|
|
| On Deck: San Jose at Modesto |
|
6/25/2008
San Jose Giants (47-29, 4-2) at Modesto Nuts (38-38, 4-2)
Henry Sosa (2-1, 1.55 ERA) is expected to
start Thursday's series opener on the mound
(photo by Chris Talley) |
At John Thurman Field
• Thursday, June 26th at 7:05 PM
• Friday, June 27th at 7:05 PM
• Saturday, June 28th at 7:05 PM
• Sunday, June 29th at 6:05 PM
Pitching Match Ups
• Thursday – Henry Sosa (2-1, 1.55) at Keith Weiser (5-8, 2.98)
• Friday – Kevin Pucetas (7-0, 2.76) at Esmil Rogers (7-4, 3.73)
• Saturday – Jesse English (9-2, 2.45) at Aneury Rodriguez (6-6, 3.02)
• Sunday – Tim Alderson (6-3, 3.29) at Simon Ferrer (2-8, 5.50)
Internet Broadcast… The entire series from Modesto can be heard live on www.sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action.
THE SAN JOSE GIANTS… return from the all-star break on Thursday evening to begin a four-game series against the Modesto Nuts at John Thurman Field. San Jose has played well to open the second half posting victories in four of their first six games. In their most recent series, the Giants won two-of-three against the visiting Visalia Oaks. After dropping the opener, San Jose rebounded to post 8-5 and 7-2 victories last Friday and Saturday respectively. The Giants continue to boast the top overall record in the California League at 47-29.
Four Giants Promoted… The San Jose Giants made a flurry of roster moves during the all-star break. Catcher Pablo Sandoval, third baseman Ryan Rohlinger and starting pitcher Ben Snyder were all promoted to Connecticut (AA) while second baseman Matt Downs was sent to Fresno (AAA). Sandoval, an all-star selection, leads the California League with a .359 batting average to go with 12 home runs and 59 RBI’s. Sandoval also leads the league in runs scored (61), hits (98) and slugging percentage (.597). Rohlinger was batting .285 with seven homers and 46 RBI’s before his promotion last Monday. Rohlinger has played in a team-high 73 games for San Jose. The third baseman homered in just his second game with Connecticut on Tuesday night. Snyder, another all-star, posted an 8-3 record with a league-best 2.00 ERA for the Giants. Snyder allowed one or no runs in 10 of his 15 California League appearances. Downs was leading San Jose with 15 home runs to go with 50 RBI’s and a .295 batting average. Downs hit homers in four of his last seven games before his call-up to the Pacific Coast League. Through two games in Fresno, Downs is hitting .556 (5-for-9) with two doubles, one home run and four RBI’s.
All-Star Recap… The Giants sent five players to the California vs. Carolina League All-Star game last Tuesday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Carolina League won the exhibition contest by a 3-1 score after plating two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jesse English suffered the loss out of the bullpen after allowing the decisive runs. Snyder started the game and surrendered one run on three hits in the first inning. The left-hander struck out two. Kevin Pucetas worked a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning, yielding one single. Sandoval hit third in the order for the California League and finished 0-for-3 while pitcher Tim Alderson did not appear in the game.
Boyer Returns, Three Others Join Club… Brad Boyer has returned to the San Jose Giants from Connecticut and is expected to garner regular playing time at third base. Boyer was hitting .333 with two homers and six RBI’s in 16 games for the Giants before moving to the Eastern League. Boyer, a major part of last season’s championship squad in San Jose, hit .240 (12-for-50) in 12 games for the Defenders. Newcomers Brock Bond, Dayton Buller and Jackson Williams have also joined the Giants and will be available to play on Thursday. Bond, who plays second base, posted a .333 batting average with one home run and 24 RBI’s for Augusta (Low-A) this season. Bond also hit .342 for Northwest League champion Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) last year. Buller, a 27-year old catcher, was batting .235 with two home runs in limited playing time for Fresno. Buller is expected to serve as a back-up catcher in San Jose. Williams will garner the bulk of the playing time behind the plate as he joins the Giants from Augusta. A 2007 supplemental first round draft pick, Williams was hitting just .179 with two homers and 13 RBI’s in 47 games for the Greenjackets. Williams though is batting at a .333 clip (13-for-39) during the month of June and is considered an outstanding defensive catcher. In other roster moves, catcher Elio Sarmiento (.250 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI) was transferred to Augusta while outfielder Dom Duggan (.221 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBI) was added from Extended Spring Training.
Hitting Leaders… Among players on the current roster, Boyer (.333) and Andy D’Alessio (.308) pace the club in batting average. D’Alessio is also tops in doubles (22), home runs (10) and RBI’s (51). Outfielders Tyler Graham (27) and Mike McBryde (23) are both among the league leaders in stolen bases.
McBryde Still On Fire… Center fielder Mike McBryde brings a season-high 13-game hitting streak into Thursday’s series opener against Modesto. During the streak, McBryde is batting .396 (19-for-48) with his first two home runs of the season. Overall, McBryde is now batting .268 with 29 RBI’s. McBryde’s hitting streak is the longest for a Giants player this season.
Modesto Nuts… The Nuts, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, enter the series with a 38-38 overall record. Modesto has played well to begin the second half having notched four wins in their first six games. The Nuts are ninth in the California League in batting average (.256) and last in runs scored (4.1 per game). However, Modesto has excelled on the mound this year with the second-lowest ERA in the league at 3.85. Keith Weiser, who will start on Thursday, is sixth in earned run average (2.98), despite a 5-8 record. Weiser owns a 1.84 ERA in four starts during the month of June.
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|