An Heliot Bash seems like a great excuse for a Saturday supplemental, don’t you think?
Ramos went deep for the third time this year as part of a big night. So let’s celebrate the moment, appropriately, shall we?
(All video footage courtesy MiLBTV, Sacramento River Cats, and Richmond Flying Squirrels)
HITTER of the NIGHT: Heliot Ramos, 3 for 4, HR, 2b, 3 Runs, 4 RBI
PITCHER of the NIGHT: Norwith Gudino, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K
Sacramento lost to Reno Aces (Diamondbacks), 9-6
Top Lines:
Thairo Estrada SS: 3 for 5, 2b, SB (2), 2 Runs, 2 RBI
LaMonte Wade, Jr RF-LF: 2 for 5, HR (2), 4 RBI, 2 SO
Chadwick Tromp C: 2 for 4, K
Dominic Leone: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 K
Phil Pfeifer: 2.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, K, L (0-2)
Kervin Castro: 1.0 IP, 0 H 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Trevor Gott: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, K
Scott Kazmir was scratched from his scheduled start, giving the Giants the option of bringing him up for tonight’s game. In his place, Dominic Leone started the first game of his professional career (410 games!), and Leone gave the River Cats a sensational effort for two innings, allowing just one baserunner while piling up the Ks. Unfortunately for Sacramento, the rest of the bullpenning plan didn’t go so well. Phil Pfiefer suffered a beat down of an inning, allowing four hits and two walks, and making a crucial throwing error on a sac bunt. Before Pfiefer’s night was done, the River Cats would be down 6-1. Kervin Castro came next, and the youngster continued to struggle with the gargantuan assignment leap from short season ball to Triple-A. Castro gave out two more free passes and has now walked 9 batters in just 5.1 innings of work with Sacramento.
The Cats would work their way back into the game, though, coming within inches of tying it up in the 7th. With two runs already in, LaMonte Wade, Jr. brought the home crowd to its feet with a three-run jack off former River Cat Carlos Navas and things were suddenly interesting. That was part of a four RBI night for Wade.
But this was apparently the Ramos Family’s night. With one out and a man on, Jason Krizan made a play to tie the game with a ball into the gap. But Heliot’s big brother Henry, who also had two hits and two RBI on the night, made the play of the game to stifle the rally.
Maybe someday soon we’ll get to see a Ramos Brother matchup!
Reno would immediately regain some of their lead, tagging Silvino Bracho for two runs in the 8th, and held on for the win.
Whether or not Kazmir will make his return to the big leagues tonight is still unclear, but we now know that Joey Bart won’t be making a dramatic appearances in Oracle tonight.
Richmond defeated Bowie BaySox (Orioles), 9-4
Top Lines:
Heliot Ramos DH: 3 for 4, HR (3), 2b, 3 Runs, 4 RBI, K
David Villar 3b: 1 for 4, HR (4), 3 RBI
Tristan Beck: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 HR, (W, 2-2)
Norwith Gudino: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K (S, 3)
After an early eight-game win streak that ran the team record to 8-1, the Flying Squirrels hit the skids, losing 5 of their next 6 games. Perhaps not coincidentally, Heliot Ramos had also scuffled through that stretch, going 2 for 21. He began to turn things around with a two-hit night on Wednesday (though neither was whalloped) and then three walks on Thursday. Those signs of growth flowered fully last night with a three hit effort that included the opposite field shot at the top, hit into the teeth of a wind.
He finished his big night off by ripping an RBI double down into the corner as part of Richmond’s four-run rally that salted things away in the 7th.
Ramos’ season so far has been something of a study in contrasts. His Hard Hit rate is a most 28% and his swinging strike rate of 17% is one of the highest in the Double-A Northeast. Though it’s still early, his K rate of 29% is one of the highest of his career. But even with the slow week, he’s batting .304 on the year with a .980 OPS (Fangraphs rates that performance as 69% better than league average in Double-NE this year). His walk rate is a career best 13.6% and his Isolated power (Slugging-batting average) of .268 is by far the best in his career. In many ways, he’s having the type of year we’re getting used to in the majors as well, not all that different from Mike Yastrzemski’s for instance: lots of Ks, but doing real damage on the balls he makes contact with.
Ramos had been getting attacked with sliders away and fastballs up, enticing him to chase, so perhaps it was the three-walk night on Thursday that really presaged his big night. Adjustments and counter-adjustments. That’s what it’s all about.
The night’s scoring was concluded by David Villar’s team-leading 4th HR, a soaring blast that reached up to kiss the sky. 102 mph off the bat and 392 feet according to the official data.
Tristan Beck opened the night looking sharper than he has on the year to my eyes, and had a particularly good version of his curveball snapping, leading to a season high 7 K. Beck continues to be a little too hittable on the year, and last night was hit for a couple of big blasts, accounting for three of the four runs charged to his record. I don’t think he quite has his fastball where he wants it yet this year — either from a command perspective or stuff wise — but when the curve is dancing you can see the path forward for him.
