minor lines, 7/8/07

AAA: Fresno lost to Sacramento 4-2

Fresno: 1B-LF Dan Ortmeier: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
Fresno: RF Nate Schierholtz: 2 for 3, HR, 2B, BB, SO
Fresno: C Justin Knoedler: 0 for 1, 3 BB
Sacramento: CF Danny Putnam: 2 for 4, 2B

Fresno: RHP Chris Begg: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 Er, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Fresno: RHP Tyler Walker: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Fresno: LHP Erick Threets: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 0 HR
Fresno: RHP Brian Wilson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 0 HR--1
HB
Sacramento: LHP Dan Meyer: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR--1
WP

Schierholtz and Ortmeier didn't lack for secondary average today.
Schierholtz connected for his 5th HR, his first since May and just his
second since the third game of the season. Three of his five HRs have
come against left-handed pitchers. This is the first time I recall
Ortmeier getting a start at first base in his career. After three
walks today Knoedler now has 19 BB among 203 AB, just a bit short of
the 10% BB/AB benchmark. The A's Putnam, the only RiverCat with
multiple hits this evening, has a .265 AVG in 11 PCL games.

Two of Begg's previous five starts have come against the RiverCats,
and this was his best of his three starts against them. He had a 14/4
GO/FO line this evening. Walker retired just two of five batters
faced to suffer the loss in his second PCL appearance. Threets worked
to a full count before retiring the only batter he faced. Control
seems to be an issue for Wilson in the PCL. Tonight he threw just 10
of 22 pitches for strikes. He has 8 BB in seven appearances (each
exactly 1.0 IP) since returning to Fresno following his appendectomy.
Last year he had 14 BB in 28.0 IP for Fresno, and he had 21 BB in 30.0
IP while in the majors. The A's Meyer lowered his ERA to 4.29.

AA: Connecticut lost to Binghamton 12-10

Connecticut: CF Eugenio Velez: 4 for 5, CS
Connecticut: RF John Bowker: 2 for 4, HBP, SO
Connecticut: 1B Tyler Von Schell: 3 for 5, HR
Binghamton: LF-RF Lastings Milledge: 3 for 5, PO
Binghamton: 3B Mark Kiger: 3 for 5, 3B, 2B

Connecticut: LHP Eugene Espineli: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0
HR--1 HB
Connecticut: RHP Joe Bateman: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Connecticut: RHP Taylor Wilding: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 0
HR--1 HB

Four hits raised Velez's AVG to .349. Von Schell connected for his
4th HR in nine games with the Defenders. Somewhat surprisingly for a
team that scored ten runs, Von Schell was the only Defender with a HR
and only three hitters reached base three or more times. One of those
hitters was Bowker who improved his OBP to .349 on his 24th birthday.
For the second day in a row, the Mets' Milledge and Kiger had big
games against the Defenders.

Espineli had his worst start of the year, allowing 8 runs in the 3rd
inning. His ERA rose to 3.73. Bateman had his third straight
appearance with 3 K (in 8.0 total IP). He improved his ERA to 3.86.
Wilding suffered his second blown save with 4 ER in the 8th inning
that ballooned his ERA to 7.27.

A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 4-3

San Jose: 2B Bradley Boyer: 0 for 5, 4 SO
San Jose: C Pablo Sandoval: 3 for 4, 2 2B, PB
Visalia: CF Jeff DaVanon: 0 for 1, 3 BB

San Jose: RHP Darren Sack: 4.0+ IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
San Jose: LHP Jason Waddell: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Visalia: RHP Matthew Torra: 7.0+ IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 0 HR

On a day when four Giants had multiple hits, Sandoval's line stands
out. He improved his season line to .278/.286/.466. He has 16
doubles and 3 passed balls. He has just 4 BB among 234 AB. Boyer
continues to struggle this year. Even with the sombrero today, his SO/
AB ratio remains below 20%, but his OBP did fall below .300, and his
SLG is even lower than his OBP. DaVanon, who had an .819 OPS in 221
AB for the D'backs last season, competed in his 11th rehab game, and
he has basically dominated Cal League pitchers to the tune of .
378/.511/.649 in 37 AB. Torra, the 31st overall pick in the 2005
draft, has had a fairly miserable season, while allowing opponents to
hit .344 against him.. Today may have been his best start of the
year, lowering his ERA to 7.90.

