The Giants’ minor league affiliates continue their strong play led by some excellent pitching performances over the weekend. Fresno and San Jose maintain their leads in their respective divisions and former first-rounders Gary Brown and Joe Panik continue their development as they look to advance in the organization.
AAA: Fresno defeated Colorado Springs 8-3 on Sunday night behind a good debut from Jason Stevenson, who allowed 2 runs in 5 innings. The bullpen held the lead, though Heath Hembree allowed a run for the fourth straight appearance. Justin Christian led off the first inning with a home run and the offense rolled in from there. Fresno is in first place by 3.5 games over Sacramento, with a record of 35-16.
AA: Richmond won 5-2 over Trenton on Sunday night, the team’s 6th straight win in games started by Chris Heston. Heston fanned 11 batters and gave up only one run in six dominant innings. While Gary Brown had a good day, going 2-4 with a double, Heston is the real story here. He has an ERA of 0.7 and has been practically untouchable. He is somewhat old for the AA level, but if he is promoted to Fresno and maintains his level of performance, he may be considered a quality prospect for the Giants in seasons to come. Richmond is 24-27, in fourth place in their division.
A+: San Jose lost to Visalia 2-1 in ten innings Sunday night, spoiling a good performance from Jack Snodgrass who allowed only one run in six innings. San Jose’s only run was driven in by Joe Panik in the sixth inning. San Jose is in first place by 4.5 games with a 32-19 record.
A: Augusta lost to Savannah 5-4 on Sunday night and stands at 21-28 in sixth place in their division. The GreenJackets blew two leads in the game, with Paul Davis taking the loss.