SF Minor Lines 5/16/18: Raffi Vizcaino strikes out 8

We are down to a paltry few lines today! With Sacramento and Augusta both getting in travel days, and Richmond getting rained out, it’s just one game today.

Perhaps today’s the day for a little off day, feel good story?

Or maybe you’d like to read about Hunter Pence’s new swing?

But I can’t hold you off forever — you want you some lines, I know it.

HIGHLIGHTS: Raffi Vizcaino allowed three hits, struck out 8 in 5 IP.

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San Jose beat Modesto Nuts (Mariners), 3-2

Raffi Vizcaino posted his second consecutive strong start to help push San Jose to a 3-2 victory. Vizcaino has now allowed just 1 total run in his last two games over 11 IP. He’s given up just five hits in that time while striking out 17. The right hander is now 8th in the Cal League in strikeouts.

Peter Lannoo, who was spotted as a sleeper arm in the Augusta bullpen earlier joined San Jose before the game and added his first Cal league inning (Lannoo’s now appeared in games at three levels this year). Despite Vizcaino’s brilliance, the single run Lannoo allowed nearly put him in line to be the loser, as the San Jose bats had trouble getting going.

But two-out RBI hits in the 7th and 8th were enough to crawl back and take the game. Sandro Fabian’s two-out double drove in the winner.

Jacob Heyward led the team with two doubles, while Wander Franco continued a remarkable streak. Franco had two hits for the fourth consecutive game. He’s had two or more hits in 7 of his last 8 games and 8 of his last 10! Franco’s average is now up to .314, 10th best in the Cal League.

Patrick Ruotolo with his standard issue two perfect innings, striking out half the batters he faced. He’s K’d 24 of the 67 hitters he faced on the year for a nifty 36% K rate, just a hair under his Sally league rate of 37.%

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These slow days will be few and far between in the near future as we’re beginning to near the open of short season ball. As always, the first of the new teams to open their year will be the DSL Giants, who start the year on Saturday June 2 (leading to my annual question of why they open the DSL season on a Saturday, when the league is always dark on Sundays?).

To get you prepped up for the start of the foreign rookie league, you should probably review this Ben Badler piece on the Giants 2017 J2 class:

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Today’s Scheduled Starters:
Sacramento: Matt Gage vs. John Lamb
Richmond: Jordan Johnson vs. Jaron Long
San Jose: Melvin Adon vs. Randy Bell
Augusta: Aaron Phillips vs. Denyi Reyes

Back to a full slate today with Melvin Adon looking to get things going and Jordan Johnson trying to keep on his groove. So long from a quiet off day!