May 8 Minor League Report

All four Blue Jays affiliates lost today in what was a rough day for starting pitchers across the organization.

Buffalo Bisons (20-11)

On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bisons faced ML veteran Jair Jurrjens and the Norfolk Tide. While they scored three runs in the first, Jurrjens and the Tide bullpen held them off the board until the ninth and cruised to an 8-4 victory. Bisons starter Claudio Vargas gutted through six innings of five-run ball but the offense couldn’t get much going. Jim Negrych hit a double and walked twice, going one for two to push his league-leading batting average to .429. Ryan Langerhans hit his seventh home run on the season, a solo shot in the ninth inning, in the loss. Chad Beck didn’t have a great return to AAA, throwing an inning and a third giving up a run on two hits and two walks.

Hitting:

Anthony Gose – 0/4, R, BB, E
Jim Negrych – 1/2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
Moises Sierra – 1/4, R, RBI, K
Luis Jimenez – 0/4
Josh Thole – 1/4, RBI, K
Eugenio Velez – 1/4, 2 E
Ryan Langerhans – 1/4, R, HR, RBI, 2 K
Mike McCoy – 1/4, K, SB
Ryan Goins – 0/4

Pitching:

Claudio Vargas – L, 6 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Bobby Korecky – 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 K
Chad Beck – 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB
Alex Hinshaw – 1/3 IP, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Jim Negrych

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (15-19)

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats fell just short of a comeback in a 5-4 loss to the New Britain Rock Cats on Wednesday. Starter Marcus Walden had a very rough start, giving up eight hits and five runs (four earned) in just four and two-thirds innings. The bullpen kept the Fisher Cats in the game with an exceptional effort by Austin Bibens- Dirkx who threw three and a third shutout innings. The offense combined for nine hits, getting two each from John Tolisano, Kevin Pillar (now hitting .331) and catcher Jack Murphy.

Hitting:

Kevin Pillar – 2/5
John Tolisano –2/4, 2B, 2 RBI, K
Ryan Schimpf – 0/4, 2 K
Brad Glenn – 0/4, 2 K
Brian Van Kirk – 0/4, K
Ricardo Nanita – 0/4
Kevin Ahrens – 1/3, R, 2B
Adam Loewen – 0/1
Jack Murphy – 2/4, R, 2B, RBI, PB
Amadeo Zazueta – 1/3, 2 R, RBI
Kevin Nolan – 1/1

Pitching:

Marcus Walden – L, 4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
Austin Bibens-Dirkx – 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 K
Joel Carreno – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Austin Bibens-Dirkx

Dunedin Blue Jays (20-12)

The Bradenton Marauders brought their offense, bunching their runs into the second, third and eighth innings as they defeated the Dunedin Blue Jays 9-4 on Wednesday. Blue Jays’ starter Scott Copeland made it through seven innings, but gave up five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five. At the plate, only Matt Newman and Jon Berti had multi-hit nights while Berti added two stolen bases. Andy Burns and Marcus Knecht each hit their team-leading fourth home run tonight with K.C. Hobson on base for Andy Burns’s shot.

Hitting:

Jon Berti – 2/5, K, 2 SB
K.C. Hobson –  1/4, R, K
Andy Burns – 1/3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Jon Talley – 0/4, 2 K
Marcus Knecht – 1/4, R, HR, RBI, K
Matt Newman – 2/4, R, E, OF Asst.
Derrick Chung – 0/4
Nick Baligod – 1/4, 2 K
Jason Leblebijian – 1/3, RBI, BB, K

Pitching:

Scott Copeland – L, 7 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Tony Davis – 1/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB
Blake McFarland – 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Ajay Meyer – 1 IP

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Andy Burns

Lansing Lugnuts (9-20)

The Lugnuts dropped an ugly one for their twentieth loss of the season, falling 11-4 to the Dayton Dragons. Top prospect Daniel Norris couldn’t build on his strong start last time out, throwing only one and a third innings and giving up eight runs (six earned) on seven hits and a walk. Relievers Justin Jackson and Tucker Donahue gave up the other three runs, but in decidedly different ways. After getting two quick groundouts, Justin Jackson struggled with his control, giving up a single, throwing a wild pitch and walking the next three batters, scoring a run, before getting a fly ball out to end the inning. To lead off the sixth, Donahue promptly gave up a triple and home run to Junior Arias and Tanner Rahier followed by a single, but retired the next six batters he faced. Chuck Ghysels and Ian Kadish combined for three and two-thirds scoreless innings, with Kadish particularly sharp, throwing a perfect eighth and striking out two.

(15) gets ready to swing with

, Jr. (25) leading off first base for the Lansing Lugnuts against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on May 3, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Jay Blue

Three Lugnuts had multi-hit nights including Dalton Pompey who hit a double and triple.  Gustavo Pierre and Shane Optiz hit two singles apiece and Opitz is now hitting .372 in forty-three at bats since coming off the disabled list while Pierre’s woes in the field continued as he made his tenth error of the season. Right fielder Carlos Ramirez went one for four with his third home run on the season for the ‘Nuts. Kevin Patterson, Dwight Smith, Jr. and Kellen Sweeney struck out three times each.

Hitting:

Dwight Smith Jr. – 0/5, 3 K
Gustavo Pierre – 2/4, R, E
Dalton Pompey  – 2/4, R, 2B, 3B
Christian Lopes – 1/4, RBI, K, E
Kevin Patterson  – 0/3, R, BB, 3 K
Carlos Ramirez – 1/4, R, HR, 2 RBI
Shane Opitz – 2/4
Kellen Sweeney – 0/4, 3 K
Aaron Munoz – 1/4, 2 K

Pitching:

Daniel Norris – L, 1 1/3 IP, 7 H, 8 R (6 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Chuck Ghysels – 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 4 K
Justin Jackson – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB
Tucker Donahue – 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 K, 1 HR
Ian Kadish – 1 IP, 2 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Dalton Pompey

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