Close to Perfect: June 8 Minor League Report

There were some great pitching performances as the Blue Jays minor league affiliates had a clean sweep in a 5-0 day. The Lansing Lugnuts saw two complete-game (seven-inning) shutouts and spot-starter Kramer Champlin came one out away from a perfect game.

Buffalo Bisons (33-28)

Aug 17, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman

(18) celebrates with catcher

(6) after defeating the Texas Rangers at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Rangers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bisons unleashed a fifteen-hit attack on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders in a 10-4 victory on Saturday night. Claudio Vargas had a decent start, throwing six and a third innings and giving up all four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six. Mickey Storey finished the game off with two and two-thirds scoreless innings. All nine Bisons starters got hits but Mike McCoy, playing second base, led the way with three doubles, three runs scored, an RBI and a walk while Jim Negrych, Moises Sierra, Luis Jimenez and Mike Nickeas all had two-hit games. Mauro Gomez went one for two with a double and three of the team’s five walks.

Roster Notes: Earlier today, the Toronto Blue Jays optioned Todd Redmond to AAA Buffalo and activated Dustin McGowan from the disabled list, completing his rehab assignment in Buffalo. Following the game, it was reported that Brad Lincoln was being optioned back to Buffalo to bring up a fresh arm.

Hitting:

Anthony Gose – 1/5, RBI, 2 K, SB
Ryan Goins – 1/5, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
Mauro Gomez – 1/2, R, 2B, 3 BB, K
Luis Jimenez – 2/5, R, RBI, K
Moises Sierra – 2/5, R, K
Jim Negrych – 2/5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI
Ricardo Nanita – 1/5, R, 2B, RBI, K
Mike McCoy – 3/4, 3 R, 3 2B, RBI, BB, K
Mike Nickeas – 2/5, 2B, 2 RBI, K

Pitching:

Claudio Vargas – W, 6 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR
Mickey Storey – 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 3 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Mike McCoy

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (30-33)

The Fisher Cats won their second in a row on the basis of great pitching and great hitting. Starting pitcher Sean Nolin threw six strong innings, giving up only three hits (and no walks) while striking out nine batters. The ‘Cats also got three home runs in the game: one each from Ryan Schimpf, Brad Glenn and Adam Loewen. Glenn had two hits as well as a walk while Kevin Ahrens also had a two-hit game.

Roster Notes: LHP Evan Crawford was designated for assignment (to make room for Dustin McGowan on the 40-man roster) and RHP Shawn Griffith was promoted from Dunedin. The New Hampshire roster still only has 23 players (two below the maximum), so I would expect another move to come in the very near future. I would bet on the promotion of catcher A.J. Jimenez to come sooner rather than later.

Hitting:

Kevin Pillar – 1/5, R, K, E
Ryan Schimpf – 1/5, R, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K, E
Kevin Nolan – 1/5, R
Brad Glenn –2/4, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, K
Adam Loewen – 1/5, R, HR, 3 RBI, K
Brian Van Kirk – 1/2, 2 BB
Kevin Ahrens – 2/4
Jack Murphy – 0/3, BB
Tommy Manzella – 1/4, 2B, K

Pitching:

Sean Nolin – W, 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 9 K
Tyson Brummett – 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K
Randy Boone – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Sean Nolin (Honourable Mention: Brad Glenn)

Dunedin Blue Jays (33-24)

The Dunedin Blue Jays “completed” a game that was suspended on June 1 but more rain forced the game to be called after five and a half innings in what became a 7-4 win for the Blue Jays over the Clearwater Threshers. Because of the rain in western Florida, the regularly scheduled game, which would have been a seven-inning game played after the completion of the suspended game was postponed. Nick Baligod filled in for the now-in-Toronto Rajai Davis and went one for two while Andy Burns and Mike Crouse both went two for three. Crouse hit a home run while Burns and Gabe Jacobo each drove in two runs.

Roster Notes: RHP Shawn Griffith was promoted to AA New Hampshire while RHP Chuck Ghysels was placed on Dunedin’s roster from Extended Spring Training. Ghysels spent most of the first part of the year in Lansing.

Hitting:

Rajai Davis – 1/1, R, 3B
Nick Baligod – 1/2, R, BB
Jon Berti – 1/4, R, SB
Andy Burns – 2/3, R, 3 RBI, SB
Gabe Jacobo – 1/3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K
K.C. Hobson – 1/3, K
Mike Crouse – 2/3, R, HR, 2 RBI
Marcus Knecht – 0/2, BB, CS
Pierce Rankin – 0/2, BB
Peter Mooney – 0/2, R, BB

Pitching:

Marco Grifantini – 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 2 K
Tyler Ybarra – W, 1 1/3 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Mike Crouse

Lansing Lugnuts (27-32)

Game 1

The Lansing Lugnuts won the opener of the double-header with the West Michigan Whitecaps by a score of 3-0, playing a clean game defensively and getting a fantastic seven-inning, complete-game shutout from reliever-turned-starter Ben White. White, who has consistently gotten stronger as the season has progressed won his third game by pitching seven innings and giving up only five hits and a walk while striking out seven. Dwight Smith, Jr. had the offensive game of the night with two singles and two runs batted in as well as a stolen base and a walk. Chris Hawkins also had a two-hit game for the Lugnuts.

Hitting:

Dwight Smith, Jr. – 2/3, 2 RBI, BB, SB, CS
Jorge Flores – 1/3, 2 K
Christian Lopes – 0/3, K
Kevin Patterson – 0/3
Gustavo Pierre – 1/3, R, 2 SB
Kellen Sweeney – 0/3, K
Chris Hawkins – 2/2, R, RBI, BB, PO, CS
Aaron Munoz – 1/2, R
Dalton Pompey – 0/3

Pitching:

Ben White – W, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Ben White

Game 2

The Lansing Lugnuts were blessed with outstanding pitching on Saturday with Kramer Champlin leading the charge in a 2-0 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps in the second game of the double-header. He threw an abbreviated, seven-inning shutout, giving up only one hit on the night (after eight and two-thirds perfect innings) and striking out ten, following Ben White’s seven-inning shutout. With the dual shutouts, the bar has been set even higher for Lansing’s pitching in Sunday’s double-header. Dwight Smith, Jr. drove in one of the two runs and Christian Lopes drove in the other as part of a two-hit game for him. Dalton Pompey hit two doubles and stole his twentieth base of the season in the victory for Lansing.

Hitting:

Dwight Smith, Jr. – 1/3, R, RBI, K, SB
Emilio Guerrero – 0/4, 3 K
Christian Lopes – 2/3, RBI
Kevin Patterson – 1/3, K
Gustavo Pierre – 1/3, SB
Carlos Ramirez – 1/3
Kellen Sweeney – 0/3, 2 K
Seth Conner – 0/2, R, BB, K
Dalton Pompey – 2/3, 2 2B, SB

Pitching:

Kramer Champlin – W, 7 IP, 1 H, 10 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Kramer Champlin

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