High Class A Inland Empire OF Kyle Russell's career has been filled with qualifiers. He led college baseball in home runs as a draft-eligible sophomore, but scouts weren't so sure his swing would translate to wood bats, so he went back to Texas for his junior season. After being drafted in the third round in 2008 by the Dodgers, Russell hit 26 home runs in Great Lake last year, but that came with a couple of caveats—he also struck out 180 times and was old for the league. This year Russell, 23, is doing much of the same—he's batting .329/.422/.599, and he hit four home runs this week, but he's also struck out 49 times in 40 games and he's producing those numbers in the hitter friendly California League. Concerns about Russell's strikeouts will continue, but if he keeps hitting home runs, he'll keep getting chances to move up . . . Triple-A Louisville LHP Travis Wood (Reds) would have been the Reds' fifth starter coming out of spring training if it wasn't for Mike Leake and his straight-from-college-to-MLB act. Leake has pitched well enough that Wood clearly isn't going to get a shot unless there is an injury, but he's been busy enough trying to straighten out his own season. Wood had allowed 11 runs in his past 11 1/3 innings before throwing a gem on Tuesday. He tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts as he allowed one run in eight innings . . . Indians RHP Joe Gardner is quickly rising up the organization's prospect list. The 22-year-old made two starts this week for high Class A Kinston without allowing an earned run (though he did allow three unearned runs in his first start) over 11 2/3 innings with 13 strikeouts and five walks. Gardner does an outstanding job pitching off his sinker, a low-90s offering with heavy action that gives his infielders plenty of work . . . Giants LHP Eric Surkamp threw the high Class A California League's first complete game shutout of the season Sunday against Bakersfield. The 22-year-old with San Jose went the full nine innings allowing just two hits, one walk. He struck out seven. Surkamp isn't overpowering, but he led the Giants' system in strikeouts last year with 169 and has handled the jump to the Cal League with ease, going 2-1, 2.05 through 44 innings . . . Angels RHP Fabio Martinez registered his third double-digits strikeout performance of the season last Sunday when he fanned 12 Clinton batters in seven innings. He struck out nine in another one of his starts, meaning that the 20-year-old fireballer, who pitches for low Class A Cedar Rapids, has registered nine or more strikeouts in four of his seven starts. Naturally, he leads the Midwest League with 59 whiffs. What made Martinez's May 16 outing so encouraging was that he didn't walk a batter (he's still averaging six per nine innings on the year), while allowing two runs on four hits . . . Low Class A Clinton's Nick Franklin (Mariners) went 7-for-20 (.350) this week while smacking a double, a triple and three home runs (.950 slugging). He even drew a pair of walks and struck out just four times in six games. Franklin's eight home runs rank third in the Midwest League, while he trails only first baseman Jerry Sands when it comes to slugging, extra-base hits and total bases. Did we mention that Franklin is a 19-year-old shortstop in his first full professional season? . . . Triple-A Fresno LHP Madison Bumgarner (Giants) got rocked for 11 runs on 21 hits in his first two Pacific Coast League starts. But after a seven-inning, complete-game shutout Monday at Oklahoma City, the 20-year-old had quietly strung together a run of strong outings. In his past six starts, Bumgarner has gone 3-0, 1.54 while striking out 26, walking 11 and allowing just 22 hits (only one home run—back on April 19) in 35 innings.

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