AAA: Sacramento 9, Reno 3

Link

Sacramento Notes:

  • The weather was cold and somewhat windy in Reno, which was part of a trend across the system.
  • DH Ka’ai Tom was 5-for-3 with his second double on the season.  He’s 9-for-20 on the season, with three walks and four strikeouts on the season.
  • Bryce Johnson had a 3-for-6 day, and also had three stolen bases.  That raised Johnson’s batting average to .294 (5-for-17) with five steals on the season.  His career-high for steals is 31 in 35 attempts in High-A in 2018.  
  • Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season.  Davis is 6-for-26 (.231) on the season so far.  Last year in Sacramento, Davis hit 11 home runs while hitting .230 over 43 games.
  • Sean Hjelle made his second start of the season, and wasn’t quite as dominant in the cold weather.  Hjelle struck out one in 5.0 innings, with four hits and one walk.  He has a 1.04 ERA early on in this season.  He threw his 91-93 mph fastball for 2/3rds of his pitches in the weather, a bit more and a bit slower than in his season debut in very warm weather.
  • Mauricio Llovera had his third scoreless appearance for Sacramento, averaging two innings per appearance, with eight strikeouts to one walk and two hits over 6.0 innings.  The 25-year old free agent had a 3.46 ERA in Triple-A LeHigh Valley in 2021.
  • Gregory Santos struggled a bit, allowing four hits and two walks, one of which was a home run.  His fastball was 94-98 with his slider in the mid-80’s.  The two runs were his first allowed on the season.  Over 4.2 innings, he struck out seven and walked four.
  • Joey Marciano was brought on late to get the final out.  He walked the first batter he faced, but struck out the second he faced.  In four games, but just 3.2 innings, he’s struck out five and walked three, with four hits allowed.

AA: Richmond 10, Altoona 6

Link

Richmond Notes:

  • Richmond opened up the home run spigot with five home runs on the game, notably with four home runs coming in the fourth inning, part of an 8-run inning for Richmond (and 12 total if you include Altoona). The four home runs in an inning and five home runs in the game are both Richmond franchise records.
  • Sean Roby had himself a huge day, hitting home runs in his first and second plate appearances of the game and going 3-for-5 on the day.  It was Roby’s second 2-home run day of his career, the first on coming August 24th, 2019 in Augusta against Lexington.  Roby is 6-for-20 on the season with half his hits being home runs, with three walks to nine strikeouts.
  • Shane Matheny had his biggest game of the young season, going 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk.  Matheny is now 5-for-10 in his first three games.  The home run was his first of the season.  His season high is 10, which he had in 2019.
  • Brandon Martorano also hit his first home run of the year for his only hit of the game.  Martorano was DH in this game, but the catcher was also batting in the first spot of the order for the first time of his career.  His home run was back-to-back with Matheny’s in the 4th.
  • Center Fielder Jacob Heyward also picked up the first home run of his season.  Heyward, in his third season with Richmond, is 4-for-12 early in the season.  In 2019, he matched his career-high in home runs with 12.
  • Rob Emery had a 2-for-3 day, and is currently 2-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts in his two Double-A games.
  • 26-year old Gray Fenter had the start for the Squirrels, and the free agent signing struck out eight in just three innings in his Giants organization debut, allowing one run on two hits and a wild pitch.  With Bowie (Orioles) in 2021, he had a 5.47 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 77.1 innings splitting time as a starter and reliever.
  • It was a tough day for reliever Ryan Walker, who pitched the Richmond side of that crazy 4th inning.  He allowed four runs on six hits in an inning, with a strikeout.  That gives Walker five runs allowed on eight hits in 2.2 innings, with a walk and three strikeouts in his first two appearances.
  • Blake Rivera had a better second appearance of the year, with 2.0 innings and just one unearned run.  He did allowed three hits, but had no walks, while getting just one K.
  • John Russell worked two scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits and just two strikeouts.
  • R.J. Dabovich had a quieter second appearances, not allowing any baserunners, but also getting no strikeouts, after his rain-delayed 9th inning on Opening Day.

High-A: Spokane 5, Eugene 2

Link

Eugene Notes:

  • Eugene lost its first attempt at a home opener to the rain on Tuesday, but they got the game in on Wednesday.  Still, it was in a light rain all game, leading to a heavy, wet ball and turf that played like a slip and slide.  The only dirt in Eugene is on the pitching mound, so even the infield is artificial turf, and that may have affected several aspects of the game.
  • Seth Corry made his season debut, and fought through his control a bit.  He walked two and gave up three hits, as well as hitting a batter.  Corry’s only run came when he walked in a run with the bases loaded.
  • Jimmy Glowenke got his first hit of the season, and it was a home run off the new scoreboard at PK Park.  He’s 1-for-10 over three games, with five strikeouts and one walk.
  • Armani Smith was the only Emerald with two hits, two singles.  He’s 3-for-11 on the season (.273).
  • Jairo Pomares picked up a double for his only hit.  He’s 2-for-8 with the double and a home run so far this season.
  • Ty Weber had the piggyback start, pitching three innings in relief, allowing two runs, one unearned, on just one hit.  After giving up a double, Casey Schmitt made an error in the rainy weather on a short throw from third that let the runner get to third, and he came in on a wild pitch.

Low-A: San Jose 7, Fresno 3

Link

San Jose Notes:

  • Adrian Sugastey was 2-for-4 with a walk, with his first double and first home run of the season.  He’s 5-for-15 (.333) on the season after winning the ACL batting title in 2021 with a .358 batting average.  He had six double and two home runs last year.
  • Eric Silva made his season debut and first pro start, going two innings with a hit and walk allowed, and four strikeouts.  Silva only pitched 1.0 inning over two games in 2021, with four runs on four hits and three walks, with two strikeouts.
  • Manuel Mercedes worked the piggyback start, and struggled a bit with his control.  He walked five with one hit allowed and a hit batter in 2.2 innings.  It led to just one run, though.
  • Alexander Suarez got his first hit of the season with his first home run of the season.  He’s 1-for-11 after three games, but just three strikeouts with one walk. 
  • After going 1-for-16 in his first four games, Vaun Brown went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the year.