AAA: Las Vegas 6, Sacramento 5

Top Lines

2B Mitchell Tolman: 2-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B (3), 1 HR (5), 1 SO, 1 E (4)
DH Peter Maris: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR (1)
C Chadwick Tromp: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B (3), 1 SO
CF Bryce Johnson: 2-5, 1 SO
LF Joe McCarthy: 2-3, 2 R, 1 BB

SP Shun Yamaguchi: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR
RP John Brebbia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
RP Phil Pfeifer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
RP Camilo Doval: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO

The Sacramento offense woke up just a bit too late in this game to have a chance to win.  They were down 3-1 going into the seventh, when Mitchell Tolman’s solo home run got them to within one.  But the Cats allowed three runs in the top of the 8th to fall too far behind.  They still tried, with a 2-run double by Tolman in the bottom of the 8th, and a Peter Maris solo home run int he ninth, but that was as close as they got.

Other Notes:

  • Mitchell Tolman hit his third double and fifth home run of the season, extending a now-6-game hitting streak, and hitting his third home run in the last four games.
  • Peter Maris finally got his first home run of the season.  He had just five in 2019, and a career-high 11 in 2018.
  • Shun Yamaguchi came off his 1-hitter start of the season to have a rather pedestrian start, allowing three runs in four innings.  He did keep his strikeout touch, however, collecting seven strikeouts, giving him 22 on the season in 18.1 iinings.
  • Camilo Doval made his third appearance in Triple-A this season, and did not allow a run for the first time this season.
  • John Brebbia made his first appearance on the season, after being sent to Sacramento on a rehab stint coming off the injured list.  Brebbia was last playing baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019, with a 3.59 ERA.
  • The River Cats added three players aside from Brebbia.  OF Braden Bishop and RHP Trevor Hildenberger, who were both claimed off waivers last week, then waived, and passed through waivers, were both assigned to Sacramento.  The team also added Sam Long officially from Double-A Richmond.

AA: Doubleheader

Game 1: Richmond 4, Reading 3 (7 Innings)

Top Lines

CF Heliot Ramos: 3-4, 1 R, 1 SO
C Ronnie Freeman: 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 3B (1)
2B Ryan Howard: 1-3, 1 R

SP Gerson Garabito: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR
RP Luis Amaya: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
RP Frank Rubio: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
RP Matt Seelinger: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
RP Raffi Vizcaino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO

Game 1 of today’s doubleheader started off a bit wild.  Richmond took a 1-0 lead when Heliot Ramos scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch.  But after Reading tied the game in the bottom half of the first, they took the lead on a wild pitch by Richmond starter Gerson Garabito.  Reading extended it to 3-1 on a home run, but in the fourth inning, Ronnie Freeman tripled in a pair of runs to tie the game (originally thought to be a home run).  Richmond took the lead on a Vince Fernandez sacrifice fly, which gave them the win.

Game 2: Reading 6, Richmond 4 (7 Innings)

Top Lines

LF Jacob Heyward: 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB
SS Shane Matheny: 1-2, 1 BB, 1 SO

SP Trenton Toplikar: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR
RP Jose Marte: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
RP Mac Marshall: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
RP Patrick Ruotolo: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR

Richmond lost this one late, thanks to a tough bullpen night.  The Squirrels took the lead in the first on a FrankieTostado RBI groundout and a Vince Fernandez RBI single, and extended it to 4-0 with a 2-RBI David Villar single.  But with the lead 4-2 in the sixth, Mac Marshall came in, gave up a single and two walks while getting two outs.  With the bases loaded, Patrick Ruotolo came in, and he gave up a grand slam that would be the winning margin.

