SF Giants Minor Lines 5/12

Apologies for the late post, but we can’t miss a day, can we?  Short post today with no videos or tweets, but you can still enjoy it, right?

Sacramento lost to Reno (Diamondbacks), 8-2

After Joan Gregorio’s hot start in Double-A, posting a 2.33 ERA in five starts, expectations were high as Gregorio was part of the first real minor league shuffle of players.  Gregorio’s results were mixed.  He certainly wasn’t the problem in Sacramento’s loss, but he wasn’t spectacular either.  Gregorio gave up back-to-back one-out doubles in the first to give up his first run, but settled down through the third, only giving up a single to the opposing pitcher through the next 7 batters.  However, he then gave up a single, followed by a home run, to start the fourth.

Opposing him was old Giants Farm System friend, Edwin Escobar.  You might remember that Escobar went to the Boston Red Sox in the Jake Peavy trade in 2014.  He started the year with the Red Sox in Triple-A Pawtucker, but was designated for assignment when the Red Sox added William Cuevas to the roster, and the Diamondbacks picked Escobar up.  Esky had a 0.00 ERA in a start and two relief appearances for Pawtucket, but has been a full-time starter in Reno and has a 2.40 ERA there over three starts, after Thursday’s seven-inning outing, which was his longest of the season.

The Sacramento hitters didn’t put up much of a fight.  Ramiro Pena was the only River Cat to get on base twice (both singles).  Even one of the two RBI of the game for Sacramento, a Hak-Ju Lee single, was a deflection off Escobar for an infield single.

Mac Williamson has not returned with a bang to Sacramento like he did the alst time he was sent down.  After an 0-for-3, Williamson is now 0-for-10 since returning to the PCL, though he has a walk in each of the three games he started since coming back.

Richmond lost to Altoona (Pirates), 3-2

One of the other big names in the recent roster shuffle was Andrew Suarez, the 2nd round pick from the 2015 draft.  Suarez wasn’t horrible for the Flying Squirrels, but got hit hard by one man: Eric Wood.  Wood, a Pirates sixth round pick who was batting eighth, went 3-for-3 with two solo home runs to nail Suarez.  The two home runs matched all the home runs that Suarez had given up in the much homer-friendlier California League.

Even aside from those two home runs, Suarez also gave up two doubles and a single.  Still, he gave up just the five hits, with no walks, while striking out six in seven innings.

The Squirrels offense was less effective.  Shortstop Eli Castillo continued to stay hot.  His two-hit game was his third in the last four games.  Rando Moreno added a single and a walk from the top of the order, and Austin Slater had a single, a walk, and his third stolen base of the year.

San Jose defeated Bakersfield (Mariners), 6-0

All three San Jose Giants pitchers did not allow a run!  That’s good!  All three struck out two batters each!  That’s not as good when one of those guys went seven innings, but still, no runs!

Sam Coonrod’s strikeout totals might not have been impressive, but he continues to be efficient with his second straight outing to not allow a run, and fourth out of five.  That gives him an excellent 1.32 ERA.  He also has allowed just 19 hits and 10 walks in 27.1 innings, although the 12:10 K:BB ratio is not pretty.

Punchouts aside, the little Giants teed off on Bakersfield starter Tyler Pike.  C.J. Hinojosa led off the fourth with a walk and got picked off, but after Chris Shaw singled and Jose Vizcaino walked, Brandon Bednar hit his first home run of the season to put San Jose up 3-0.

San Jose kept the pressure on in the fifth.  With Cristian Paulino on third and Ronnie Jebavy on first, the runners initiated a double steal.  Either they guessed right or they spooked the catcher as the pitch was coming in, but Bakersfield catcher Tyler Marlette couldn’t catch the pitch, allowing a double steal and Jebavy to go to third.  Jebavy would later come in on a Hinojosa double.

Augusta lost to Greenville (Red Sox), 9-4

Tough game for Logan Webb today.  The 19-year old had his second straight rough start, giving up a season high in hits and runs.  The six runs put Augusta far too deep into a hole for the offense to dig out of, though the rest of the bullpen did not help.  Conor Kaden gave up two runs in three innings, and Matthew Pope walked four (without benefit of a hit), giving up an unearned run thanks to an error at third by Manuel Geraldo.

The offense was powered by South Atlantic League Player of the Week Matt Winn, whose three-run home run in the fourth powered the only GreenJackets scoring opportunity.  Winn’s rally killer came after Jalen Miller had scored the GreenJackets’ first run, walking and then scoring after singles by the two Dillon/Dylans.  The next two GreenJackets struck out.

Speaking of the two Dillon/Dylans, they each also had two-hits to continue to be the heart of an effective GreenJackets order.  Lucius Fox added his own hit and a single, and collecting his eighth steal of the year.

I’d tell you who is pitching Friday, but they’ve already pitched.  See you Sunday!