SF Giants Minor Lines 5/12/17: Lights Out

OMG! I get to use a Vicki Lawrence video in Minor LInes? Cross one off the ol’ bucket list!

The Greenjackets game was cruising along in the 4th inning last night suddenly it wasn’t cruising anymore, and a long strange night began:

By the way, it was the singer who shot her. Apparently there’s some confusion over that issue.

HIGHLIGHTS: Mac Williamson doubled twice

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Sacramento lost at Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers), 4-1

Well that really was remarkably easy to predict, wasn’t it? Have a 13-run inning one day, starve for runs the next. The baseball Gods must be appeased for their gifts.

Tyler Beede continued to have a PCL campaign that is, as the good folks in HR would say, a growth opportunity! Beede didn’t have any problem with his control last night as he threw 67 of 96 pitches for strikes. And as we can see here, he was often ahead of batters, but he struggled to put them away:

The result was an ugly 10 hit night and a pitch count that nearly hit 100 before getting through 5 innings. Of course, Colorado Springs is something akin to Coors Stadium south where breaking balls don’t have quite the same bite and hits can be plentiful. Such is the pain of the pitcher’s life in the western divisions of the PCL.

Following Beede, the bullpen provided 3.1 scoreless innings, included another perfect inning from Kyle Crick. Crick has been in 11 games (14.1 IP) this year and has allowed runs in only 2 of them, most notably a 4 run blow up in the game immediately following his DL stint for concussion. Kyle has a solid 16 K/ 6 BB ratio going this year from the pen.

On the bright side, Mac Williamson, who did little to contribute to yesterday’s score-athon, doubled twice in this one (baseball Gods are little minxes!). He did also strike out twice. At 26% his K rate is currently the highest of his minor league career (and his walk rate is one of the lowest), but he’s not going full-on Jarrett Parker level just yet. Still nice to see the power stroke going. Mac loves those low pitches that he can get out and extend on:

So, at this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself: call ‘em all up! Hey you’re not the only one, Sports 1140 KHTK has you covered:

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Richmond’s game in Bowie was rained out
They’ll play a makeup double header tonight.

Radio PxP man Jay Burnham is thrilled:

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San Jose lost to Inland Empire 66ers (Angels), 5-4

Well the strong starting pitching section of SJ’s week didn’t last long. Fresh off his career outing (10 Ks!) Heath Slatton took the mound and went back to the lackluster starts that have defined his life in the SJ rotation this year, once again putting the team in an early hole (down 4-1 after the top of the 2nd). Four walks led to an elevated pitch count and an early dismissal for Slatton, who now posts an ERA of 11.57 which, you or may not be surprised to learn, is the next to worst in the California League (behind rotation mate Matt Krook). Or it would be if he had enough innings to qualify, but despite having now 6 games started, Slatton has only thrown 18 innings this year. Yikes. (and actually Krook’s in the same camp, he also doesn’t qualify because he’s thrown just 13 innings in 5 starts: baptism by fire).

Caleb Simpson did finish the game up with some fantastic relief, striking out 3 more in 2.1 IP and encouragingly walking only 1. Simpson is apparently the new version of Ray Black (without quite having the same fastball), coming off four straight injury plagued and missed seasons, he’s posting a 40% K rate in the Cal league with 29 Ks in just 14.1 IP.

Bryan Reynolds season is, thus far, something of a concern. For a guy with his résumé (CWS championship, Team USA, long track record of hitting), his struggles with the Cal League come as a real surprise. The .252/.321/.336 slash line is really lower than expected all across the board. He’s more or less repeating his K rate from the NWL (24%) and he’s upped his walk rate a bit (8.4%) but the Iso has dropped off the table (currently .084 after a .188 in Salem-Keizer last summer) and he’s just not hitting much in this hitting friendly league. It’s still quite early, of course, but it would be very nice to see Bryan start to pick it up.

The Giants got two hits each last night from Aramis Garcia, Gio Brusa (who needs hits in the worst way, as he’s still sub-Mendoza line) and the recently hot Daniel Carbonell. But the best swing of the bat on the night came from Jalen Miller. Watching how quick he gets his hands to this inside fastball is what always encourages me that there’s a real player here, even if it’s going to take awhile for the package to come together. Keep working it, Jalen!

And no, I have no idea what was up with those jerseys.

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Augusta game vs. Kannapolis was cancelled

So here’s the story. I spent my Friday night singing and dancing in my community theatre’s production of Evita (full house, standing O, rave reviews, it was awesome! thanks for asking). But as your humble ML correspondent I was, of course, keeping an eye on the Greenjackets game as I’d come off stage now and then.

And so I can tell you that Melvin Adon was showing up as Good Melvin again last night, after falling off the horse a bit in his last outing. Unfortunately, because the game stats were wiped as clean as Nazis opening the Ark of the Covenant, I can’t give you any final figures.

But if I’m recalling correctly, after 3 or in the 4th, Adon had allowed 1 unearned run on I think 3 hits, while striking out 6 and walking 1. It won’t ever show up in his career stat sheet, but it was looking for all the world like yet another strong step in what’s been on the whole a very nice 2017 for the big right hander.

Oh and there was this, too

However, because this was the final game of home and home series between these two Sally league teams that live so far from each other, and because Sally league regulations restrict long trips (which is why Augusta never ever comes to Hagerstown anymore, Boo!), there was no opportunity for this game to be completed the rest of the season. So, there it goes. It disappears into the vapors and Adon’s start is just a step in his development, not a line we can point to and smile.

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Today’s Scheduled Starters:
Sacramento: Joan Gregorio vs. Brandon Woodruff
Richmond: Corey Taylor vs. Tanner Scott; Matt Gage vs. Matthew Grimes
San Jose: Matt Krook vs. Austin Robichaux
Augusta: TBD vs TBD (they’re currently listing Adon, but that of course is wrong)

So there you have it, four games on the schedule and we barely played more innings than the Giants tonight! (if less successfully). Back at it tonight, folks.