Down on the Farm: 6/22/2017

AAA  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Fresno Grizzlies 9-3:

Jarrett Parker RF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .375.
Justin Ruggiano CF/RF- 2 for 3, HR(3), BB.  BA= .271.
Ryder Jones 3B- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .295.
Mac Williamson DH- 2 for 4, HR(9), BB.  BA= .255.
Chris Shaw LF- 2 for 4, SF.  BA= .263.
Jae-Gyun Hwang 1B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .290.
Andrew Suarez LHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.40.
Derek Law RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

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AA  Richmond Flying Squirrels blanked the Hartford Yard Goats 3-0:

Slade Heathcott CF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .274.
CJ Hinojosa 3B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .257.
Matt Gage LHP- 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, GO/AO= 15/4.  ERA= 2.95.

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High A  Visalia Rawhide whipped the San Jose Giants 7-5:

Ronnie Jebavy CF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .333.
Ryan Howard SS- 1 for 5, HR(6).  BA= .322.
Bryan Reynolds RF- 3 for 5, 3B.  BA= .301.
Dillon Dobson 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .224.
Gio Brusa DH- 2 for 4, HR(11).  BA= .254.
Jalen Miller 2B- 2 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .228.
Matt Krook LHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 6.43.
David Owen RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.97.

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Low A  Hickory Crawdads outlasted the Augusta Greenjackets 5-4 in 10 innings:

Sandro Fabian RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .246.
Garrett Williams LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.93.
Jose Morel RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 2.04.
Caleb Smith LHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.87.

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Short Season  Salem-Keizer Volcanoes topped the Hillsboro Hops 8-6:

Ryan Kirby 1B- 2 for 4, BB, SB(3).  BA= .379.
Manuel Geraldo SS- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .308.
Richard Amion 3B- 2 for 4, 2 SB(5).  BA= .350.
Jose Marte RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 8.10.
Heath Slatton RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 0.00
Kendry Melo RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save(1).  ERA= 0.00.

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DSL  Blue Jays edged out the Giants 3-2:

Alexander Canario RF- 3 for 4, SB(6).  BA= .298.
Aneudy Acosta RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 6.75.

-Canario(17 yo) seems to be a 5-tool talent.  He has 3 HR's and 6 SB in 17 games so far.

Game Wrap 6/22/2017: Braves 12 Giants 11

The Giants blew a lead when the Braves scored 8 runs in the 5'th inning, then mounted a comeback in the late innings only to fall short, once again.  Key Lines:

Joe Panik 2B- 2 for 4, HR(5), BB, SF.  BA= .275.  Panik's overall production is getting back to what you would project for him.  He's hitting .371 in June after a .301 in April but a .192 collapse in May.

Buster Posey 1B- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(10).  BA= .344.  Posey is having his best season since 2012.  That short porch is RF in the new Braves ballpark seems to be an inviting target for RH batters.  We saw 2 line drives carry over the short wall and the Buster hit a pop up down the line that stayed fair and easily found the seats.  Gonna be lots of dingers and runs scored in that stadium!

Austin Slater LF/CF- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .323.  Nice bounceback game after an 0 for 5 the night before.  Interesting he moved to CF when Belt entered the game in LF.

Brandon Belt LF- 1 for 2, HR(13), BB.  BA= .226.  Belt is on a pace to hit over 25 HR's which is way over his previous career high.

Matt Cain RHP- 4 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.43.  Cain pitched decently in Colorado but otherwise has allowed 17 R in 13.1 IP in his other 3 starts this month.  I think he's the answer to the question of who leaves the rotation to make room for Bumgarner.  Giants might even want to consider having another look at Chris Stratton or check out Joan Gregorio before Bum gets back.

Bryan Morris RHP- 0.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 6.43.  Morris came into the game with a 6-5 lead, runners at first and second, no outs.  He proceeded to allow 3 straight singles, a SF and a 3-run dinger.  Not sure what Bochy was thinking there, but Morris prior appearance was also a disaster.  Morris has allowed 8 ER in 2.2 IP over his last 3 Appearances.

