Top prospect Tim Linecum struck out 14 batters in six innings to lead Triple-A Fresno to a 3-0 victory on Sunday.
Linecum is 4-0 with an 0.29 ERA, allowing 12 hits with 46 strikeouts in 31 innings for Fresno. "We're keeping track of what's going on down there," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We know how well he's throwing, but our pitching has been fine."
Brian Wilson has been temporarily shut down at Triple-A Fresno because of arm soreness.
Wilson, who entered the spring as a possible candidate to supplant closer Armando Benitez, had been throwing side sessions to work on his breaking pitches.
Giants prospect Adam Cowart moved to 5-0 for low Single-A Augusta by throwing six scoreless innings Thursday.
It's ridiculous that the 23-year-old Cowart is still in low-A ball when he's been so dominant since being drafted out of Kansas State last year, but the Giants seem to be dedicated to putting together a powerhouse Sally League team. Augusta is now 18-3, but that's with a total of two players on the roster born in 1986 or later. The Greenville team Augusta beat yesterday has 10 players born after the start of 1986. The first-place team in the SAL Northern division, West Virginia, has 11.