AAA: Scheduled Day Off

Sacramento got the usual Wednesday off to take I-80 headed east over the mountains…or maybe it’s on a plane.  I’m not sure.  Regardless, the Cats are headed up to Reno to take on the Aces for the next weeklong series.  Sacramento is 10-14 on the season, and has struggled with a roster that’s already been plundered a bit by the big league team after injuries.  But there’ll be a new pitcher to watch soon, as Matt Frisbee, the Eastern Double-A Northeast League’s Pitcher of the Month for May, is going to get a chance to be the Pacific Coast Triple-A West League Pitcher of the Month for June.

AA: Altoona 9, Richmond 4

Top Lines

1B Ryan Howard: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B (3), 1 HR (1), 1 SO
3B David Villar: 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR (5), 1 HBP
C Ronnie Freeman: 1-4, 1 2B (2)

SP Trenton Toplikar: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR
RP Luis Amaya: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 SO
RP Matt Seelinger: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
RP Jose Marte: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO
RP Norwith Gudino: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

Richmond managed just four hits in this one, but boy, what a four hits they were, all for extra bases.  Still didn’t matter when Altoona had 11.  The Curve were already up by 5 before Richmond got on the board in the fifth inning.  They got a leadoff walk from Andy Sugilio, which was followed immediately by Ryan Howard’s first home run of the season to get on the board.  In the sixth, Shane Matheny had a leadoff walk, and David Villar followed that with his fifth home run to get the Squirrels within one.

But that would be as close as they got.  They scored no more runs, and the Curve put up four runs on the previously unscored upon Jose Marte in the eighth to put the game away.

Other Notes:

  • Wait…a Ryan Howard, at first base???  Is that…?  Well, no, it wasn’t.  It was the skinny middle infielder’s first game in his 5-season career at first base.  And it seemed to work, as he picked up his third double and first home run of the season in his 18th game of the season.  Howard’s career high in home runs is nine, back in 2017 in San Jose.
  • Trenton Toplikar had his roughest start of the season, giving up a season-high five runs, on four hits and a season-high four walks.  He’s given up ten walks in 15.1 innings, with 18 strikeouts.
  • May was a great month for Jose Marte, who was unscored upon in seven games (8.2 innings), so June wasn’t very welcome, dropping four runs on him on his first game in the month.  His ERA jumped to 3.86 on the season.
  • David Villar is up to five home runs on the season, in 24 games.  He had 13 in each of his first two seasons, in just 62 games in 2018.  

High-A: Eugene 6, Vancouver 5 (10 Innings)

Top Lines

2B Simon Whiteman: 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B (3), 2 BB, 1 SO, 2 SB (12)
3B Jacob Gonzalez: 1-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR (1), 1 SO
C Patrick Bailey: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB (6), 2 BB, 1 E
RF Franklin Labour: 1-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB (2)

SP Conner Nurse: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
RP Ryan Walker: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 HBP
RP R.J. Dabovich: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
RP John Russell: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

This was a wild game, which saw seven leads change and end in extra innings.  The final set of changes happened starting in the 8th with the game tied.  Jacob Gonzalez broke that tie with his first home run of the season.  But in the bottom of the ninth, the team gave up a leadoff single.  A stolen base turned into an error that let the runner go to third, and he scored on another single to tie the game.

That set up extras, and a runner on second.  A walk, Franklin Labour stealing third, and another walk loaded the bases.  That let Vancouver give the Ems a gift, with a passed ball letting a runner score.  There ended up with no hits in the 10th, by either side, and the Emeralds took the win.

Other Notes:

  • Simon Whiteman had one of the best days of the season, getting on base four times and stealing two bases.  He now has 12 stolen bases, good for third in league, with the other two playing for Vancouver (17 & 15 respectively).  Whiteman has a .259/.429/.352 batting line.
  • He may be a catcher, but Patrick Bailey picked up two more steals, giving him a total of 6.  Bailey now has 33 strikeouts to 11 walks in 107 PA.
  • Conner Nurse had another solid outing, but nothing special.  Notably, he only had one strikeout, just the second time this season he hasn’t had at least struck out at least one batter per inning in an outing.
  • Jacob Gonzalez got his first home run of the season in his 15th game.  He had his career high of 10 in 2019 with Augusta.  He’s struck out 11 times in 60 plate appearances, but no walks yet.
  • R.J. Dabovich hasn’t allowed a hit since May 7th, a span of 7.2 innings.  He’s now held batters to a .065 batting average while striking out 21 and walking five in 9.2 innings.
  • Will Wilson made his first appearance since getting hit on the ankle by a ball on Sunday.  He struck out pinch-hitting in the 10th.

Low-A: Modesto 10, San Jose 5

Top Lines

LF Bret Auerbach: 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 2 SB (7)
1B Garrett Frechette: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B (1), 2 BB, 2 E (3)
C Ricardo Genovés: 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 PB (10)
C Rodolfo Bone: 1-1, 1 RBI, 1 3B (1), 1 SF

SP Prelander Berroa: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, 2 HR, 1 WP
RP Luis Moreno: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO, 1 WP
RP Justin Crump: 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO
RP Haydn King: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO
RP Ivan Armstrong: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

What’s the wrong way to get off on a baseball game?  How’s this for one: Modesto leadoff hitter Noelvi Marte led off the game with a inside-the-park home run hit to left field.  This home run also happened to give Marte the California Low-A West League lead in home runs, breaking a tie that included two San Jose players: Abdiel Layer and Marco Luciano.  Starter Prelander Berroa walked the next batter and gave up a 2-run home run before even getting an out.

That put San Jose in a hole, though a Luis Matos sacrifice fly got one run for the Giants on the board.  Modesto blew things open in the sixth, scoring five runs on four hits and a pair of walks.  But the Giants did have their best offensive inning in the bottom half.  Richardo Genoves and Casey Schmitt each walked, and moved up on a wild pitch.  Alexander Canario hit a sacrifice fly, and Garrett Frechette had an RBI triple.  Jimmy Glowenke closed things up with his own RBI single.

Other Notes:

  • Brett Auerbach got on base three times today, and picked up a pair of steals.  Auerbach did not play regularly early in the season, but has appeared in each of San Jose’s last eight games.
  • Prelander Berroa had the toughest start of the season, with the two first inning home runs being double what he’d given up in all five of his previous starts.  
  • Garrett Frechette had quite the mixed day.  He hit his first triple of the season (he had two in 39 games in 2019).  But he also picked up two errors, giving him three on the season.

Olympics Results

The US Game against Puerto Rico was rained out, but the game wouldn’t really have mattered, as the Super Round was set!  The top team with overall record will go to the Olympics.  2nd and 3rd place will move onto one final last chance qualifying tournament.

United States vs. Puerto Rico (Rainout: rescheduled for Thursday)

Dominican Republic 13, Nicaragua 3
Giants Prospects:
Ismael Munguia (NCA): 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B

Venezuela 5, Canada 0
Giants Prospects:
Diego Rincones (VEN): 1-4, 2 SO

Cuba 16, Colombia 3
Giants Prospects:
Andres Angula (COL): 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B