A-: Augusta defeated Greenville 6-1

Augusta: DH Matthew Weston: 1 for 4, HR
Augusta: CF Michael McBryde: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Augusta: LF Tyler Graham: 1 for 1, 3 BB, SB
Greenville: 1B Lars Anderson: 1 for 2, 2 BB

Augusta: RHP Kevin Pucetas: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR--1
WP
Augusta: RHP David Newton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 0 HR

Graham reached base all four times. He entered today's game with a .
325 OBP. Weston connected for his 8th HR. It's his second HR this
month after just one long ball in June. McBryde, the only GreenJacket
with multiple hits today, is 10 for 28 in his last eight games,
raising his season AVG to .263. Anderson, perhaps the Red Sox' top
hitting prospect, raised his OBP above .400.

Pucetas had his longest start of the year. His ERA inched a bit lower
to 1.42. Newton retired just two of five batters faced but brought
his ERA below 2.00. He's had to work around a high walk rate
throughout his career. His BB/IP since being demoted to Augusta in
May is 0.70.

ssA: Salem-Keizer defeated Everett 3-2

Salem-Keizer: 2B Matthew Downs: 1 for 1, HR, BB, 3 HBP, SB
Salem-Keizer: 1B Chad Rothford: 3 for 4, 2 2B
Salem-Keizer: C Jackson Williams: 2 for 3, HR, BB
Everett: 3B Matt Mangini: 1 for 3, 2 BB, IBB

Salem-Keizer: LHP Jared Cranston: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 1
HR
Salem-Keizer: RHP Daryl Maday: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Salem-Keizer: LHP Jesse English: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0
HR
Salem-Keizer: RHP Daniel Otero: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0
HR
Everett: RHP Nolan Gallagher: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1
HR--2 HB

Downs connected for his 3rd HR. I believe he tied Michael Wagner's
franchise record by being HBP three times in a game. Rothford raised
his AVG to .318. He doubled his doubles total to four. Williams
connected for his 2nd HR. The first round supplemental pick noted for
more for his defense than his offense entered the game hitting .
189/.298/.270 in 37 AB. The Mariners' Mangini, the 52nd overall pick
this year, remains one of the hottest bats in the NWL. He reached
base three times and was the only AquaSox in the lineup not to
strikeout.

Cranston was not particularly effective in his third start with the
Volcanoes, allowing his first ERs since his demotion from Augusta.
Maday, English and Otero combined for six scoreless innings out of the
bullpen, although they allowed at least one baserunner in every
inning. English lowered his ERA to 0.75 while Maday and Otero
maintained their 0.00 ERAs. Gallagher, the Mariners' 4th round pick
this year out of Stanford, has a 1.29 ERA over his four starts.

R: Giants lost to Royals 2-1

Scottsdale: CF Dom Duggan: 0 for 5, 3 SO
Scottsdale: 3B Angel Villalona: 1 for 4, 2 SO
Scottsdale: DH Brock Bond: 2 for 3, HBP

Scottsdale: RHP Lars Knepper: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 HR

Duggan's bat has cooled off since his 1.225 OPS in June. In his last
five games he is 3 for 21 with 8 SO. Bond, who had entered the game 2
for 17 in his last nine games, had the only multiple-hit line for
Scottsdale. Villalona is listed because someone would complain if I
didn't. He now has 13 H and 7 SO among 45 AB (.289 AVG).

Knepper now has 7 H, 1 BB, 1 ER and 12 K in 12.0 IP over his three
starts.

DSL: Giants had an off-day

> Connecticut: LHP Eugene Espineli: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 4 K, 1 HB

Ouch.

> Salem-Keizer: LHP Jesse English: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

He's not starting, it's only 12 IP, but his numbers so far are something.