TRIPLE-A

HIGHS: Yankees righthander Tyler Clippard’s cell phone was the latest in the system to ring to fill a need in the Bronx. Clippard, who went 3-2, 2.72 with 41 strikeouts in 40 innings at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, will start tonight against the Mets . . . Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun returned from wrist and groin injuries that hampered him over the last two weeks. Braun went 0-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in Nashville’s 5-3 win against Albuquerque . . . Pawtucket pitchers combined to toss a one-hit shutout in the Paw Sox’ 4-0 win against Ottawa. Lefthander Jon Lester allowed the only Lynx hit, a double by second baseman Joe Thurston . . . Pirates lefthander Sean Burnett allowed just three hits over six shutout innings in Indianapolis’ 6-0 win against Buffalo. Burnett walked five and struck out three . . . White Sox third baseman Josh Fields is showing signs of life offensively. Fields hit his seventh homer of the season and drove in five in Charlotte’s 8-2 win against Toledo.

LOWS: Buffalo lefthander Rafael Perez wasn’t particularly impressive in the spring, and while he was good in his only major league appearance this season, he’s been extremely hittable in Triple-A. Perez allowed six runs on nine hits over six innings of the Bisons’ loss to Indy, and has allowed 46 hits in 42 innings . . . Rockies first baseman Joe Koshansky is hitting for average, but doesn’t look at all like the player who hit 69 homers over the last two seasons. Koshansky, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Colorado Springs’ 5-3 win against Sacramento, is hitting .326/.400/.452 with just four homers, five doubles and 27 RBIs.

DOUBLE-A

HIGHS: Cubs righthander Mark Holliman returned to his winning ways as Tennessee topped Mississippi, 6-1. Holliman, who got tagged for five runs on nine hits over five innings against Chattanooga in his last start, allowed just two hits over eight shutout innings and whiffed five . . . Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus is as hot as anybody in the minors. Rasmus went 3-for-4 with a homer and two steals in Springfield’s 6-4 win against Tulsa and is now hitting .306/.394/.569 after hitting just .234 in April . . . Devil Rays righthander Chris Mason is one of the most dominant pitchers in the Southern League, and put forth another solid effort in Montgomery’s 6-2 win against Birmingham. Mason allowed a pair of runs on four hits and fanned eight over seven innings to improve to 6-1, 2.65 in 51 innings.

LOWS: Not that they were especially bad, but White Sox lefhander Gio Gonzalez and Astros lefty Troy Patton weren’t all that sharp in their Saturday starts. Gonzalez allowed three runs on seven hits and walked three over five innings in the Barons’ loss to the Biscuits, while Patton allowed three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of Corpus Christi’s 8-3 loss to Midland.

HIGH CLASS A

HIGHS: Lancaster exacted revenge from their historic 30-0 loss to Lake Elsinore on Friday, defeating the Storm, 14-12 in large part because of 23-year-old first baseman Aaron Bates. Bates homered four times—immediately putting himself in the middle of the minor league home run chase—and drove in six in the Jet Hawks’ victory . . . Speaking of the home run chase, Chris Gimenez would likely also be among the leaders if he played every day. Kinston’s backup catcher hit three homers in a game last week, and handed the Indians a 10-8 victory over Potomac with a two-run homer in the top of the 13th inning. Gimenez has nine homers in 95 at-bats this season . . . Cardinals righthander Adam Ottavino tossed five shutout innings in Palm Beach’s 9-1 win against Vero Beach. Ottavino allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out nine . . . One of the better pitching matchups in the minors on Saturday featured Reds righthander Johnny Cueto against Phillies lefty Josh Outman in Sarasota’s 7-5 win against Clearwater. Neither starter disappointed, as Cueto allowed a run on three hits over eight innings and Outman gave up a pair of runs on five hits and struck out eight over seven innings.

LOWS: Lake Elsinore lefthander Brenton Carter allowed five homers—and three of Bates’ four bombs—in the Storm’s loss to Lancaster. Carter allowed eight earned runs on 12 hits in five innings . . . Royals righthander Blake Johnson didn’t last long in Wilmington’s 10-2 loss to Myrtle Beach. Johnson allowed eight earned runs on eight hits over just 1 2/3 innings . . . Diamondbacks righthander Brooks Brown took his first loss of the season, as Visalia went down to Rancho Cucamonga, 7-1. Brown allowed seven runs on six hits over five innings.

LOW CLASS A

HIGHS: 10s were wild in the South Atlantic League on Saturday, as both Nationals outfielder Chris Marrero and White Sox first baseman Chris Carter each reached the 10-home run plateau. Marrero homered in Hagerstown’s 6-5 win against Lake County, while Carter went deep twice in Kannapolis’ 10-9 win against Lexington . . . Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw allowed just one hit and struck out nine over six innings of Great Lakes’ 3-0 win against Kane County . . . Two pitchers hit double-digit strikeouts, as Indians righthander Josh Tomlin struck out 10 in the second game of Lake County’s doubleheader against Hagerstown, while Brewers lefty Zach Braddock whiffed 11 in West Virginia’s 11-0 win against Asheville.

LOWS: Mariners lefthander Tony Butler remained winless on the season, allowing four earned runs on two hits—both homers—in Wisconsin’s 7-4 loss to Lansing . . . Asheville righthander Andrew Graham struck out nine over five innings, but allowed seven earned runs on seven hits in the Tourists’ loss to the Power . . . Burlington righthander Harold Mozingo allowed six runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings in the Bees’ 8-3 loss to South Bend.