Phils' minors notes: Dom Brown still scorching

Wondering how Domonic Brown and the rest of the Phillies' prospects are faring? Here's a look around the minors...

Lehigh Valley (AAA)
• Dom Brown’s post-injury hot streak doesn’t appear to be limited to his rehab stint in the Gulf Coast League. He has hit safely in all five games in which he’s appeared (8 for 19, .421 BA) for the ‘Pigs after going 10 for 19 in the GCL. That’s a .473 clip overall for those who aren’t any good at math.

He sat out Friday’s game after playing four games in Durham but returned Saturday with a double, an RBI and a run scored. He’s hitting .345 (29 for 85) in his last 22 games with LHV.

That’s good news for the Phils. If he can keep this up and stay healthy, especially with some outlets reporting that Hunter Pence could be on the trading block, who knows, Brown could be spending some time with the parent club next month.

• Tyler Cloyd didn’t get a decision in Saturday’s loss to Columbus, keeping his overall record at 12-1. He still on a pace to win 20 games, though Saturday’s effort was just the fifth time in 16 Triple-A starts that he has allowed three or more runs.

• Lehigh Valley’s pitching staff has not had a particularly good month. They are 9-12 with a 4.69 ERA since June 30.

• Justin DeFratus was activated off the disabled list last week and after a scoreless inning in his first appearance, he took the loss Saturday night, allowing a run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Reading (AA)
• Tyson Gillies got back on the field for Reading last week after being out since late May. He went 4 for 7 in two games back but was promptly placed on the suspended list for an unspecified violation of team rules.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another for the oft-injured, troublesome outfielder.

Has the front office finally seen enough of him? He’s already been arrested on possession of cocaine charges, though the charges were eventually dropped. The current suspension appears to be indefinite but the front office should stop being so stubborn where Gillies is concerned and just give him his walking papers.

• The R-Phils snapped a 29-inning scoreless streak Friday night with their first-inning run at Trenton.

• Jon Pettibone rebounded from a two-game losing streak to throw 5 2/3 shutout innings in a victory over Trenton on Friday. He’s now 8-7 and has pushed into the top-10 in ERA in the Eastern League at 3.43.

Clearwater (A)
• Jesse Biddle certainly didn’t look like a top pick at times Saturday night in a victory over Charlotte, scattering seven hits, walking one and hitting a batter in eight innings. Like a top pick, however, he found a way to get through it, allowing only one run. It was the first time since June 3 – a seven-start stretch – that he has allowed one run or less.

Biddle (6-4) has 104 strikeouts in 101 innings while sporting a 3.21 ERA.

• Harold Martinez isn’t looking too much like a high draft pick. The Phils grabbed him out of Miami in the second round last year and his return to the Sunshine State hasn’t exactly provided the type of homecoming he would like. He’s hitting .149 with a .194 OBP in 24 games since moving up from Lakewood last month. He hit .262 in 47 games with the ‘Claws.

Lakewood (A)
• Former top pick Kelly Dugan has had to deal with assorted injuries during his time in the Phillies' system but he finally appears as if he’s rounded into form as July enters its final week. Dugan is scorching South Atlantic League pitching this month, hitting .426 (29 for 68) heading into Sunday’s action.

Dugan entered July hitting .246 but has pushed it up to .286 with his recent surge. He has 15 RBI this month and a 1.118 OPS. He’s a big reason why the ‘Claws are hitting better than .300 as a team this month, 70 points higher than they did in June.

Dugan is still striking out far too much – once every 3.4 at-bats – but with a .500 OBP this month, it’s easy to overlook. If this keeps this up, the Phils might let him get a taste of the Florida State League before all is said and done this season.

• Chris Duffy’s 19-game hitting streak may have ended on July 3 but he’s stayed hot, hitting .357 (20 for 56) since. That includes going 1 for 12 in his last three games. He has two grand slams and 18 RBIs since the streak ended.

• Infielder Carlos Perdomo and outfielder Gauntlett Eldemire landed on the disabled list with finger and leg issues, respectively. Outfielder Miguel Alvarez and shortstop Stephen Malcolm were added to the roster from Clearwater and Williamsport.

Williamsport (Short-Season A)
• Infielder Mitch Walding has one hit in his last 22 at-bats with 11 strikeouts. His batting average has dropped from .326 to .279 in a week.

• Infielder Gustavo Gonzalez was moved up from the GCL Phils.

• The Cutters scored first for only the 12th time in 32 games Saturday night, but it mattered little as they lost to State College. Williamsport is 4-15 when the opposition scores first.

Gulf Coast League
• Mitch Gueller, a Washington prep star before the Phils grabbed in the second round of last month’s draft, has gotten off to a rocky pro start. He’s 0-1 in three starts with a 7.27 ERA over 8 2/3 innings. He’s allowed all seven runs on 10 hits over his last two starts.

• William Carmona, an 11th-round pick out of Stony Brook, is having no such issues. He is sixth in the league in batting (.354) and fourth with 14 RBI. He’s also third with a .532 slugging percentage.

• The Phils are leading the GCL with a .270 team batting average.

• Dominican righthander Felix Santos has been lights out since allowing a pair of unearned runs in his season debut. Santos hasn’t allowed a run and has surrendered only one hit in the 10 innings since that first appearance. Overall, he’s fanned 11 and walked only three in 13 1/3 innings.

E-mail Kevin Czerwinski at ktczerwinski@gmail.com