While Lawrie certainly lost his cool and failed to control his emotions, it’s hard to fault him for getting frustrated. By drawing a one-out walk, he would have represented the tying run and been in a position to steal his way into scoring position in a close game against a division rival. Add in that the Rays scored four unanswered runs to erase a rare 3-0 Jays lead on David Price, and it’s easy to see why Lawrie was so amped up in what was a winnable game.

Miller’s calls, however, certainly didn’t help matters, and after repeatedly watching Lawrie’s at-bat, it appeared to be the fourth pitch that actually started everything.

Catching Rays closer Fernando Rodney was former Jays catcher Jose Molina, one of the best pitch framers in the league. In the first pitch of the at-bat, Molina set up outside and tried to briefly frame Rodney’s 82 mph changeup, but it was called a ball by Miller. Then, after a wild throw outside and a foul ball made the count 2-1, the next pitch was critical.

Rodney fired a 95 mph fastball that caught the outside corner of the plate, but it was low. Molina managed to stick his glove, though, and bring the pitch, pictured below, up to Lawrie’s knees, and the offering could very well have been called a strike.

Instead, Miller called it ball three, and while this is pure speculation on my part, he could have recognized that he missed the call on that pitch and decided to make up for it on the next one, providing it was anywhere near the strike zone.

As you can see in these two pictures, though, the pitch was well outside the zone and even made its way over the left batter’s box, so it’s no surprise that Lawrie proceeded to walk down to first base and assume that he had just drawn a walk — something that umpires can’t stand. Stopping dead in his tracks after hearing the strike call, Lawrie walked back to the plate, and although neither Lawrie or Miller said anything to each other, Lawrie stared him down before resuming the at-bat, which Miller probably wasn’t impressed with.

But as Sportsnet’s Mike Wilner pointed out after the game, Miller let his emotions get in the way of making the right call on the final pitch of the at-bat.

“It’s an umpire’s job to call balls and strikes, safe and out and to maintain control of the game.  It’s not an umpire’s job to insinuate himself into said game by enacting personal vendettas when he feels slighted, and that’s what Miller did,” Wilner wrote.

The image below — where the ball is above the logo on Lawrie’s jersey and almost eye level with Molina — says it all:

In addition to blowing such an obvious call, I was somewhat surprised at how fast Miller threw Lawrie out of the game. It took just a couple of words after turning around for Lawrie to get tossed, which only set him off even further, leading him to throw his helmet on the ground and unintentionally hit Miller with it. In what was a necessary move, Farrell ran out to restrain his third baseman and give Miller a piece of his own mind before getting tossed himself, a display that I thought was important on Farrell’s part and, at the very least, should bring him closer to his players in the clubhouse.

While it’s easy to understand why Lawrie reacted to Miller’s calls, how he reacted after the fact was unacceptable and is almost guaranteed to result in a suspension. My first thought was that he’d receive five games, but considering Roberto Alomar received five games for his incident in 1996 and Yadier Molina received five games for physically brushing home plate umpire Rob Drake last season, Brett Lawrie could receive less, but seven to ten games could also be a possibility.

- JM

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Talking to a scout, Rosenthal relayed that the anonymous talent evaluator felt that d’Arnaud looked like Yankees catcher Russell Martin in his early days with the Dodgers, and that d’Arnaud could play in the Majors right now.

The Blue Jays have high hopes for Travis d'Arnaud. (Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE)

“The Jays, as I’ve written before, are in no rush with D’Arnaud. J.P. Arencibia lacks d’Arnaud’s upside and only recently has started hitting, but the Jays like the way he handles their staff,” Rosenthal added.

Should d’Arnaud develop into — or even exceed — the 27-double, 14-home run, .285 hitter and Gold Glove-caliber defender that Martin was from 2006-08 for the Dodgers, I’m sure that the Blue Jays’ front office would be more than pleased, especially considering that the young catcher was the more unknown player received in the Roy Halladay trade over two years ago.

While d’Arnaud, ranked the 17th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America before the season, hasn’t exactly hit the ball the way many people thought he would in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season, his season at this point has been far from a disappointment. Though his current .141 ISO is his lowest since 2007 and well below the .231 mark he managed with New Hampshire in 2011, d’Arnaud has two home runs in his last three games and has improved his pitch recognition at the plate, drawing more walks and cutting down his strikeout rate all while playing above-average defense.

D’Arnaud should see a September call-up at the very least this season, but depending on how Arencibia performs on both sides of the ball in the coming months, we could very well see the Las Vegas 51s catcher before then.

- JM

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March 2, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (3) poses for a portrait during photo day at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

1. SS Adeiny Hechavarria (LAS): 26 AB, .462/.517/.615 (1.132 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 3/6 BB/K

Not only is the slick-fielding Cuban shortstop finally swinging the bat, he’s doing so with authority. With two extra base hits in six games this week, Hechavarria is up to 16 in 36 games on the year, good for a .146 ISO. Perhaps even more impressive than the boost in power is his improved plate discipline, as his three walks raised his season total to 14. The Las Vegas 51s were 4-2 this week – now 9-3 in May – and the offense has been the driving force behind that impressive record. Hechavarria has been the catalyst while playing the leadoff position, producing four multi-hit efforts in the week’s six games.

