May the Fourth Minor League Report

There were two one-run games and two blowouts on Saturday for the Blue Jays’ affiliates.

Buffalo Bisons (18-9)

The Louisville Bats scored two in the top of the eighth and the Buffalo Bisons didn’t have an answer, falling 6-5 on Saturday night. Starter Miguel Batista worked six innings giving up four runs and was followed by Clint Everts and Jeremy Jeffress. In a statistical anomaly, Everts earned the loss, allowing two runners on with one out in the top of the eighth who then scored on a two-run single given up by Jeffress who earns a blown save for his effort.

Jim Negrych kept his batting average above .400 with a three for five day that included a double and two RBI. Anthony Gose reached twice on a double and was hit by a pitch while Ryan Langerhans, coming on for the ejected Moises Sierra, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning off starter Pedro Villarreal. Ryan Goins extended his mini hit streak to five games and, most notably, took his first three walks of the season.

Hitting:

Jim Negrych –3/5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K
Anthony Gose – 1/4, 2B, HBP
Moises Sierra – 0/1, K
Ryan Langerhans -1/4, R, HR, RBI, K
Mauro Gomez – 1/4, RBI, 2 K
Josh Thole – 0/3, BB, 2 K
Andy LaRoche – 2/4, R, 2B, K, E
Eugenio Velez – 1/4, 2B, RBI, K
Mike Nickeas – 1/3, R, BB, 2 K
Ryan Goins – 1/1, R, 3 BB, CS

Pitching:

Miguel Batista – 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Clint Everts – L, 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB
Jeremy Jeffress – 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Jim Negrych

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (14-16)

The Fisher Cats brought out their bats, slamming sixteen hits and taking nine walks in a 15-5 walloping of the Reading Fightin Phils on Saturday. Shortstop Kevin Nolan had the only home run of the game (his first as a Fisher Cat) and drove in four runs while Kevin Pillar had a four-hit night and also reached on a walk. Also having big nights, Brad Glenn drove in five on his single and double and Brian Van Kirk went three for four. Starting pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx had another solid start, going five innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk while striking out five. He brings his ERA down to a nifty 2.68 with the performance.

Hitting:

Kevin Pillar – 4/5, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Ricardo Nanita – 1/4, 3 R, 2 BB, K
Clint Robinson – 2/4, 3 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, E
Brad Glenn – 2/5, 2 R, 2B, 5 RBI, BB
Kevin Nolan – 1/4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB
Sean Ochinko – 0/5, BB, K
Brian Van Kirk – 3/4, R, 2 RBI, BB
Kevin Ahrens – 2/5, R, 2 K, E
John Tolisano – 1/5, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K, E

Pitching:

Austin Bibens-Dirkx – W, 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K
Matt Wright – 2 IP, 3 H, 1 K
Evan Crawford – 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Kevin Pillar

Dunedin Blue Jays (17-11)

The Dunedin Blue Jays rallied for two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth but couldn’t score any more against the Brevard County Manatees in a 5-4 loss. Starter Casey Lawrence gutted his way through six and two- thirds innings but gave up all five of the Manatees’ runs on seven hits. The offense only managed seven hits (including three doubles) off of Manatees pitching including five off of Harvard man Brent Suter. Marcus Knecht had the only two-hit night with a single and double.

Hitting:

Jon Berti – 0/5, R, K, E
Jonathan Jones – 0/2, BB
Nick Baligod – 1/1
Andy Burns –0/4, R, SB
A.J. Jimenez – 0/3, BB, K
K.C. Hobson – 1/4, RBI, SB
Derrick Chung – 1/3, R, BB, K
Marcus Knecht – 2/4, R, 2B
Matt Newman – 1/4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
Jason Leblebijian – 1/2, 2B
Peter Mooney – 0/1, BB

Pitching:

Casey Lawrence – L, 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Tony Davis – 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Dustin Antolin – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Marcus Knecht

Lansing Lugnuts (8-18)

While it wasn’t his worst start in Lansing, Alonzo Gonzalez‘s outing on Saturday night is not one he will want to remember. Going three and a third innings and giving up ten runs (nine earned) on ten hits and a walk, Gonzalez struggled against a dialed in Beloit Snappers offense who won the game by a score of 11-6. Reformed position player Justin Jackson made his pro debut as a pitcher, throwing his 94-mph fastball, a slider and a changeup through two and two-thirds innings, giving up one run on two hits without walking anyone and striking out one. Wil Browning and Ian Kadish combined for three shutout innings with Kadish striking out the side after hitting the first batter in his inning.

There was a lot to talk about on the offense as the Lugnuts tallied fourteen hits including doubles from Christian Lopes and Shane Opitz, a triple from Chris Hawkins and a long home run from Gustavo Pierre. Lopes and Hawkins both went four for five with Lopes scoring two runs and driving in one and Hawkins doing the reverse, scoring a run while driving in two. Shane Opitz joined the hit parade with three of his own, bringing his batting average up to .371 since being activated from the DL.

Roster Notes: 1B Balbino Fuenmayor was activated from the DL with SS Emilio Guerrero going on the disabled list.

Chris Hawkins takes warmup swings in Lansing on May 3, 2013. Mandatory credit: Jay Blue

Hitting:

Dwight Smith, Jr. – 0/4, BB, E
Dalton Pompey  – 0/4, R, BB
Christian Lopes –4/5, 2 R, 2B, RBI, K
Chris Hawkins – 4/5, R, 3B, 2 RBI
Carlos Ramirez – 0/5, K
Shane Opitz – 3/5, 2B, K
Gustavo Pierre – 2/5, R, HR, 2 RBI, K
Balbino Fuenmayor – 1/5, 2 K
Seth Conner – 0/5, R, K

Pitching:

Alonzo Gonzalez – L, 3 1/3 IP, 10 H, 10 R (9 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
Justin Jackson – 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 K
Wil Browning – 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Ian Kadish – 1 IP, 3 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Chris Hawkins

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