SF Giants Minor Lines 6/16/17: Did Ryder Jones homer? Ayup!

Ryder Jones is hoping that what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. The young slugger has had quite a series in Sin City, as he’s homered now in three straight games. In all Jones went 5 for 15 with three HRs, a double, two walks and two Ks. Not too shabby Mr. Jones.

Now I have to say, off the bat, this is the least home run looking ball I think I’ve ever seen, which tells us something about either the air in Vegas or Ryder’s hand strength or both. I’m not really sure, but it’s impressive to watch.

HIGHLIGHTS: Orlando Calixte collected four hits including double and two triples; CJ Hinojosa had four hits; Raffi Vizcaino had 6 more Ks in 5.1 IP; Malique Ziegler was a homer short of a cycle.

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Sacramento won at Las Vegas 51s (Mets), 6-4
splitting their four game series, 2-2

Along with Ryder, it was a huge game from 2b-SS Orlando Calixte that propelled the RiverCats to a late inning comeback. Calixte picked up four hits, falling just a homer shy of the cycle, and was the ignition for every Sacramento scoring rally in the game. Calixte singled to open the game and came around to score on Ryder Jones’ double. The next time up Calixte doubled. And then in the 8th he came to the plate with the RiverCats trailing 4-1 and Juan Ciriaco on 1st.

Check it out, we finally found something the Las Vegas video setup is good for: watching Calixte run!

Within the space of four pitches, Calixte’s triple, a Conor Gillaspie RBI single, and Jones’ two run blast gave Sacramento a stunning comeback lead. In the 9th, needing a homer for the cycle (as well as to regain a tie for the team lead in HRs with Jones) Calixte clubbed his second triple in as many innings to the wall in CF, and came in to score the team’s final run. Both of Calixte’s triples, by the way, were standing up.

Of course, the comeback was possible thanks to five innings of sterling relief from DJ Snelten, Kyle Crick, and Steven Okert. Crick ended up with the win after throwing two shutout innings with 4 Ks. Crick now has 39 Ks to just 13 walks (one intentional) this year in 29.1 IP. He also has been successful at keeping the ball in the park with just 1 HR. Looks like he’s found himself a home in the pen.

Prior to this game, Sacramento was 3-30 in games in which they trailed after 7 innings and on the road they were 1-19.

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Richmond lost at Harrisburg Senators (Nationals), 9-6

Looks like I had the curse working hard against Jordan Johnson yesterday. As soon as I said he was probably the best pitching prospect left in Richmond he goes out and throws up a serious stinker. Johnson reverted to his Cal league homer prone ways, giving up 3 longballs in less than 6 innings of work. He also walked four as he struggled with his fastball command (the threw 55 strikes in his 93 pitches) and allowed 8 runs, by far his worst AA outing. Johnson’s ERA jumped by nearly a run with this game.

The Squirrels were never really in this game, but they did have one of their better offensive nights as well, picking up 13 hits and 6 runs. Slade Heathcott hit his team leading 11th HR among three hits and a walk. Heathcott is 11th in the EL in both OPS and HRs.

And CJ Hinojosa had a huge game with four hits, including a double. That was just his 4th XBH of the year (all doubles), however, Hinojosa is doing a great job controlling the strike zone with 13 BBs and 13 Ks in 134 PA. With the four hit night Hinojosa boosted his line to .235/.308/.269. Not such a pretty SLG there for the 22 year old SS.

That’s five straight losses for the Squirrels, and with the loss to Harrisburg (who came into the game the only team with a worse record than the Squirrels), Richmond dropped back into last place at 27-39. If you’re wondering how that tally is at this point, currently:
Sacramento has the second worst record in the 16-team PC
Richmond has the worst record in the 12-team EL
San Jose is tied for the worst record in the 8-team Cal
Augusta has the worst record in the 14-team Sally

Yeesh. You can explain it away all you want but that’s not a good sign. There’s a talent gap here.

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San Jose lost to Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks), 4-3

On a gorgeous night for baseball, San Jose once again fell flat in front of the home crowd. Nearly all the offense for San Jose came from Daniel Carbonell, who had three of the team’s 7 hits, their only XBH, scored two of their three runs and knocked in the third. But it wasn’t enough as the Giants kept adding to two ugly looking stat lines for the year:

Jake McCasland went a career high 7.2 IP and Carlos Diaz finished up with another fine relief outing. The bullpen has been a real strength for this staff (and with the performance of the rotation a strong bullpen has been an absolute necessity).