2. C Carlos Perez (LAN): 20 AB, .350/.409/.700 (1.109 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

The 2011 season was heartbreaking for both Carlos Perez and prospect fanatics alike, as he disappointed tremendously after three big years in short season ball. Unsurprisingly, he was reassigned to Lansing to open 2012, and while he hasn’t returned to his 2008-2010 level of performance, the improvements from last year are significant. The augmented power has been noteworthy, as after hitting only 26 extra base hits (17 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR) in 95 games last year for a .99 ISO, he’s already hit 14 in 27 games this year (11 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR) for a .171 ISO. This week’s performance was a big part of that, as despite playing in only five games, Perez had five extra base hits, including his first home run of the year. Now 21 years old in his second go around of the Midwest League, this is a very important season for Perez, and he’s starting it off well.

3. LF Marcus Knecht (DUN): 23 AB, .304/.360/.652 (1.012 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

After producing a vomit-inducing April line of .159/.245/.318 (.563 OPS), Marcus Knecht is finally showing a pulse. The power has been there all year, but simply making contact has proved extremely difficult for the Canadian left fielder. His struggles can almost entirely be tied into his 30.1% strikeout rate, which is significantly higher than the 23.5% mark he had during his breakout 2011 season. His statistics this week were fueled almost entirely by his monster May 8th performance against Fort Myers. Knecht went 4-for-5 with 2 HR and 5 RBI to help lead the D-Jays to a 16-4 victory, and earned Baseball America’s “Hitter of the Night” award for his effort.

4. CF Anthony Gose (LAS): 26 AB, .346/.346/.654 (1.000 OPS), 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 SB, 0/4 BB/K

For the second time in as many weeks, Anthony Gose had made the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet. Last week, his performance was a combination of plate discipline and speed. This week it was all about the power. The stolen bases were still there – Gose was a perfect 3-for-3 on attempts this week – but his extra base power was the story. Gose now has three home runs on the year, all of which have come in the past eight days. So, while only two count for this week’s hot sheet, it’s fairly obvious that he has rediscovered the power stroke that led to 16 bombs in 2011. His .327/.393/.551 slash line in May has boosted his season total to .252/.329/.371, which, while still uninspiring, is a huge improvement from his horrible April. Hitting primarily in the two-hole, Gose and Hechavarria are providing a huge boost at the top of the lineup for the suddenly surging 51’s.

5. RF Michael Crouse (DUN): 20 AB, .300/.440/.500 (.940 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 5/4 BB/K

Having all three Dunedin outfielders in my top six this week was a great thing to see, as Crouse’s teammate Jake Marisnick was the final cut for the hot sheet. The trio hadn’t been off to a great start, and Crouse had been the worst of the group. Even after his big week, his batting average is still below the Mendoza line, and his OPS is a John McDonald-like .616. The one thing Crouse had been doing well was taking his walks, a trend he continued this week with five base-on-balls. This is a good sign, as it shows a lot of maturity. Many struggling hitters will go to the plate trying to smash the ball for at least an extra base hit to boost their season numbers back to respectability, but only find themselves walking back to the dugout with their bat in hand. Crouse hasn’t fallen into that trap, and as long as he continues to walk to the plate with a calm mind and sound approach, the hits will come.

Honorable mention: Jake Marisnick (DUN), Chris Hawkins (LAN), Noah Syndergaard (LAN), Sean Nolin (DUN)

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Walden limited the Hot Rods to just two hits in his outing, with four strikeouts and two walks. Although he did not give up a run in his five innings, the right-hander didn’t have his best stuff, frequently missing outside to left-handed hitters with his fastball and operating almost exclusively on the right side of the plate all night.

After stranding a runner on third base in the second inning, Walden ran into some trouble in the third. A fielding error from Lugnuts first baseman K.C. Hobson and a walk put runners on first and second with nobody out, but Walden managed to get a fly out on a ground ball that should have resulted in an inning-ending double play. Hobson dove to stop a hard grounder and threw to get the runner at second, but the throw to first wasn’t in time and the inning was kept alive. Covering first on the play, Walden made a nice scoop on the short throw from Lugnuts second baseman Jon Berti to prevent a run from scoring.

Walden then issued an ill-timed walk to standout Rays prospect Drew Vettleson to load the bases, but induced a grounder to end the inning unscathed. He calmed down after that, however, retiring five consecutive Hot Rod hitters en route to two shutout innings.

After scoring two runs in the third inning, the Lugnuts’ offense broke out in the fifth, capitalizing on Bowling Green’s mistakes. After a single, stolen base, passed ball and two walks quickly loaded the bases, a groundout from Berti scored the first run of the inning before leadoff hitter Kenny Wilson scored on another passed ball to put the Lugnuts up 4-0.

Lansing Lugnuts reliever Blake McFarland throws in the eighth inning of the Lugnuts' 7-3 win over Bowling Green on Wednesday.

That brought up Carlos Perez, who has been quite aggressive at the plate recently, swinging at first pitches and getting behind in counts during multiple at-bats. In what should have been an inning-ending flyout, Hot Rods left fielder Josh Sale lost the ball in the sky and it dropped for a double, scoring two more runs for the Lugnuts.

