SF Giants Minor Lines 8/6/18: A Slumping System

I hope you aren’t here looking for offense. The Volcanoes are in the All-Star Break, the east coast teams had days off, and there were a bunch of home runs…given up by San Jose’s pitching.

At least there were some smiles...

Highlights: Peter Bourjos got three hits, and that’s all I’ve got.

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Sacramento was defeated by Nashville (Athletics), 6-0

Sacramento got shut out, but it wasn’t due to a lack of hits. The River Cats had as many hits as their opponents, but the difference was that there were no extra-base hits and the River Cats did commit a costly error. Peter Bourjos was 3-for-4, leading the River Cats in hits, while Chris Shaw was 2-for-3, but those are two players in different situations. Bourjos is just 5-for-28 over his last nine games, with two walks against six strikeouts. Shaw, meanwhile, has a 7-game hitting streak with a triple and home run.

On the mound, Shaun Anderson had a rough start for his fourth in Triple-A. He held Nashville to just one walks (he’d walked three in each of his previous three starts), but he’s still giving up hits and runs. It really all fell apart in the seventh inning. After giving up a double, and a fielding error by Orlando Calixte behind him, Anderson gave up a wild pitch and a single before getting removed with nobody out. Tyler Rogers came on and balked in a run, and gave up two singles around a fielder’s choice, letting in two runs, one credited to each pitcher.

There is one bit of interesting news:

Aramis Garcia has had a rough go of it this year, although he improved over June and to a lesser degree in August. The 25-year old catcher has been beset by concussions and other injuries, and has not yet been able to capitalize on his 2nd round draft pedigree. It looks like the Giants are giving him a chance to prove himself in a higher level. (Ian Gardeck getting move to San Jose is a nice story as well, but we’ll have time for that another time.)

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Richmond had a scheduled day off

Richmond gets an off day to travel home from Portland. They went 3-for-3 on their roadtrip, which is mostly better than most of their season. They sit at 53-58, 12 games back of first place and seven games back from a potential playoff spot. In the meantime, they will be playing Binghamton starting on Wednesday.

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San Jose was defeated by Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers), 5-3

The game start off so well for the Giants. Despite giving up a home run in the top of the first, Wander Franco hit a 2-out, 2-run double, and then scored on Dillon Dobson’s RBI single to give him a 3-1 run. And then, that would be it for the offense. At least, San Jose’s offense.

San Jose’s pitching gave up five home runs, including two by starter Carlos Sano, two by reliever Peter Lannoo, and one by rehabbing Hunter Strickland. Sano did reach his season high in strikeouts, with seven, but with two home runs in three hits allowed, it wasn’t a perfect start. Strickland was in his second rehab appearance. He only went two thirds of an inning and gave up his first run (on the home run) and walk of rehab.

Wander Franco (no, the other one) had a 1-for-4 day that featured his 33rd double, which leads the team. Franco has a 9-game hitting streak going, during which he’s 14-for-36 (.389).

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Augusta had a scheduled day off

Augusta’s coming home from West Virginia, to face Hagerstown and Greenville. Augusta is 17-25, and tied for last place in the second half, so I wouldn’t go printing any SRP Park playoff tickets.

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Salem-Keizer is on the NWL All-Star Break

The game will take place tomorrow night in Grand Junction, Colorado. Joey Bart, Diego Rincones, Gregory Santos and Jesus Tona will all be there representing the Northwest League against the Pioneer League.

Salem-Keizer sits in first in the South Division for the second half, at 8-5, but just one game ahead of second place and only four games ahead of last place. But they’re the only team in the Giants system even close to a playoff spot, so they’ve got that.

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AZL Black was defeated by the Cubs 2, 3-1

Just like the rest of the system, it was a quiet day offensively for the Black squad, as the team combined for 14 strikeouts against just two walks. Four of the team’s hits came off the bats of just two hitters, all singles. Alexander Canario had his second consecutive 2-hit game, slowly inching his batting average back up above .280. The other was Zander Clarke, in only his ninth game, who has a 6-game hitting streak going.

Jordan Scott made his second start, bouncing back from giving up five earned runs in 2.2 innings over his last start to have his longest appearance of the season with a scoreless four. He has 13 strikeouts and 8 walks in 14 innings pitched this season.

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AZL Orange was defeated by the Cubs 1, 4-2

Does this count as a sweep by the Cubs?

The Orange squad at least scored some runs, although they struck out 13 times against five walks, but only got three hits. Two of them came in the ninth inning, but a pair of errors and a passed ball helped the Giants get those two runs in that inning. One of the hits belonged to Andres Angulo, who has hits in eight of his last nine games, keeping his batting average above .300.

On the mound, 9th round pick Ben Madison continued to bounce back, with two scoreless innings. His first three starts, he gave up six runs in five innings, and eight walks. In the five innings since (across three starts), he’s given up no runs or walks, and just the three hits he gave up today. Closing the game was Yoel Veras, with two innings collecting five strikeouts, but also giving up two hits and an unearned run.

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The DSL Giants were postponed by rain

The team was supposed to play the Tigers2 squad at the Tigers’ field. They’ll attempt a doubleheader tomorrow at the Felipe Alou Baseball Academy.

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Today’s Scheduled Starters

Sacramento: Tyler Herb vs. James Naile

Richmond: Mike Connolly vs. Matt Gage

San Jose: TBD vs. TBD

Augusta: TBD vs. TBD

Salem-Keizer: All-Star Break

Don’t be confused1 by what you see in Richmond. Matt Gage, who started the season with Richmond, and got promoted to Sacramento, and then got released, is back! He’s back…with the Mets. Gage was signed over the weekend by the Mets and is joining Binghamtom, making his first start with them against his old team. Gage had a 3.18 ERA in four starts with Richmond before having a 6.45 ERA in 11 appearances in Sacramento.