SF Giants Minor Lines 4/13

Imma just gonna go ahead and make a macro for every time the featured clip of the day is Jalen Miller:

HIGHLIGHT: Conor Gillaspie went 5 for 5. Jalen Miller was 3 for 5 with two doubles.

Sacramento won at Las Vegas 51s (Mets), 6-1

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	BA	Other
2b	Ramiro Pena	5	1	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	.348
1b	Ryan Lollis	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250	E
LF	Mac Williamson	5	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	.276
RF	Jarrett Parker	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	.091	HBP
3b	Conor Gillaspie	5	1	5	2	2	0	0	0	0	.320	SB (1)
SS	Hak-Ju Lee	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	2	0	.316	E

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA	Pitches	Strikes
VIn Mazzaro	4.0	5	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	0.00	53	35
Steven Okert, W 1-0	2.0	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	2.25	27	17
Jake Dunning	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	6.00	13	9

Conor Gillaspie had a monster day at the plate, going 5 for 5 with two doubles and even mixing in a SB, leading the RiverCats to an easy 6-1 win. All in all the RiverCats had 19 baserunners on 13 hits, including 4 XBH. They had at least one runner on base in every inning until the 9th. Last year, the RiverCats had two five-hit games, one each from Ryan Lollis and Adam Duvall. Duvall's effort included a cycle in probably the best offensive game of the year. I always hate to use video from Las Vegas, which is easily the worst video setup in the entire minor leagues, but 5 for 5 demands video evidence!

Yep. Just a terrible terrible effort, Vegas!

Clayton Blackburn was supposed to start this game, but he was a late scratch with flu like symptoms after feeling under the weather all day. So it went to Johnny Allstaff and the bullpen effort turned out great, limiting the 51s to just 1 run on 7 hits and 3 walks. In today's "LOLPitcherWins Stat of the Day," Steven Okert ended up with the win despite being the only pitcher to allow a run and arguably being the least effective.

Sacramento finishes up the opening road trip tonight and then comes back for their home opener tomorrow night against Salt Lake City. And if you're looking for a reason to get out to Raley Field in the near future, the RiverCats got you covered:

Bobble bobble bobble bobble bobbble

Hunter Pence #RiverCats #bobblehead - Friday, April 22 pic.twitter.com/BjOv4fae6J

— River Cats (@RiverCats) April 13, 2016

* * *

Richmond lost at Reading Fightin' Phils, 6-4
losing their three game series, 1-2

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	BA	Other
SS	Christian Arroyo	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.393
CF	Austin Slater	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	.308	SB (1)
RF	Hunter Cole	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	.043
3b	Ryder Jones	5	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	3	.286
C	Matt Winn	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.318
2b	Rando Moreno	4	1	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	.300

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA	Pitches	Strikes
Tyler Beede	5.0	9	3	3	1	4	1	0	1	4.50	78	55
Dan Slania	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0.00	16	15

Tyler Beede delivered a mixed outing in his second start. Reports had his fastball once again up in the 93-95 range with plenty of 95s, even on a chilly spring night. And once again his command was on point as he pounded the zone successfully. He now has a 10:1 K:BB in 10 innings, which is fantastic. However, Reading was finding a lot of contact against him last night, particularly early on. He allowed 8 hits in the first 3 innings of work before settling down and retiring 7 of the final 8 batters he faced.

Still, he limited the damage after the 1st inning, when Reading touched him for 3 runs on 4 hits, including J.P. Crawford's first HR of the year, and a WP. Beede nearly got into danger again in the 3rd inning, when he allowed 3 hits and came within inches of surrendering a 2-run HR, but going up against the Phils power hitting Dylan Cozens, Beede got a big, and unusual, DP to help out.

And I know Tyler (and his Dad) would want me to point out that he once again went 1 for 2 at the plate, keeping his average on the year at a cool .500.

As for the rest of the offense, it was an uneven night. Though they managed 12 hits, and had 5 different members of the lineup reach base multiple times, they also did a whole lot of swing and missing, with 14 Ks on the night against just 2 BB. Phils starting pitcher Ben Lively ended up just one off a career high with 9 Ks in 5 innings.  On a positive note, Hunter Cole finally got himself an average, with his first hit of the year, which has to feel good. Less good, he was also one of three hitters in the lineup with 3 Ks.

So today, despite having already played 4 of their 7 games at the Diamond, Richmond officially celebrates its home opener, which is kind of weird. Also weird? Their "Squirrelible Towel" promotional giveaway:

The #Squirrelible towels are in! Be one of the 1st 2500 fans on Thursday! April 14 can't come soon enough! #BusToRVA pic.twitter.com/xru80alIgT

— Squirrels Baseball (@GoSquirrels) April 11, 2016

Last note, I found this piece on Richmond TV from last week: Getting to Know Tyler Beede

Part 2 of @8NEWS online series "Getting to know @GoSquirrels:" @tylerbeede, top RHP prospect https://t.co/xAtMiurSbW pic.twitter.com/xZ2ntqkrIg

— Chip Brierre (@Chip8News) April 7, 2016

* * *

San Jose lost to Visalia Rawhide (D'backs), 8-4
losing their three game series, 1-2