Lansing shortstop Andy Burns continued to impress during this homestand, hitting a long double in the sixth inning off the left field wall that was just short of being his fifth home run of the season. He made some great defensive plays as well, including an impressive running throw on a grounder behind the mound.

The Lugnuts send “Sancholino” — their impressive pitching tandem of southpaw Justin Nicolino and right-hander Aaron Sanchez — to the mound tomorrow, with Nicolino opening the contest at 7:05 p.m.

-JM

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No. 27: Roberto Osuna

Pitcher / 17 years old / 6′2″ 230 lbs

Born: February 7, 1995 in Juan Jose Rios, Mexico

Bats: Right Throws: Right

High School: N/A

College: N/A

Acquired: Signed by the Blue Jays as an international free agent on August 30, 2011 for $1.5 million

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Nephew of former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Antonio Osuna
• Nicknamed “little canon” after his uncle’s nickname “El Canon”
• The second-youngest pitcher in Mexican League history
• His father, of the same name, also pitched in the Mexican League
• Is the first Mexican free agent to be signed by the Blue Jays
• Was initially expected to sign for $4 million

Career stats:

Video:

Osuna striking out the side (starting at the 0:23 mark) in the Lansing Lugnuts’ annual Crosstown Showdown, April 5, 2012:

Scouting report:

In the summer of 2010, the Blue Jays heavily scouted 15-year-old Mexican pitcher Luis Heredia, going down to the wire in their attempt to sign him once he had turned 16 and was eligible to ink a contract. One of the top international prospects available at the time, as many as seven teams were interested in Heredia and it was reported that the Jays offered the highest bid at $2.8 million.

But the Pittsburgh Pirates, having already known Heredia for over 10 years and possessing strong ties to Veracruz, his team, wound up winning the bid and left the Blue Jays virtually empty-handed, something that the Jays surely weren’t going to let happen again if another young Mexican prospect emerged in the future.

So months later, when 15-year-old Roberto Osuna was already touching 94 mph on the radar gun, then-Blue Jays international scout Marco Paddy was made signing him a priority after being easily impressed. The funny thing, though, was that Osuna somewhat came to the Blue Jays himself.

“You’re with the Blue Jays, right? I know you scouted Luis Heredia, I want you to scout me this year,” Osuna said to Paddy at the time, according to a Toronto Sun article.

That didn’t mean that there wasn’t a list of teams competing with the Jays to sign Osuna, as it was reported that as many as 200 people from more than 10 teams would watch him pitch.

The day Paddy met Osuna for the first time, he pitched in an under-16 international tournament where he allowed a pair of earned runs with 13 strikeouts in seven innings, finishing that tournament with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 20:2. Already pitching at a Double-A level according to Paddy, Osuna signed with the Mexican League’s Mexico City Reds shortly after the tournament.

The highest level of baseball in Mexico and considered Triple-A/professional-level, the Mexican League is comprised of grown men and former major leaguers with an average age of over 29. That didn’t stop a 15-year-old Osuna, playing for Mexico City, the most acclaimed and popular team in the league, from holding his own against players well into their 30s.

In 13 games, Osuna gave up 12 earned runs on 25 hits in 19 2/3 innings for a 5.49 ERA, with 11 walks and 12 strikeouts. He struck out the first batter he faced swinging and two of his first three, while becoming the second-youngest pitcher in Mexican League (Liga Mexicana de Beisbol) history at 16 years, two months. Pitching well beyond his age and already mixing up his pitches, the Blue Jays had seen enough and offered Osuna a $1.5 million bonus when he became eligible to sign in July of last year. The Jays made sure to make the most lucrative offer — as Mexican League clubs pocket 75% of the amount with the player getting the rest — and in the end, they got their man.

It’s easy to see why the Blue Jays and more than 10 other organizations were so impressed with Osuna. Having just turned 17 in January, the right-hander has a quick arm with a smooth delivery and an advanced feel for pitching. His fastball velocity has been inconsistent, ranging from 88-94 mph, but he apparently hit a minimum of 92 with it while pitching for the Lansing Lugnuts in their Crosstown Showdown last month. The fastball has mild arm-side movement and projects to be a plus pitch with the potential to be graded even higher down the road, considering he’ll almost certainly add velocity to it.

Complementing his fastball is a 72-77 mph, 11/5 curveball/slider (slurve) that projects to be an above-average to plus pitch, though a lot of work will be needed to reach that. Still, the pitch was rumored to consistently sit in the low-80s last month with good two-plane movement, so it appears that Osuna has already made improvements to the pitch since signing almost one year ago. He also shows a good feel for a 77-80 mph changeup that, according to Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus, has splitter-like movement with some late drop.

Osuna throws from a high three-quarter arm slot with a high leg kick and, although not a concern given the fact that he’s just 17 years old, he tips his off-speed pitches by either slowing his delivery, throwing from a different arm slot, or fumbling with the grip in his glove. The main knock on Osuna is his immature and somewhat overweight body, which I can confirm after seeing him in spring training in March. Even though I had read scouting reports on Osuna before, I was surprised at the thickness of Osuna’s frame in person, so his coaches will surely keep an eye on his conditioning going forward.

