively reached base 7 times in the game. Fargas efforts on the base paths seem to be coming in streaks, as he's now been caught stealing 4 consecutive times, following 9 consecutive successful attempts. The toolsy CF also had an adventure in CF, dropping a ball on a sliding attempt before recovering himself and showing off his arm throwing out a runner trying to advance to 3b.

The Jackets managed only 2 XBH, but one of them was Aramis Garcia's first HR of the year, coming off a pretty seriously hanging breaking ball.

On the pitching side, the game featured the two new members of Augusta's staff, Dusten Knight and Carlos Alvarado both making their season debut. Knight, the 24 yr old 28th rd pick of the 2013 draft, was so excited to making his debut he K'd 5 of the 8 batters he faced.  The Rome squad was on Keith Law's list of the best prospect rosters in the minors, featuring the Braves #7 BA prospect SS Ozhaino Albies and last year's 1st round pick Braxton Davidson.

So, two full weeks into the season the system is sporting a collective record of 23-32. Toss SF in and you get to 30-42. Sacramento is the only .500 squad in the org and their losing streak leaves them just barely above the .500 line.  Hopefully things get better!

Today's games inlcude a full slate plus one as Augusta makes up one of it's recent rainouts with a DH, albeit sacrificing a home game for a road game in the bargain, as they will do again on Sunday. Robert Coello, Kyle Crick, DJ SNelten, Mark Reyes, and TBD are the scheduled starters.