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	BA	Other
CF	Johneshwy Fargas	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	.286	SB (2)
DH	Chris Shaw	4	1	2	2	1	0	0	0	1	.333
2b	Brandon Bednar	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.375	SB (1)

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA	Pitches	Strikes
Mark Reyes	2.0	6	4	4	2	1	1	0	0	18.00	55	33
Jose Reyes, L 0-1	2.2	2	2	2	0	3	0	0	0	4.50	32	24
Carlos Diaz	1.0	2	2	1	0	1	0	0	0	27.00	10	4

The Giants regular season struggles with the Rawhide continued (though at least they can take consolation in having beaten Visalia on the road in last year's Cal league semi-finals). Though the offense got out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of this one, the pitching staff seemed to have no answers for the Rawhide lineup. In particular, they had no answers for an obscure 9th place hitter named Ericson Leonora, who the Diamondbacks had picked up as a 6 year minor league FA this winter, having spent six years in rookie leagues for the Yankees. Ericson hit 2 HRs and collected 7 RBIs in what will very likely be the standout game of his career.

Mark Reyes, who posted a 2.13 ERA in the Sally last year, had a rough introduction to the Cal League, failing to record an out in the 3rd inning. Another Giant pitcher who's had a rough go of the new level is lefty reliever Carlos Diaz. Diaz has faced just 7 batters in the Cal League thus far, and has surrendered 1 BB and 4 hits, including yesterday afternoon's Grand Slam to Leonora. Got to get better from here, Carlos?

On the offensive side of the ball, Chris Shaw had his second consecutive big game. After not managing a hit in the first 2.5 games of the season, Shaw has gone 5 for 8 with 2 doubles over the last two games of the homestand, and produced a lot of loud contact. He provided the big hit of the game when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the 1st inning (PS, apparently the video crew at the Muni is still in spring training):

But that was mostly it for the offense. They'd produce just five more baserunners the rest of the game, while the pitching staff was being overwhelmed by Rawhide bats. After the afternoon set, the Giants hopped on the bus for their first long long long trip down south of the year. They're off to Inland Empire and Lake Elsinore following a somewhat disappointing opening homestand that produced just a 2-2 record out of what was supposed to be a 7-game set.

* * *

Augusta won at Lexington Legends (Royals), 6-4
losing their three game series, 1-2

	Name	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	BA	Other
2b	Jalen Miller	5	2	3	2	2	0	0	0	0	.423
1b	Dillon Dobson	3	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.280
RF	Dylan Davis	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	.269
DH	Kelvin Beltre	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.190	HBP, CS, PO
CF	Seth Harrison	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	.250
SS	Manuel Geraldo	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.087	HBP

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	HB	WP	ERA	Pitches	Strikes
Michael Santos, W 1-1	6.0	4	1	1	0	6	0	0	1	5.40	72	56
Caleb Smith	1.0	1	3	3	3	2	0	0	0	13.50	38	21

Ok, this is a tad unusual, but to really appreciate Jalen Miller's double at the top of the post, you have to see the entire AB. It's long, but it's worth watching the whole thing, as he battled away with an 0-2 count. Of particular note, pay attention to the first and last pitches of the At Bat, as Miller displayed an excellent two strike approach throughout:

With Lucius Fox getting a day off, Miller moved up to the leadoff spot, but he stayed at 2b, as it seems clear that the org intends for him to concentrate on that position this year, rather than mixing into the SS rotation. A week into the season, Miller has broken the best from the gates with a .423/.444/.615 line. He's only walked once, but he's kept the Ks down with just 4 thus far.

Going up against the Royals 1st round pick from last year, HS RHP Foster Griffin, the offense struggled to do much in the first six innings . A Dillon Dobson double followed by a Dylan Davis single produced a run in the 1st (does anybody else find the Dillon/Dylan pairing a little cognitive disonancey?), and then Miller doubled to lead off the 6th and came around to score on a Dobson Sac Fly. But they absolutely feasted on the Lexington bullpen, putting up a 4 spot in the 7th once Griffin had left the game.

On the hill, Michael Santos had a huge bounce back game from his Opening Day disaster. Santos went 6 strong, pumping strikes and staying in command the whole time. He K'd 6 to 0 BB and left with a 2-1 lead. In the end it should have been an easy getaway day victory, but problems once again emerged from the Greenjackets bullpen. This time it was Caleb Smith, who entered with a 6-1 lead in the 9th and had a shaky time putting it away, as he really struggled with the strike zone. Smith has a big arm from the left-hand side, but control is an issue for him at times.

Exciting night in Augusta tonight, as they have their home opener. To kick things off in Lake Olmstead, they send Phil Bickford to the mound, to see if he can back up Friday night's debut.  It is a tragedy of epic proportions** that not only does Augusta not have a video feed for MiLBtv streaming, but they still don't have a radio cast for their games either. Get it together Augusta!

**Not, literally speaking, true.

* * *

Another full slate tonight, and likely some tired players as three of the clubs will come to tonight's games off some long bus rides, in the A ball teams' cases, rides in excess of 10 hours. The glamorous life, indeed!

Scheduled matchups:
Sacramento: Chris Stratton vs. Seth Lugo
Richmond: Adalberto Mejia vs. Clay Holmes
SJ: Jason Forjet vs. Alex Klonowski
Augusta: Phil Bickford vs. Josh Rogers