Fresno Grizzlies (AAA): Sacramento 5, Fresno 1

Top Lines:
LF Eugenio Velez - 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR (5), 1 RBI, 1 SO, .307
SP Brad Hennessey - 6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 2 HR, 5.34 ERA, L (5-5)
RP Scott Munter - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 SO, 4.82 ERA
RP Billy Sadler - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1 WP, 1.00 ERA

Game Notes: The Grizzlies narrowly avoided being no-hit, but boy, what a way to avoid it.  Velez's home run came with two out in the 6th inning, ending the no-hit bid by Sacramento's Gio Gonzalez.  Gonzalez also allowed two walks while striking out 13.

Hennessey had another rough outing, giving up a five run for the fourth time in six outings.  The seven strikeouts were his season high in Fresno, though.  The bullpen had some problems with control, though.  Munter gave up three walks in one inning of work in the seventh, but without allowing a hit, no runs came of it.  Similarly, Sadler gave up no hits but four walks in two innings of work.  For Munter, he has allowed all four of his walks in his last two outings. He has four in 9 1/3 innings now.  Sadler made his first appearance back in Fresno, and it appears the control problems continue to plague him.

Connecticut Defenders (AA): New Britain 5, Connecticut 3

Top Lines:
LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve - 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR (4), 1 RBI, .312
DH Pablo Sandoval - 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR (1), 1 RBI, 1 SO, .250
C Adam Witter - 2-4, 1 2B (9), 2 SO, .217
1B Simon Klink - 1-4, 1 2B (12), 1 RBI, 1 SO, .213
SP Adam Cowart - 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR, 4.27 ERA
RP Jason Waddell - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR, 3.67 ERA, L (0-2)

Game Notes: Adam Cowart's magic appears to have worn off a bit.  Over his last ten games, he has received a 5.80 ERA.  However, his control remains impressive, with just 17 walks in 97 innings this season.  He has allowed just three runs in three of his last five starts, though.  Waddell got the loss after the Defenders rallied to tie the game in the eighth, but lost the lead in the next half inning.

With Ishikawa gone, it may be Martinez-Esteve's turn to earn a long-overdue promotion.  With his first home run since June 17th, he's now batting .457 over his last ten games.  In that time, he has walked three times and struck out once.  Witter hit his 9th double of the year, and he has one less double than he has home runs.  Sandoval hit his first home run in the Eastern League.  He had 12 in San Jose.

San Jose Giants (High-A): San Jose 7, Rancho Cucamonga 5

Top Lines:
LF Bobby Felmy - 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB (9), .303
DH Andy D'Alessio - 2-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 SO, .292
3B Brad Boyer - 2-3, 1 3B (2), 2 RBI, 1 BB, .376
1B Brett Pill - 1-3, 2 R, 1 2B (18), 1 BB, 1 SO, .234
SP Tim Alderson - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, 2 HR, 3.35 ERA, W (8-3)
RP Taylor Wilding - 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.38 ERA, H (2)
RP Dan Otero - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1.50 ERA

Game Notes: The Giants continued their winning ways, thanks to a big third inning.  The Giants got it started with a hit-by-pitch with two outs.  After a single, and then a walk resulting in a wild pitch scored the Giants first run of the inning.  D'Alessio singled home two runs, and a Boyer triple led to two more, giving the Giants a 6-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Alderson has not been as dominating as he had been early in the season, allowing four runs or more for the second time in three starts, but he got the win nonetheless.  He has 79 strikeouts and 29 walks in 91 1/3 innings.    Otero picked up his third consecutive save.  D'Alessio has been hitting just 4 for 28 over his last seven games, including this one.  Felmy continued his hitting streak, raising average just a little more.  Boyer is now 6 for 11 in his last three games.

Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A): Augusta 5, Charleston 2

Top Lines:
2B Nick Noonan - 3-4, 2 R, 1 SB (17), .307
LF Garrett Baker - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B (10), 2 RBI, .259
DH Thomas Neal - 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B (14), 2 RBI, 2 SO, .264
C Elio Sarmiento - 1-4, 1 2B (2), 2 SO, .125
SP Madison Bumgarner - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1.77 ERA
RP Wilmin Rodriguez - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.16 ERA, W (1-0)
RP David Mixon - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA

Game Notes: Noonan continues his hot performance, now 10 for 26 over his last seven games.  His 17th stolen base is out of 20 attempts on the season.  Baker's 10th double is just his third since the end of May.  Neal hit his 14th double of the season, raising his slugging percentage to .415 on the year.

Bumgarner had another very fine start, though not as dominating as some of his recent ones.  On the year, he's allowed just 67 hits in 81 1/3 innings.  This game was the first time since May 18th he allowed more hits than innings.  Rodriguez now has four scoreless outings in his five in Augusta.  Mixon also have five outings in Augusta, but all of his are scoreless.

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Short-A): Tri-City 3, Salem-Keizer 1

Top Lines:
2B Ryan Lormand - 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B (3), 1 SO, .279
SS Vladimir Frias - 1-3, 1 2B (1), .167
LF Casey Bond - 2-4, 1 2B (7), 1 SO, 1 PO, .296
SP Ari Ronick - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR, 1.32 ERA
RP Eric Stolp - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.91 ERA
RP Dan Runzler - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR, 5.40 ERA, L (0-1)

Game Notes: Lormand's three hit game was his first of the season, raising his average slightly, but posting just his second multi-hit game in the last eight.  Bond remains impressive, and his seven doubles is tied for second in the league.  Frias hit his first extra-base hit in the Northwest League, in seven games played there.  He also got a triple in five games in the Arizona League.

Ronick had his longest outing, by far, in the Northwest League.  Ronick has 14 strikeouts and five walks in 13 2/3 innings now, but still has no decisions.  Stolp had his second straight scoreless outing after giving up four runs in his first three outings (2 1/3).  Stolp doubled his strikeout total on the season with this game.

AZL Giants (Rookie): Giants 6, Brewers 1

Top Lines:
RF Ryan Mantle - 3-4, 1 R, 3 2B (5), 3 RBI, .258
C Jesus Navarro - 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B (3), 2 SO, .500
DH Rob Flanigan - 1-2, 2 R, 1 3B (1), 1 BB, 1 SO, .320
1B Carlos Quintana - 2-3, 1 2B (1), 1 RBI, .273
SP Jose Casilla - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO, 0.56 ERA
RP Raul Burgos - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 5.40 ERA

Game Notes: Casilla continues his excellent start to the season.  Casilla has allowed just one earned run on the season.  He's struck out 16, walked none, and allowed just ten hits in 16 innings.  He has picked up a win in each of three starts hes made.  Burgo, meanwhile, made his fourth appearance, but his first scoreless outing.

Mantle's eighth game was his best of the season, with the three doubles.  He has five on the season and a triple to go with it.  Navarro made just his fourth start of the season, but he bumped his average back up to .500, and has three doubles of seven hits on the season.  Quintana has three hits in his last two games, after going hitless in his first two.  Quintana hit .276/.387/.402 in the DSL last season.