Given his age and his proximity to the majors, Osuna is a very raw prospect and could go down a variety of different paths in his development. Baseball America considered the risk on Osuna extreme, but since pitchers at his age don’t come around every day, the reward could very well be extreme as well.

2012 team: GCL Blue Jays (Rookie)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: No. 3 starter

-JM

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Lansing starter David Rollins breezed through a clean first inning, with back-to-back swinging strikeouts and a first-pitch groundout to open the game. He then erased a one-out double in a scoreless second, where he battled through four foul balls from Whitecaps right fielder Jason Krizan before striking him out on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

After Rollins retired the leadoff batter in the third, Whitecaps third baseman Colin Kaline skied a 2-2 pitch into the outfield for what should have been the second out of the inning. Instead, Lugnuts right fielder Markus Brisker dropped the ball and Kaline advanced to second on the play, which was ruled a hit and not an error. Then, the next batter, West Michigan center fielder Chad Wright, hit a hard grounder on a 3-1 pitch right to Lugnuts first baseman K.C. Hobson, who bobbled the ball and couldn’t get to the bag in time. Hobson was charged with the error, and instead of returning to the dugout following a 1-2-3 inning, Rollins faced runners on the corners with one out.

Both runners quickly scored after a RBI double and a sacrifice fly, but Rollins ended the inning himself when he cut off the throw to the plate and tagged Whitecaps second baseman Brandon Loy, who was trying to advance to third on the play.

The crippling blow against Rollins, however, came in the fifth, when Whitecaps shortstop Eugenio Suarez roped a two-run double down the left field line to give West Michigan its first lead of the game. That was Rollins’ only real mistake of the game, though, as he pitched better than the four runs (three earned) on his line suggest. The left-hander wound up settling for a no-decision, as reliever Brandon Berl came on in the ninth and allowed a Javier Avendano walk to score to hand Avendano the loss.

The Lugnuts’ offense opened the scoring early and never quit in the losing effort, regaining the lead midway through the game and nearly tying things up in the bottom of the ninth. The top of the lineup paced Lansing’s 12-hit attack, as struggling leadoff hitter Kenny Wilson broke out to go 3-for-5 with a triple and a RBI to improve to 9-for-33 (.273) with an .844 OPS in his last 10 games, while three-hitter Kevin Pillar also went 3-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base and two RBI.

After hitting ninth on Tuesday night and entering play with a .198 average, third baseman Kellen Sweeney found himself hitting in the two-spot for only the second time this season, a possible effort from Lugnuts batting coach and interim manager Kenny Graham to get him back on track. The move paid off, as Sweeney had his most productive game offensively this season, going 2-for-4 with a walk. It was Sweeney’s first multi-hit game of the season, and the way he managed to salvage his night was impressive after grounding out and striking out in his first two at-bats.

After working the count to 3-1 in the fifth, Sweeney hit a bloop single to right field to score Wilson and get his first RBI of the night. Two pitches later, he took off for second base and stole his first bag of the season before coming around to score on Pillar’s triple. Sweeney continued to show his patience at the plate in the seventh, as he drew a two-out walk — his 15th of the year — to prolong the inning.

The 20-year-old got on base with two outs again in the bottom of the ninth, when he singled home Wilson to cut the Whitecaps’ lead to 7-6. He also showed some heads-up, aggressive baserunning, advancing safely from first to third on a hard hit liner to right field. Sweeney has shown great all-around defense at the hot corner so far this season and has showcased his great eye at the plate but has yet to show anything offensively, so hopefully Wednesday night was a step in the right direction for him.

- JM

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1. C/1B/3B Yan Gomes (LAS): 27 AB, .519/.552/.815 (1.367 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 2/4 BB/K

Mar 3, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes (68) throws to second base during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Florida Auto Exchange Park. The Blue Jays defeated the Pirates 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

We’re barely a month into the season, yet Yan Gomes has already taken the “hottest Blue Jays prospect” title on two occasions. Gomes played in all seven of Las Vegas’ games last week, and produced multi-hit efforts in five of them – including three 3-hit games! He had struggled with his plate discipline in previous weeks, but his two walks here improved his walk rate to a slightly more acceptable 4.8% for the year. The power continued to flow from Gomes’ bat, as his four extra base hits this week raised his season total to 14 (11 walks, 3 home runs). Gomes has struggled to find playing time in the past, with his 290 at-bats last season setting a career high. Things have changed this year, as his defensive versatility have given him the opportunity to play in 27 of Las Vegas’ first 32 games, totaling 108 at-bats. With the offensive numbers continuing to pile up –- including away from the friendly confines of Cashman Field –- one has to ponder if the former 10th round pick has more of a big league future than people gave him the potential for.

2. 1B David Cooper (LAS): 20 AB, .350/.435/.850 (1.285 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 3/1 BB/K

For the second consecutive week, David Cooper is named to the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet, and actually improved his numbers from the last edition. Despite playing in only five games –- for 20 at-bats –- Cooper smashed three home runs, accumulating seven RBI. He continued to show his usual impressive plate discipline, walking three times against only one strikeout. This dominant stretch of games couldn’t have come at a better time for Cooper, as the ineptitude of Adam Lind in Toronto has many fans actively calling for an alternative. If the Blue Jays prefer to look in-house for a replacement, David Cooper could be the guy.