The Giants finish up the first half tomorrow and then head into the All Star break to try to regroup for the second half.

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Augusta beat the Asheville Tourists (Rockies), 6-3

For awhile it looked like Raffi Vizcaino’s second start was going to be as sparkling as his first. Through four innings, Vizcaino allowed just two hits and one unearned run, while striking out 5. He was particularly scintillating in the 2nd, striking out the side on just 11 pitches.

He finally faltered slightly in the 5th, giving up singles to the first two batters he faced in what was ultimately a two-run inning. Still, the final line was strong and now over two starts Raffi has allowed just 2 ER over 11.2 IP with 15 Ks against just 2 BBs. Raffi started the year late, but he’s catching up quickly!

Jean Angomas had two triples (it was quite a night for triples in the system last night) and SS Michael Bernal had three hits and two RBI to spur the offense in support of Vizcaino.

Like San Jose, Augusta finished up the first half tomorrow then heads into the All Star Break.

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Salem-Keizer beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Padres), 8-6

The Volcanoes got a big night from lead off hitter Malique Ziegler to help spur an 8-6 comeback victory. The speedy 20-year old CF from North Iowa Area CC, welcomed super prospect Adrian Morejon to pro ball by hitting a leadoff HR (the first batter Morejon had ever faced in a pro game) and would end up a triple short of a cycle on the night. Ziegler also singled, doubled, walked and stole his first base of the year. Just about as good a game out of the top of the order as one could have.

Ziegler’s big night was part of a 13 hit attack that helped the Volcanoes come back from a 4-1 early deficit, that was mostly caused by Jose Marte’s disastrous American debut. In the first domestic start of his career, Marte faced six batters and walked five of them, leading to a 3-run 1st inning. Well, Jose, it can only go up from here. Get ‘em tomorrow.

But the Volcanoes’ offense was relentless on the night. They had six XBH (evenly distributed with two doubles, two triples, and two homers), four walks, and four SB in attacking the Tri-City staff all night. A four-run 6th inning, punctuated by Byron Murray’s (back in there at 3b) two-run HR put the Volcanoes on top and hard throwing Cesar Yanez (who spent some time in Augusta earlier this year) made it hold up, striking out 4 in two hitless, shutout innings to pick up the save.

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DSL Giants beat DSL Mariners, 7-5

Alexander Canario is staking an early claim for small signing kid to keep an eye on for the roster (taking Ismael Munguia’s spot from last year). Canario followed up his three hit/two doubles day on Thursday, by blasting his (team leading!) second HR of the year yesterday, a 3-run job that spurred the team to victory. In his first couple weeks of pro ball the 17 year old is hitting .279/.404/.488 with a solid 9BB/8K ratio. He leads the team in both walks and XBH.

On the other hand, Prized SS Ghordy Santos has had a rough start to his career, starting out just 3 for 33. If there’s a silver lining to that, all three of his hits have gone for extra bases. He knocked his first career HR yesterday, a 9th inning PH job.

21 year old Aneudy Acosta, a holdover from last year’s rotation, picked up 8 Ks in 4.2 IP.

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Today’s Scheduled Starters:
Sacramento: TBD vs. Harrison Musgrave
Richmond: TBD vs. John Simms
San Jose: Conner Menez vs. Justin Donatella
Augusta: Caleb Baragar vs. Antonio Santos
SK: Sidney Duprey vs. Will Stillman
DSL:

Ok, today’s TBD has to be Andrew Suarez, doesn’t it? And Dan Slania in Richmond? Neither’s pitched in a week. San Jose gets Donatella today and Michaelangelo tomorrow. Sidney Duprey, the lefty Puerto Rican taken in the 35th round last year out of Kaskaskia CC (Giants have really been hitting the small schools the last couple of years) will make just his 2nd pro start.

Pretty entertaining Friday night with triples for everybody! Let’s go ahead and celebrate with some Friday night fireworks (borrowed from Kane County today):