Fresno Grizzlies (AAA): Omaha 13, Fresno 7
Top Lines:
1B Scott McClain - 1-5, 2 R, 1 HR (4), 4 RBI, 1 SO, .255
RF Nate Schierholtz - 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .297
CF Clay Timpner - 1-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 E (1), .270
2B Travis Denker - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B (1), 2 BB, 1 E (1), .167
C Dayton Buller - 2-4, 1 2B (2), 1 SO, .375
SP Victor Santos - 3.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR, 4.70 ERA
RP Geno Espineli - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 1.02 ERA
RP Erick Threets - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1 HR, 4.50 ERA, L (1-1)
RP Bartolo Fortunato - 0.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 1 HR, 7.56 ERA
Game Notes: Hard to believe a starter can give up seven runs in three innings and not been on the hook for the loss. But that's how it was for the Grizzlies, who managed seven runs in the first two innings (powered by a 3-run homer by McClain) to become what would eventually be a tie. But Fortunato gave up a leadoff homer in the 7th, followed by four singles and a double to give up five runs while getting just one out to fall behind too far in this one.
McClain hit his first home run since April 19th. Timpner's average slipped a little more with this one, and now hasn't even attempted a stolen base in seven games. Denker's first (and so far only) Triple-A hit was a double. Santos has given up just three earned runs or less in every game except one, but four outings of five inning or less that has kept his ERA high. Espineli has been a stablizing force in the Grizzlies Dugout, and has not allowed a run since April 14th. The walk he allowed today was also his first allowed since that day.
Connecticut Defenders (AA): Connecticut 19, Binghamton 5
Top Lines:
RF Ben Copeland - 4-6, 4 R, 2 2B (4), 1 HR (1), 3 RBI, .234
2B Brad Boyer - 3-6, 2 R, 1 2B (1), 1 RBI, .400
3B David Maroul - 3-6, 2 R, 1 2B (8), 1 HR (2), 5 RBI, 2 SO, .212
1B Travis Ishikawa - 3-5, 3 R, 1 2B (5), 1 HR (2), 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .219
LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve - 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B (2), 2 RBI, 1 BB, .269
LF Olmo Rosario - 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR (2), 4 RBI, .284
SP Dave McKae - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2 HR, 4.45 ERA, W (2-1)
RP Kelvin Pichardo - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 3.14 ERA, H (3)
RP Ronnie Ray - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO, 1 WP, 1 HBP, 6.75 ERA
Game Notes: No, that's not a typo. In one night, the Defenders (now 2nd-last in the EL in runs scored) plated 11% of the total runs scored all season by the highest scoring team in the league. So much for those one-run decisions. (All runs were earned, by the way.) The power was especially given by two grand slams, one by Maroul in the eight, and the other in the ninth by Rosario is his first and only at-bat in the game. Every batter got on base at least once, with just Richardson and starting pitcher McKae not getting hits (both got walks).
Ben Copeland, who got off to a slow start in Augusta in 2006, is coming alive. He's 8 for 13 in his last three games with three doubles, a triple and a home run. He's 11 for 28 if you extend that to his last seven games. Martinez-Esteve has been hitting a lot of singles, so his two doubles today gave him just three extra-base hits this year (the other was a home run). Ishikawa is now batting 9 for 34 in his last nine games. Boyer is 4 for 10 in his callup from San Jose. Maroul has just two walks and 34 strikeouts in his 80 at-bats this season, and his five RBI gives him just eight total on the year. McKae has given up just one walk in his last 15 1/3 innings pitched, but he's also given up 20 hits in that span.
San Jose Giants (High-A): Inland Empire 4, San Jose 1
Top Lines:
RF Mike Mooney - 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .533
DH Andy D'Alessio - 1-4, 1 R, 1 SO, .340
1B Pablo Sandoval - 1-3, 1 BB, 1 SO, .439
SP Jesse English - 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 WP, 3.16 ERA, L (3-2)
RP Juan Trinidad - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 SO, 3.38 ERA
Game Notes: San Jose's offense floundered a little in this game. The team managed seven hits and two walks in this one, but all the hits were singles. The only score they got was in the fourth. Sandoval and D'Alessio hit lead-off singles, but Bobby Felmy grounded into a double play that got Sandoval at third before getting Felmy at first. Mooney salvaged the inning with a single to score D'Alessio.
Mooney appears just fine after the long injury layoff. He's now 5 for 8 in the two games since returning. D'Alessio scored his 15th run of the season, and has 16 RBI. By comparison, Sandoval has 27 runs scored and 30 RBI. English gave up more than one earned run for just the second time this season. The 4 2/3 innings was his shortest start since his first start of the year. Trinidad had given up runs in two of his past three outings, but had not walked anyone since April 7th before his three walks today.
Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A): Augusta 2, Rome 1
Top Lines:
DH Angel Villalona - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B (7), 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 HBP, .207
1B Thomas Neal - 1-4, 1 2B (6), 1 RBI, .338
2B Brock Bond - 1-3, 1 SO, 1 E (3), 1 HBP, .390
C Jackson Williams - 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 SF, .143
SP Orlando Yntema - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 4.32 ERA
RP Daryl Maday - 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1.13 ERA, W (2-1)
Game Notes: After a couple of games where the offense took over, the GreenJackets let the pitching do it. But they almost didn't even do that. Yntema bounced back from a rough start last time out where he gave up four earned runs, most early, to give up just the one run and walk nobody. But Agusta was behind until the seventh, when Neal's RBI double tied the game. In the 8th, Villalona was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a wild pitch. Williams got the rest of the job done with a sacrifice fly that would win the game.
For Villalona, his double was his first after getting them in back-to-back games on April 27-28. Since then, he had been 0 for 12 with five strikeouts. Neal has as many doubles as he does home runs early in this season. Bond's hit streak continues, though it was his second straight game with just the one hit. Maday has been one of the bright spots in Augusta's bullpen, and has not allowed an earned run since April 12th.
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