3. RHP/LHP Jaron Nanchez (LAN): 2-0, 14 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 14 K

I mentioned in last week’s prospect hot sheet that both Sanchez and Nicolino had been throwing in the bullpen after their in-game work, and that four inning appearances could be on the near horizon. Well, they came a bit sooner than I expected, as in Lansing’s May 5th game against West Michigan, both Aaron Sanchez and Justin Nicolino were stretched out to four innings a piece. The two pitchers were the driving force in yet another shutout victory for the Single-A affiliate, as the Lugnuts won the game 2-0. There were some suggestions entering the season that playing in the larger Low-A Vancouver park may have falsely boosted the statistics of the young trio, but their domination of the Midwest League should lay those claims to rest.

4. 1B Mike McDade (NH): 28 AB, .429/.529/.679 (1.208 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 6/5 BB/K

The second first baseman on the hot sheet is the only representative from the Double-A Affiliate this week, as Mike “Big Mac” McDade finally began swinging the bat with authority. Through his first 76 at-bats of the year, McDade had 22 hits (.289 average), but only four went for extra bases (.368 slugging) –- an uninspiring 79 ISO. In his seven games this week, he slugged one double and two home runs, boosting his season numbers to a .327 average and a .452 slugging, for an improved 125 ISO. He’s also now accumulated 16 walks in 28 games (13.3% walk rate) this year, which is a massive improvement upon his 2011 total of 28 walks in 125 games (5.3%).

5. CF Anthony Gose (LAS): 28 AB, .321/.441/.429 (.870 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 SB, 6/6 BB/K

Anthony Gose has had an underwhelming start to the season, falling well below the lofty expectations placed upon him after a breakthrough 2011 season. The past week was a bit of a turnaround for him, however, as he finally managed consistent contact, knocking at least one base hit in each of his seven games, while striking out only six times –- an acceptable number for a developmental project like Gose. After setting a career high with 43 extra base hits last season, most people –- myself included –- saw the potential for a significant power spike while moving to the Pacific Coast League. He’s been a bit of a disappointment in that regard, with only six extra base hits through his first 30 games. Hopefully this week is a step in the right direction, and the numbers will arrive with some more regularity.

Honorable mention: Travis d’Arnaud (LAS)

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Given his inconsistent history with Atlanta, it’s surprising that we haven’t seemed to hear more about Escobar’s struggles so far. From here, it’s a good thing, though; the Braves ran him out at the first sign of trouble, rather than looking at his history and writing off the struggles as a blip on the radar. The Blue Jays went out of their way to welcome Escobar to the organization when he was traded here in 2010 (perhaps that’s part of why we haven’t heard anything) and the club is continuing to take a thoughtful approach. But let’s take a look at the numbers and see what’s gone wrong so far.

We mentioned a .628 OPS for Escobar so far, compared to his more respectable .782 last year. His isolated power is currently .082, down from a career mark of .110, and his 3.79 groundball-to-flyball ratio is much lower than his career 2.14 mark. Watching him hit, we can see more ground balls and not as many balls driven into the gaps, which is what he needs to do to be successful. I was among those who were scratching their heads when John Farrell flipped him and Johnson in the order, because while getting KJ more at bats was a definite plus, I thought that, given what we had seen from him so far this season, Escobar would be a near lock for grounding into a double play with a man on first. Lyle Overbay‘s frustrating ground balls to second? Same idea, other side of the diamond.

Apr 29, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar (5) hits a double in the 7th inning against the Seattle Mariners at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Not only is Escobar not hitting for as much power, he’s not as patient as he has been in the past. His walk rate is at a paltry 5.3%, which is just over half of his career mark of 9.4%. As someone who hits early in the order, the Jays need him to be drawing walks and seeing more pitches, which is something he has done well previously. Yunel has typically been a very patient hitter, so it’s troubling to see that he’s not getting on-base as often. It could possibly mean that he’s pressing and feeling the frustration of not hitting as well. Additionally, his .274 BABIP is .274 compared to his career mark of .312 is not terribly low, but it’s still a slight variation from the norm, so we can’t write off any slow start to him being unlucky.

Thankfully, Escobar hasn’t brought any struggles at the plate into his play in the field. He has been dependable with his glove as usual, and his 13.4 UZR/150 backs that up. While that’s probably unsustainable, it’s still an excellent sign, and a big part of why the Jays have been continuing to play him every day. Defense is obviously still an organizational priority at that position, and continuing to play Escobar when he struggles to hit shows the value they place on it and allows him to relax and figure out his issues without looking over his shoulder — an issue that we’ve seen with other managers at other positions on the diamond.

Looking at the statistics, we can see that there are some unusual indicators from Escobar’s hitting so far. Fewer walks and less power suggest a player who might be pressing some at the plate, though perhaps it’s a normal monthly variation that we’d see over the course of a season (like, say, Escobar’s September last year). Personally, I’d say it’s still early yet to be very concerned about it. He’s 9-for-20 (.450) in his last five games with a 1.126 OPS, and he has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, so he should return to his norm before long. The Blue Jays’ patient, measured approach with their players helps if one is inconsistent, and in a month or so, we’ll all forget this happened. If Escobar continues to struggle deeper into the season, then perhaps we can start to wonder if and when the much-hyped Adeiny Hechavarria will be ready to go.