Other Notes:

  • Heliot Ramos had his second 3-hit game in five days, but was just 2-for-17 in the games between them.  Ramos only played in Game 1, and got Game 2 off.
  • Gerson Garabito continues to struggle with hits allowed, now with 19 allowed in 14.2 innings, including his first home run in Game 1.  Garabito currently has a .322 average allowed, after keeping it to .268 in 2019 in Double-A in the Texas League.
  • Trenton Toplikar got the start, his first of the season, in the second game of the twin bill.  He allowed two runs, after having allowed just one in his first 8.1 innings.
  • Jose Marte made his Double-A debut and remains unscored upon this season.  Between the two levels, he now has 17 strikeouts to no walks in 7.2 innings.
  • Patrick Ruotolo suffered his first blown save of the season, in five attempts.  Also, it’s still true that every hit he’s given up this season has been a home run (three in total now).

High-A: Eugene 5, Spokane 4

Top Lines

CF Ismael Munguia: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B (3), 2 BB
2B Simon Whiteman: 1-1, 1 R, 1 2B (2), 2 BB, 1 SB (9), 1 HBP
C Brandon Martorano: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B (2), 1 SO
RF Franklin Labour: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B (3), 2 SO

SP Conner Nurse: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR
RP Travis Perry: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO

The Emeralds won with some late heroics, a nice change from the late games for Giants affiliates recently.  The Ems briefly took the lead in the third, with a Patrick Bailey groundout, a Will Wilson single and a Franklin Labour double, each knocking in a run, giving Eugene a 3-2 lead.  They fell behind 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, but heroics started there.  Tyler Fitzgerald was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Brandon Martorano tripled, scoring Fitzgerald as the game-tying run.  With two out, Ismael Munguia singled for the walk-off win for the Emeralds.

Other Notes:

  • Ismael Munguia is still playing before he leaves for the Olympic Qualifying tournament, and he continues to help the Emeralds while he stays.  He has three multi-hit games over the last four games.
  • Simon Whiteman had an excellent day at the plate, getting on-base four times.  He’s batting .289 with a .449 on-base percentage, with nine walks and 14 strikeouts in 15 games, and nine steals without getting caught yet.
  • Conner Nurse gave up a season-high in hits, giving up eight, and giving him a total of 19 hits in 18.1 innings over four starts this season.  He also has 21 strikeouts and nine walks.
  • Travis Perry hit a season-high in innings, having previously gone a max of 3.2 innings, and matched it with a season-high seven strikeouts.  The outburst gives him 20 Ks in 14.2 innings, with five walks.

Low-A: San Jose 8, Lake Elsinore 2

Top Lines

DH Marco Luciano: 3-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B (6), 1 HR (4), 1 BB
RF Harrison Freed: 1-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR (2), 1 BB, 2 SO
2B Jimmy Glowenke: 2-4, 1 3B (1)
LF Brett Auerbach: 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB

SP Prelander Berroa: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO
RP Ivan Armstrong: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 WP
RP Austin Reich: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1 Balk

Marco Luciano led San Jose to a win over the Storm after losing the first two games of the series.  DHing, Luciano’s RBI single in the first was part of San Jose jumping to a 2-0 lead after the first inning, and his third inning home run put the Giants up 3-0.  In the 6th, with the score 3-1, Luciano was one of the batters on base when Harrison Freed hit a 3-run home run to break the game open.  And Luciano would top off the Giants scoring when he scored on a wild pitch, giving the team a 8-1 lead.

It was Luciano’s second multi-hit game in a row, and just like that, after going 5-for-7, Luciano’s batting average has jumped from .212 to .260.

Other Notes:

  • Prelander Berroa had one of his best starts of the young season, bouncing back after allowing five runs (all unearned) while not getting through an inning.  He’s got 16 strikeouts, but also ten walks, in 12.2 innings.
  • Harrison Freed notched his second home run of the season.  He had 7 in 48 games in his rookie season of 2019.
  • Brett Auerbach picked up two more walks, giving him 13 to nine strikeouts in 55 plate appearances.  He’s got a .480 on-base percentage as he’s batted mostly in the leadoff spot when he’s gotten in the lineup.
  • Ivan Amrstrong gave up his first run since his first game of the season, but continues to pitch admirably as one of the team’s long relief options.
  • Austin Reich picked up four strikeouts, giving him 24 on the season in 13.0 innings.  With just six walks and seven hits, he has a 1.00 ERA on the season.