San Francisco Giants Minor League Major Performers: Sparse Day of Action
There weren’t many games going on in the San Francisco Giants system, with only three teams playing on a light Tuesday night.
Tuesday was not a busy day in the Giants’ farm system. As the San Francisco Giants fell flat again, AAA Sacramento and AA Richmond both continued their All-Star breaks, while Single-A Augusta and short-season A Salem-Keizer both had regular off-days. Meanwhile, rain postponed the DSL Giants’ game, leaving only three affiliates in action.
The High-A Giants couldn’t build off Monday’s win, instead suffering one of their worst losses of the year. The AZL Orange team won, but their AZL Black counterpoints fell in their own contest.
Since there were only three games, let’s pick one guy from each game.
It was an ugly day for the Little Giants. They allowed a season-high 15 runs on 14 hits, which made their five-run day rather inconsequential. One of San Jose’s better moments of the day came from a guy who has had an excellent season, second baseman Jalen Miller.
The Giants’ second-place hitter only had one hit on the day, but it was a big one. In the top of the seventh, Miller drilled a home run to left field. That blast, a three-run job, cut what was at that point a six-run deficit in half. Of course, it wouldn’t really make a difference by the end of the game, but it made things a bit exciting for a short while.
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Miller was the the Giants’ third-rounder in 2015, and is still just 21 years old. He’s playing in his second year at San Jose, and has made a big improvement after a rough year last season. He hit .227/.283/.346 in 117 games in 2017, but has bumped that up to .284/.323/.456 this year. His home run on Tuesday was his 10th of the season, a career-high after hitting 11 in his first three years. His 46 RBI also represent a career-high, and his 24 doubles are fourth-most in the Cal League. He is currently ranked as the Giants’ #27 prospect on MLB Pipeline.
Down in the Arizona Rookie League, Tyler Flores had a great day for the Giants’ Orange squad. He had a perfect day at the plate, reaching base all five times he stepped up. He picked up a pair of hits and walked three times, driving in a run in the process.
Flores walked in the first, then walked again in the third to load the bases, leading to the first run of the game. He saw ball four again in the fifth, but finally got a chance to hit in the seventh. With a runner on second, Flores grounded a ball into right field to bring George Bell home to make it 3-0. He kept the perfect day alive in the ninth, lining another single into right.
Flores went un-picked in this year’s amateur draft, but signed with the Giants after the fact. He attended Point Loma Nazarene University, a private liberal arts college in San Diego that plays baseball in the Division II West Region. The 6’2”, 185-pounder set a school record this past year as a senior by bashing 20 home runs. In his brief pro career, Flores is hitting .347/.433/.490 with four doubles, a home run, and 17 RBI in 14 games. He’s struck out as many times as he’s walked (nine).
The Giants’ AZL Black team and the Indians needed 12 innings to decide a winner, with the Cleveland’s AZL squad coming away winners. Along the way, Giants’ designated hitter Sean Roby had himself a big day. He picked up three hits, scored a run, and drove in two.
Roby started his day with a single in the first, eventually coming around to score on a bases-loaded walk. He didn’t wait long to pick up another hit, hitting an RBI single to left field in the second inning to put the Giants ahead 4-1. The third hit took a little longer, but his single in the 10th was a big one. He drove in his second run of the day to put the Giants ahead 6-5, but they unfortunately wouldn’t hold on. The Indians tied it in the bottom of the inning, then walked it off in the 12th.
Roby is in his first year in pro ball after the Giants made him their 12th-round pick in the most recent draft. He didn’t have to travel far to get to the AZL, as he played his college ball at Arizona Western. He’s hitting .308/.391/.436 in his first 10 games in the organization.
Next: Minor League Major Performers 7-9-18
Others of Note:
Kelvin Beltre (SJ): 1-2, HR (1), 2 RBI (7), 2 BB, 2 R
Bryce Johnson (SJ): 2-3, R, BB, 2 SB (18)
Seth Corry (AZL O): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Frankie Tostado (AZL B): 2-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI (16), R, SF
Luis Moreno (AZL B): 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K