What do you think? Should we worry about Yunel Escobar, or is it too early to be hitting the panic button?

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The day began at 10 a.m. at the media sign in gate, where John had arranged for my media credentials. This was where I met Lott for the first time.

A long time reader and admirer of his work (Lott began reporting on baseball for the Post in 2000), I was excited to get a first hand, up close look at how a professional baseball writer does his job. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with Lott throughout the day, which allowed me to dip into his vast well of baseball reporting knowledge.

After dropping our stuff off in the press box, we headed down to the Jays locker room. Needless to say, this was quite an experience.

Blue Jays were scattered casually about the large open room. Music blared. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed.

Unfortunately, I was unable (read: unwilling) to snap any pictures in the locker room. It seemed inappropriate considering players were changing all around me. I was, however, able to get some audio clips.

The first player I encountered was J.P. Arencibia. Lott asked Arencbia a few questions and introduced me. Lott described Arencibia as “the media darling,” and it was easy to see why. Arencibia is even more charismatic and well spoken in person than on a television screen. He seemed confident, but not cocky, and gave well thought out, interesting responses to Lott’s questions.

Next up was Brandon Morrow.

Morrow was fresh off a fantastic start against the M’s (Sat. April 28: 6 IP/0 ER/9 K/5 H/0 BB). Lott asked him about his pitch selection and strategy this season.

I was surprised at how engaging Morrow was. On TV, I have found Morrow to be a bit stiff, and often monotone in his dealings with the media. In person, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Morrow is clearly very analytical, and extremely intelligent.

Our next stop was John Farrell’s office, where about 10 reporters gathered for the managers’ pre-game media scrum. After Farrell finished answering questions, Lott was kind enough to introduce me to Farrell, who for his part, was quite friendly. I felt silly shaking Farrell’s hand, as it dwarfed mine. He is a much bigger man than I had previously realized.

From there, Lott and I headed to the Jays dugout, where we watched players stretch.

Distracted by all of the action surrounding me, I almost didn’t notice Alex Anthopoulos sidle up beside me on the bench. AA was quick to introduce himself (as if I didn’t know who he was!), before the media members in the area gathered around us. AA then answered questions for about half an hour, before Lott and I made our way back up to the press box.

Here is a short clip of Anthopoulos: Alex Anthopoulos: 4/29/12

The press box is a great place to watch a ball game. The view in nice (straight behind home plate), there are televisions for watching replays, a desk and internet hook ups for your laptop and an array of well known and respected reporters around. Here is a pic of my view.

After the game, I followed Lott down to a media room where Farrell briefly addressed a number of reporters. We then went back into the locker room where several of the games key players were scrummed (Brett Lawrie, Henderson Alvarez through an interpreter and Jeff Mathis).

And that was that. I headed home with an extra jump in my step from all of the day’s excitement.

I am extremely grateful to John Lott for generously agreeing to bring me along. I really couldn’t have asked for a better host, and I really learned a lot from just watching him do what he does so well.

Hope you all enjoyed my account of what was an incredibly memorable day!

-SB

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Highlights include a pair of wins in Las Vegas, a walk-off win in Dunedin and good pitching, as usual, from Lansing.

 Wins/Losses: 12-16 | Streak: W2 | 3rd in PCL Pacific South division (9.0 GB)

May 2: Las Vegas 51s 12, Reno Aces 4 – WP: Chavez (4-1, 2.38)

After already being ahead by three runs and scoring five more for good measure in the top of the ninth inning, the 51s topped Reno 12-4 on Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game set.

Hitting:

Outside of the 15 runs that the 51s’ offense scored on April 28, the 12 they put up against Reno was their biggest offensive showing in three weeks.

Left fielder Danny Perales exploded for a season-high four hits and four RBI, including his first home run of the season in the second inning. Cleanup hitter Moises Sierra finished 3-for-5 with three singles, a walk and an RBI, Travis d’Arnaud went 1-for-5 with a double and a walk, Yan Gomes hit a pair of singles and Ricardo Nanita hit a bases-clearing, three-run double in the ninth.

After drawing a pair of walks Tuesday night, Anthony Gose, hitting second behind Adeiny Hechavarria, drew three walks and went 1-for-2. Gose managed to rack up three RBI as well after hitting a sacrifice fly in the fourth, a RBI single in the sixth (advancing to second on the throw and promptly stealing third, his ninth bag of the year) and drawing a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Pitching:

51s starter Jesse Chavez was effective yet again as he limited Reno’s offense to just one earned run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts to earn the win.

Though he pitched out of the bullpen for the Jays in spring training and has been a reliever for almost his entire professional career, Chavez has quietly been putting together a solid campaign as a starter for Las Vegas and could very well be on the radar to be called up to make a spot start for the Jays in the event of an injury. The California native how has a rotation-best 2.38 ERA in six starts with 21 hits and 36 strikeouts in 34 innings. The right-hander has allowed one earned run or less in each of his last three starts, and opposing hitters have managed a mere .175 average off of him so far this year.

Robert Coello gave up three earned runs on three hits with two walks while recording just two outs in relief, but Ryota Igarashi continued to impress, this time with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Chad Beck notched his second save of the season despite issuing three walks.