Kyle Crick RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Cricky allowed a hit to the first batter he faced which drove in 1 of Morris' runners, but then he settled down and had success pitching to contact with a FB that averaged 94.8 MPH per Fangraphs.

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The Giants come home to face the Mets with Ty Blach facing Seth Lugo in Game 1.

Down on the Farm: 6/21/2017

AAA  Sacramento River Cats were idle.

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AA  Hartford Yard Goats defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-3:

Daniel Carbonell LF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .500.
Jeff Arnold C- 1 for 2, 2B,  2 BB.  BA= .156.
Jerry Sands 1B- 3 for 4.  BA= .306.
Cory Taylor RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 9/3.  ERA= 4.52.

-Carbonell had been playing in San Jose.  I think he's played some AA games in past seasons.  He's 26 yo.  Is there any hope for him to have a MLB career?

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High A  Cal League was on Day 3 of their All-Star Break.

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Low A  SAL was on Day 3 of their All-Star Break.

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Short Season  Salem-Keizer Volcanoes topped the Hillsboro Hops 5-3 in 13 innings:

Malique "5-Tool" Zeigler CF- 2 for 5, 3B, 2 SB(6).  BA= .370.
Juan Rodriguez RF- 3 for 6, 3B.  BA= .333.
Ryan Kirby 1B- 2 for 6, 2B.  BA= .360.
Steve Bono PH/DH- 2 for 2, SB(2).  BA= .429.
Stetson "Cowboy" Woods RHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 1.50.

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DSL Giants beat the Reds 5-4(game called after 6 innings):

Aynesber Sivira 3B- 0 for 2, BB, SB(7).  BA= .262.
Alexander Canario RF- 1 for 2, HR(3), HBP.  BA= .264.
Martin Doria 2B- 1 for 2, SB(4).  BA= .217.
Luis Moreno RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 4.66.
Jerson Severino RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, Save(1).  ERA= 6.52.

Game Wrap 6/21/2017: Braves 5 Giants 3 in 11 Innings

Hunter Pence's laser shot HR in the top of the 9'th inning tied the game and rescued a QS by Jeff Samardzija, only to have Matt Kemp hit a walk-off opposite field HR in the 11'th inning to give the Braves the win.  Key Lines:

Denard Span CF-- 3 for 5, 3B.  BA= .274.  Span continues his hot June hitting .342.  His triple in the 8'th set up a run and got the Giants close enough for Pence to tie it in the 9'th.  Did you know that by Fangraphs metrics, Denard Span is the 11'th best defensive CF in MLB this season?

Hunter Pence RF- 2 for 4, HR(5), BB.  BA= .251.  Pence his hitting .351 over his last 10 games.

Jeff Samardzija RHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 8 K, GO/AO= 9/1.  ERA= 4.74.  Shark continues to put up ace level peripherals and continues to get hurt by the longball.  He got a QS out of this one though.

Sam Dyson RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 9.43.  Since an unlucky first appearance with the Giants, Dyson has pitched 4.1 innings with 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  Giants may have found their setup man who also has closing experience.

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Matt Cain tries for a series tie tonight facing lefty Jaime Garcia who always seems to give the Giants fits.  Hmm….I guess all pitchers give the Giants fits these days?

Down on the Farm: 6/20/2017

AAA  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Albuquerque Isotopes 4-1:

Jarrett Parker RF- 0 for 1, 2 BB.  BA= .250.
Justin Ruggiano CF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .256.
Jae-Gyun Hwang 3B- 2 for 2, SF.  BA= .288.
Tim Fedorowicz C- 2 for 3.  BA= .317.
Chris Stratton RHP- 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 5.37.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(4).  ERA= 2.25.

-A Dominant Start by Stratton who now has put together 4 QS out of his last 6 Starts.  Is Stratton closer to a callup than Tyler Beede?

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AA  Richmond Flying Squirrels downed the Hartford Yard Goats 5-4:

Miguel Gomez 2B- 3 for 4, HR(8).  BA= .325.
Sam Coonrod RHP- 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.67.
Tyler Cyr RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(8).  ERA= 1.78.

