SF Giants Minor Lines 5/27/18: Sandro Fabian goes deep again

Crashing into Memorial Day like:

Hello! Happy Memorial Day! Perhaps I can save you some time if you’re needing an early start to go hiking or some such: everybody lost, very few people had good days. Off you go!

HIGHLIGHTS: Dylan Davis doubled and homered among three hits; Sandro Fabian homered for third time in four games; Jalen Miller collected two hits and a walk;

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Sacramento lost to Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies), 11-2

I saw beat writer Kerry Crowley get this tirade during last night’s game:

and his reasonable response:

Here’s one way to visualize what Kerry is talking about:

The Sacramento rotation — non-DRod division — has been brutal this year. And the guys who haven’t been brutal at the Sacramento level are showing some of the limitations of their stuff at the highest level this year. The lack of organizational depth is indeed shocking. Will we really be seeing Shaun Anderson ain the SF rotation this year? It’s hard to argue against the point right now. As for Rodriguez, he’s on his way now:

Congrats to the man with the flow!

Sacramento managed to score just 2 runs yesterday, despite having six extra base hits. That seems hard! Hunter Pence keeps on hitting, picking up two more knocks including his fourth double of the year. Austin Slater hit his 18th double of the year — 2nd best in the PCL — with his only hit. Slater’s average has dropped 40 points in 5 days, though that’s mostly a result of how high it was at the start of that run. He’s still OPSing 1.055.

The best of the hits came from Steven Duggar, who tripled and came in to score the team’s first win. Duggar is spinning his wheels a bit in Sacramento this year, hitting .255/.335/.359 so far with a 29% K rate. But he still brings the excitement to Raley Field:

Surprisingly, that was Duggar’s first triple of the year.

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Richmond lost at Akron Rubber Ducks (Indians), 8-3

Richmond sent starter Taylor Hill to mound yesterday. Who’s Taylor Hill, you may be asking? Excellent question, fictional reader! A 2011 draft pick of the Washington Nationals, for whom he had a cup of coffee back in 2014. Hill elected free agency back in November and at some point recently was apparently signed by the Giants.

Now for the big question: Why is Taylor Hill? In part, this goes back to the question above: there’s not a tremendous amount of organizational pitching depth right now. However, a longer explanation would be that a series of upcoming double headers (from all the rainouts) combined with some starters who aren’t going deep in the game. In some cases that’s by design (Chase Johnson as he recovers from TJ); and in some cases not (giving Garrett Williams a little side eye here). Hill was the fourth different new player to join Richmond on this current road trip as they’re picking up bodies from everywhere.

Hill was looking at a pretty nice system debut until he ran into the fateful 5th inning which turned into a 6-run bonanza for the Ducks. Hill allowed two different HRs in the inning, including one to a rehabbing Lonnie Chisenhall. He wasn’t helped by his defense, which made two errors within the first five batters of the inning. Hill also allowed a homer to Akron Catcher Sicnarf Loopstok, which I mention just so I can write Sicnarf Loopstok.

Dylan Davis had his second consecutive three-hit game. And those six hits have had some thunder to them, with three doubles and his 6th HR of the year, a titanic blast over the trees at Canal Park.

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San Jose lost at Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres), 5-3
Getting swept in their series, 0-3

Rodolfo Martinez allowed a two-out, two-run single in the 8th inning to break a 3-3 tie and end a bitter 3-6 road trip with a sweep at the hands of the Storm. Lake Elsinore OF Buddy Reed tormented Giants’ pitchers this weekend, with 7 hits and 5 RBIs in the series, including home runs in all three games. Reed touched up Raffi Vizcaino for a two run blast in this game. Vizcaino had trouble throwing strikes (reaching 85 pitches in just 4 IP) but aside from the HR he mostly limited the damage, keeping the Giants in the game.

Sandro Fabian ended a terrific road trip with two more hits, including his 6th HR, which came off Padres #5 prospect Adrian Morejon. Fabian has homered in three of the past four games, and hit four HRs on the road trip. He has hits in 12 of his last 15 games, raising his OPS from .600 to .711 in that time. The aggressive swinger does have 17 Ks in that time though.

The Giants also got two-hit games from Jacob Heyward, Jalen Miller, and Dylan Manwaring. Little Kirt had just been assigned to SJ out of XST, and had a pretty great 2018 debut. He doubled in each of his first two at bats and throwing out a runner on a SB attempt.

For Miller it was his 8th multi-hit game of the month. He picked up his 13th double of the year (also off Morejon), and his 13th walk, and scored two of the Giants three runs. The 21 year old 2b’s line is up to .302/.354/.455. He’s looking like an All Star.

The Giants return to the Muni for Memorial Day festivities. If they’re going to make a first half move, the time is now.

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Augusta lost to Rome Braves, 3-0

Augusta’s offense was missing in action for game 3 of their set against the Braves. They totaled just 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 14 times in taking the shutout. Jacob Gonzalez and John Riley completed the shutout in the 9th by each going down swinging for the third time on the night.

Offense wasn’t in huge supply on either side. Rome posted two of their three runs on solo HRs, including CF Drew Waters’ 2nd of the series. Waters, a 3rd round pick last year is the Braves #17 prospect and apparently, object of a friend’s affection:

Heliot Ramos broke his modest six-game hitting streak by going 0 for 4 with one K.

The Greenjackets go for the big series win this afternoon.

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Today’s Scheduled Starters:
Sacramento: TBD vs. David Holmberg
Richmond: Cory Taylor vs. Jake Paulson
San Jose: Melvin Adon vs. TBD
Augusta: Jose Marte vs. Odalvi Javier

Rodriguez was scheduled to pitch today’s Sacramento game but he’s on his way to Coors. The firepower for the day comes at the A ball level with strong armed RHP Adon and Marte leading the way. Adon is coming off his finest outing of the year, when he mixed all three of his pitches effectively and stayed in the zone. That’s the Melvin we want to see more of.

Have a great Memorial Day everybody!