May 3: Las Vegas 51s 5, Reno Aces 4 – WP: Korecky (1-0, 3.50) S: Loup (1)

After scoring four runs in the first, the 51s were able to curb a late Reno rally at three to squeak away with the 5-4 victory and series win on Thursday night.

Hitting:

With some help from a throwing error from Aces third baseman Taylor Harbin, the 51s enjoyed a four-run first inning after hitting four singles and drawing a walk.

With his RBI single with the bases loaded that inning, Yan Gomes extended his hitting streak to six games. He’s hit safely in nine of his last 10 games including five multi-hit contests, and hit .385 with eight extra-base hits and a 1.147 OPS over that span. After playing third base on Tuesday and first base on Wednesday, Gomes returned behind the plate to his most familiar position at catcher for his third position in three days, and his versatility, combined with offensive performance, has to be opening eyes down in Las Vegas.

All seven of Las Vegas’ hits were singles on this unspectacular offensive night, with second baseman Ruben Gotay having the best game with a single, two RBI, a walk and two stolen bases.

Pitching:

The Blue Jays called up Joel Carreno a few days ago and since it was his night to pitch on, 51s reliever Andrew Carpenter opened the contest instead and tossed two scoreless innings. Bill Murphy allowed one earned run on four hits in three innings, Bobby Korecky earned the win after allowing no runs in two innings, and Chad Beck earned his third save of the season with a perfect ninth.

Left-handed reliever Evan Crawford, who was optioned by the Blue Jays to Triple-A earlier this week, allowed three earned runs on three hits with two walks in two thirds of an inning in his first appearance with the 51s.

Wins/Losses: 11-15 | Streak: L2 | 5th in EAS Eastern division (7.0 GB)

May 2: Reading Phillies 4, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2 – LP: Wright (0-1, 3.18)

After scoring a pair of runs early, the Fisher Cats gave up four unanswered runs as they fell to Reading 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Hitting:

It was a quiet night for New Hampshire’s bats, as their six hits were split evenly across six different hitters. Justin Jackson plated both runs with his triple in the second inning, while catcher A.J. Jimenez hit his third double of the season. Left fielder Brad McElroy went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, but he saved a run in the top of the ninth with an outfield assist on a throw to the plate.

Pitching:

Fisher Cats starter Ryan Tepera lasted only three innings and issued three walks, but allowed only a pair of earned runs on four hits. Reliever Matt Wright allowed one unearned run in two solid innings of work, but was handed the tough-luck loss after Reading center fielder reached base on a throwing error, stole second, and scored the go-ahead run on a double.

Right-hander Fernando Hernandez allowed one hit and struck out two in a pair of scoreless innings, while Danny Farquhar gave up one earned on three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Sidearm left-hander Aaron Loup continues to thrive in his somewhat lefty specialist role, as he recorded one out in the eighth and now has not allowed a run in 13 1/3 innings this season thanks to the movement on his fastball and curveball.

May 3: Reading Phillies 8, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6 – LP: Uviedo, 1-1, 2.84)

After taking a 5-0 lead by the end of the third inning, the Fisher Cats’ bullpen gave up the go-ahead runs in a late rally from Phillies as New Hampshire fell to Reading 8-6 on Thursday night for their third loss in the four-game series.

Hitting:

The Fisher Cats got things started right away in the first, when Ryan Goins led off with a single and Jonathan Diaz walked. First baseman Mike McDade promptly knocked in the first run with a single, before Brian Van Kirk chipped in a RBI single of his own later in the frame to put New Hampshire up 2-0.

The Fisher Cats extended their lead in the third inning, when Diaz reached base after being hit by a pitch and McDade followed that up with a two-run homer to right field, his second of the season. After Mark Sobolewski reached on an error and stole second, Van Kirk, who finished 3-for-4, cashed him in with a double for his second RBI of the game.

Pitching:

Making his third Double-A start, right-hander Casey Lawrence finished two outs shy of a quality start after he was pulled in the sixth following a leadoff single and a fly out. Matt Daly came on in relief and quickly allowed a pair of singles around a wild pitch that let Lawrence’s runner score. Overall, Lawrence was charged with three earned runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with no walks and three strikeouts.

Daly also walked a batter and was charged with an earned run of his own, so he was pulled in favor of Aaron Loup after failing to record an out. Loup got his fourth hold of the year with a scoreless inning of work, before Clint Everts allowed his first run of the season and Ronald Uviedo allowed three runs (two earned) late in the game to get tagged with the loss.

Wins/Losses: 20-7 | Streak: W2 | 1st in FSL North division (6.0 GM lead)

May 2: Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Clearwater Threshers 4 – WP: Barnes (1-0, 2.25)

After tying the game with a two-run seventh inning, the D-Jays scored two more in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the 6-4 victory over Lakeland on Wednesday night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

Hitting:

Ryan Schimpf was the hero in this game, twice! The 24-year-old smacked a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, and then with one out and a runner on, smacked his second two-run homer of the game to right field that put the Jays ahead to walk off with the win. Schimpf has hit three home runs in his last five games and 10 of his 18 hits this season have been for extra bases, so the 5-foot-9, 181-pound second baseman has been showcasing some unexpected power as of late.