-I think Miguel Gomez can hit.

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High A  Cal League held their All-Star Game:  North 5  South 3

-Bryan Reynolds and Aramis Garcia had 1 hit each in 3 AB.
-Ryan Howard went 0 for 2.
-Conner Menez allowed 2 runs in 1 IP.
Mike Connolly pitched a scoreless inning.

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Low A  SAL held their All-Star Game:  Tied 3-3.  Game called after the top of the 8'th inning for some reason.

-Kelvin Beltre went 0 for 1.
-Dominic Mazza pitched a scoreless inning with 2 K's.

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Short Season  Hillsboro Hops outlasted the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 7-6 in 12 innings:

Malique Zeigler CF- 3 for 6, HR(2), SB(4).  BA= .364.
Ryan Kirby 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .368.
Byron Murray 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .333.
Alex Bostic LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.60.
Matt Pope RHP- 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K, BS(1).  ERA= 6.75.
Logan Webb RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.50.

-Have I ever remarked at how much I like Malique Zeigler as a prospect?  5 tools!

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DSL  Giants edged out the Reds 3-2:

Andrew Carabello 3B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .333.
Luis Alvarado C- 2 for 4. BA= .368.
Francis Pena RHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 8/1.  ERA= 2.25.
Abel Adames RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(1).  ERA= 0.00.

-Carabello and Alvarado are both 17 yo.
-Pena is 21 yo but this is his first DSL season.
-Adames is 20 yo and stands 6'5".  This is his second DSL season but he pitched just 2 IP, last year.

Game Wrap 6/20/2017: Giants 6 Braves 3

Austin Slater ignited a cold Giants offense with a 3-run dinger in the 8'th inning and the Giants added on to rescue Matt Moore's Quality Start.  Key Lines:

Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 4, HR(12).  BA= .223.  Belt has been struggling at the plate, but he's on a pace to set a career high in HR's by a substantial margin.

Austin Slater LF- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .340.  Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!  3-run dingers win ballgames and Slater supplied that in this game.  The league's pitchers will inevitably find the holes in his swing and he won't hit .340 over the long haul but so far Slater has given the Giants everything they need in LF.  I say the job is his until he proves it was all a fluke.

Kelby Tomlinson 3B- 2 for 3, SB(3).  BA= .294.  Stay hot, Kelby!

Matt Moore LHP- 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.82.  That's more like it!  It looked like Moore's bounceback start would go for naught until Slater hit his bomb in the 8'th.  Hopefully this is a game to build on.

Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/0, Save(11).  ERA= 4.82.  3 GB outs.  Hopefully this is a game for Melancon to build on too.

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Jeff Samardzija tries to guarantee the Giants at least a series tie tomorrow facing rookie lefty Sean Newcomb.

Down on the Farm: 6/19/2017

AAA  Albuquerque Isotopes outscored the Sacramento River Cats 11-6:

Conor Gillaspie 1B- 3 for 4, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .289.

Jarrett Parker CF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .333.

Mac Williamson RF- 1 for 4, HR(8).  BA= .252.

Chris Shaw LF- 1 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .253.

Tyler Beede RHP- 4.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

Tyler Rogers RHP- 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 6/1.  ERA= 2.36.

DJ Snelton LHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.88.

-Again, Beede has good peripherals but gives up a lot of hits.

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AA  Richmond Flying Squirrels were idle.

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High A  Cal League is on All-Star Break.

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Low A  SAL is on All-Star Break.

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Short Season  Tri-City Dust Devils defeated the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 7-4:

Richard Amion 3B- 2 for 5, SB(3).  BA= .385.

Manuel Geraldo SS- 0 for 2, BB, Sac, 4 SB(7).  BA= .333.

Alejandro De La Rosa RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

-De La Rosa is a 22 yo RHP who spend the last two seasons in the DSL.

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DSL  D'Backs1 topped the Giants 5-3:

Luis Alvarado C- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .333.

Norwith Gudino RHP- 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 2.60.

-Gudino is 21 yo.  This is his 3'rd season in the DSL.

-Alvarado is 17 yo.