After four starts, Beck’s season ERA sits at 5.89 and the K9 is just 8.35 in an era where striking out less than a batter an inning puts you in the “below average” tier, so he’s still got plenty to work on to conquer this level, but I thought there were encouraging things to take out of this start.
Norwith Gudino shut the door with the night’s fantastic relief outing, going the final three innings. Gudino has been nearly unhittable this year, allowing just 2 earned runs in 9.2 innings (1.86 ERA). He’s issued a few more walks than you’d prefer, but he’s also struck out 15 off the 38 batters he’s faced this year, pairing a fastball with real carry with a devastating split-finger.
Oh, and about that little dugout celebration? That’s the Richmond “Homer Helmet” in action — courtesy of former Giant and former UMass Wide Receiver (not to mention current Squirrels Hitting Coach) Doug Clark.
Eugene won @ Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels), 3-2
Top Lines:
Patrick Bailey DH: 1 for 4, BB, K
Brandon Martorano C: 2 for 4, 3b, 2 Runs, K
Jacob Gonzalez 3b: 1 for 3, RBI
Conner Nurse: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR, (W, 2-0)
Jose Marte: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, HB (S, 3)
Eugene narrowly avoided its first three-game losing streak of the year, sneaking out a tight one-run victory with a dramatic 9th. Backup catcher Brandon Martorano, who had singled and scored the tying run in his previous at bat, opened the 9th with a booming triple. A walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases with nobody out, but Tri-City’s hard throwing Zac Kristofak was on the verge of getting out of the mess when he K’d Simon Whiteman and Tyler Fitzgerald. But with Patrick Bailey at the plate, Kristofak brought in the go ahead run himself with a wild pitch.
Jose Marte then survived a tricky bottom of the 9th that nearly opened, apparently, with back to back hit batsman. Not so, however, as the second of those was ruled to have attempted a bunt on the offending pitch and rather than batters on 1st and 2nd, it was just an 0-1 count. Things got even dicier when a tailor-made double play turned into a bad hop single. But Marte’s overpowering fastball and diving slider made everything all right in the end, as he struck out three to pick up the save. Marte has dispatched 14 of the 25 batters he’s faced this year with the whiff, a tidy little 56% K rate!
Conner Nurse turned in another excellent performance in the wake of what might have been the best game of his career. The strapping right-hander went 5 strong, striking out 5. He was touched up for a homer — that’s three on the year already and that was an issue for him in Salem-Keizer in 2019 as well. As a Volcano, Nurse surrendered 6 dingers in just 39 innings.
San Jose lost @ Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies), 10-0
Top Lines:
Abdiel Layer 1b: 3 for 4, K
Prelander Berroa: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 0 ER, BB, K, HR
Randy Rodriguez: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 K
Luis Moreno: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
If you’re looking at that line score and thinking: “I’ll be nothing good happened in that game!” you would be absolutely correct. NOTHING good happened in this game. The opening inning featured errors from both Marco Luciano and Luis Matos, a walk, a wild pitch, and a balk from starting pitcher Prelander Berroa, and four hits including a HR. Suffice it to say, the competitive portion of this one was over fast.
However, Abdiel Layer continued a scorching run that has forced his bat into the lineup. Layer had three of San Jose’s four hits in the game and now has 10 hits in his last 21 ABs. He’s sporting a crazy .370/.393/.852 line on the young year. That’s how you hit your way off the bench, Abdiel!
It was the first shutout of the year for the San Jose bats, who lead the league (by a LOT) in HRs (20) but are next to last in runs (74).
What’s On Tap:
Sacramento (Shun Yamaguchi) vs. Reno (TBD), 7:05 pm, MiLBTV
Richmond (Sam Long) vs. Bowie (Daniel Lebron), 3:05 pm, MiLBTV
Eugene (Caleb Kilian) @ Tri-City (Aaron Hernandez), 6:30 pm, No Video
San Jose (Carson Ragsdale) @ Fresno (Mike Ruff), 6:50 pm, MiLBTV
As usual, there should be plenty of Ks on display tonight. Kilian leads the High-A West in strikeouts with 22 (to go along with his 1.84 ERA). Long has recorded 5 Ks in each of his three starts. He’s hoping to build off his last outing in which he went four shutout innings — the first scoreless start of the year for the lefty.
Hope you enjoyed this supplemental Saturday Minor Lines. If you liked what you saw and would like more, you can have it! Just subscribe for daily posts, Monday through Friday rounding up all the action in the Giants system. There R Giants stirring, and we cover them all right here!
I love the Saturday morning recaps, Roger - thank you!
I guess Kazmir is starting in SF this afternoon? Wow! Kinda looks like the SJ kids are getting a bit of a reality check! Oh, too be young & feel invincible! lol