Kevin Nolan was the only other Dunedin Jay to record a multi-hit game, hitting two singles with a walk and a RBI.

Pitching:

Dunedin starter John Stilson was capped at three innings in a strong performance, allowing one earned run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. His only mistake came in the third inning when he surrendered a two-out solo home run to Lakeland third baseman Nick Castellanos, who currently leads the ALL of the minor leagues with a .426 batting average. The homer was the first one off Stilson this season, and the right-hander has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his six starts.

May 3: Dunedin Blue Jays 5, Lakeland Flying Tigers 3 – WP: Nolin (4-0, 2.76) S: Barnes (10)

After giving up a run in each of the first three frames, the D-Jays were able to hold Lakeland off the scoreboard for the final six innings to hang on for a 5-3 on Thursday night.

Hitting:

Dunedin’s offense was out-hit 14-7, with catcher Jack Murphy going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Michael Crouse roped a two-run double, Marcus Knecht went 2-for-4 with a double, and Kevin Nolan hit a double of his own while also stealing his fourth base of the season. Both Knecht’s and Nolan’s doubles were their eighth on the year.

Pitching:

Going up against Lakeland starter and Detroit Tigers top prospect Jacob Turner, Sean Nolin put together another solid outing for Dunedin and improved to 4-0 on the season. He gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and one walk.

Dayton Marze allowed two strikeouts and struck out one in 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Boomer Potts walked the only batter he faced, and Scott Gracey collected three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Danny Barnes, one of my personal favorites, allowed two hits in a scoreless ninth to earn his 10th save of the season.

Wins/Losses: 19-8 | Streak: L1 | 1st in MID Eastern division (3.0 GM lead)

May 2: Great Lakes Loons 7, Lansing Lugnuts 1 – LP: DeSclafani (2-1, 3.32)

Held in check by Great Lakes starter Jarrett Martin, the Lugnuts couldn’t get anything going offensively and ultimately fell to the Loons 7-1 on Wednesday night.

Hitting:

The Lugnuts managed only one run on five hits, though three were of the extra base variety. Andy Burns and Kevin Pillar each slapped doubles, while Kenny Wilson hit his second home run of the season in the ninth inning to plate the only run of the game for Lansing and break the shutout.

Pitching:

Throwing a season-high four innings, Lugnuts starter Anthony DeSclafani ran into trouble early when he gave up a leadoff single, threw a wild pitch, and committed a throwing error on a grounder to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Another single, error (from Burns), and double followed that sequence, putting Great Lakes up 2-0 in the process. A ground out and double play swiftly ended the inning, but without allowing another run to score to put the Lugnuts in a 3-0 hole early.

Though DeSclafani had 1-2-3 innings in the second and fourth, he ran into more trouble in the third, when a single and double scored another run. A passed ball from catcher Carlos Perez and a walk put runners on the corners once again, but DeSclafani induced a pop out to end the threat, finishing the night having allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout. It was the third time this season that DeSclafani had been scored on in an outing.

Noah Syndergaard came on in relief and was close to recording another dominant, run-free outing. After giving up a leadoff single in the fifth, Syndergaard struck out the side swinging before stranding a runner in a scoreless sixth. Then, after retiring the first two batters he faced in the seventh, Syndergaard got the next batter to pop up into foul territory along first base, but Pillar ended up dropping the ball and the inning continued.

That proved to be costly, as Syndergaard served up a two-run home run followed by a single and double that scored three runs in total. After getting his fifth swinging strikeout of the night to end the inning, Syndergaard finished the night having allowed three runs (all unearned) on five hits with one walk, five strikeouts and a home run.

May 3: Lansing Lugnuts 6, Great Lakes Loons 5 – WP: Champlin (2-1, 3.71) S: Meyer (10)

In a wild, back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change four times and neither team lead by more than one run, the Lugnuts were able to come out on top with the 6-5 victory over Great Lakes on Thursday night.

Hitting:

Hitting second in the order for only the second time this season, left fielder Chris Hawkins paced the Lugnuts offense with a 3-for-5 showing that included a double and a RBI. The double was the Lugnuts only extra-base hit, but first baseman K.C. Hobson chipped in with a RBI single and Carlos Perez also recorded a RBI despite going 0-for-4.

The Lugnuts continued to be active on the base paths, as second baseman Jonathon Berti swiped two bags to bring his season total to 10, right fielder Kevin Pillar stole his ninth bag of the year, and Hawkins also chipped in with a theft, his fourth of the season. Two of the four bags that the three Lugnuts combined to steal were thefts of third base.

Pitching:

Left-handed Lugnuts starter David Rollins didn’t seem to have his best stuff but still put together a good outing. Although he gave up a season-high three runs, only two were earned and he allowed just three hits in 3 2/3 innings. Keeping up with his impressive strikeout totals, the Texas native fanned five, bringing him to 31 in 27 innings so far this season (10.3 K/9).

Kramer Champlin earned the win after allowing a pair of earned runs on three hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings, while lefty Tyler Ybarra earned his third hold of the season after getting four strikeouts in two strong innings. Stud closer Ajay Meyer struck out the side around a base hit in a scoreless ninth to earn his Midwest League-leading 10^th save.

-JM

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