Perfect game bid, walk-off slam no minor feats
A banner year for the San Francisco Giants’ farm system is continuing during the month of August.
Most fans know the names of the organization’s top prospects such as Joey Bart and Marco Luciano, but many haven’t heard of pitcher Aaron Phillips and outfielder Jacob Heyward.
After what the duo accomplished over the last two days, that might change.
With a complete game, one-hit shutout of the Inland Empire 66ers on Sunday, Phillips made waves for what could go down as the best pitching performance by a Giants prospect this season.
Pitching for High-A San Jose in the California League, Phillips needed just 93 pitches to complete nine innings as he struck out eight without allowing a walk.
San Jose Giants broadcaster Justin Allegri tweeted out his scorecard from Phillips’ outing which showed that a leadoff single in the seventh inning is all that separated the 22-year-old right-hander from perfection.
Phillips isn’t ranked among the top 30 prospects in the Giants’ farm system according to MLB. com, and neither is Heyward, who delivered his own heroics Monday night with Double-A Richmond.
Heyward, 24, stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning against the Erie Seawolves and launched a walk-off grand slam over the left field fence.
Richmond Flying Squirrels broadcaster Trey Wilson tweeted that Heyward was not in the lineup due to a sore knee. When Heyward hit his home run out to left field, Cam Gibson was the Erie outfielder who chased the ball to the wall.
Gibson is the son of Kirk Gibson, the author of the most iconic pinchhit home run in baseball history.
The Giants selected Heyward in the 18th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Miami and the outfielder is hitting .219 with a .717 OPS in the pitcherfriendly Eastern League this season. Heyward is the younger brother of Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward, who will face the Giants this week at Wrigley Field.
Phillips was a ninthround draft choice out of St. Bonaventure in the 2017 MLB Draft. Phillips owns a career 3.99 minor league ERA and a 4.28 ERA with High-A San Jose this season, but the 6-foot-5 righty has struck out 258 batters in 243 1/3 minor league innings.