1. RHP Anthony DeSclafani (LAN): 1-0, 17 IP, 15 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 14 K

Lansing right hander Anthony DeSclafani pitching for the University of Florida during the 2011 season (Rob Foldy, GaterCountry.com)

Since being separated from Noah Syndergaard, Anthony DeSclafani has flown under the prospect radar down in Lansing. Over the past two weeks, however, he’s been the most dominant arm on the staff. DeSclafani made three starts, and despite being fantastically dominant, the Lugnuts offense could only give him one win. He maintained his season long exceptional command, walking only two in his 17 innings, but displayed strikeout prowess we haven’t seen since he pitched in relief earlier this year. In July, DeSclafani struck out only 9 batters in 27 innings, a number he’s already bested in just three starts. He struck out seven on August 12th, which was the second highest total of his season (8, on May 17th). I still feel his ultimate future lies in the bullpen where his fastball/slider combination should allow him to flourish, but the fact the Blue Jays have kept him in the rotation to receive extra innings for development is a huge plus for the long term.

2. CF D.J. Davis (GCL): 25 AB, .240/.424/.440 (.864 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 5 SB, 5/11 BB/K

Toronto’s top pick in the 2012 draft has started his career off very smoothly. Davis’ athleticism was without question, but there was plenty to debate about his offensive game. He’s quelled some of those concerns early on, as he’s managed 11 extra base hits in 39 games as well as an acceptable .248 batting average. The speed has been as advertised, as with 18 stolen bases, he’s leading the Gulf Coast League. Complex league statistics are basically meaningless and should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s good to see Davis having some success.

3. LF Marcus Knecht (DUN): 30 AB, .300/.417/.467 (.883 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 SB, 3/9 BB/K

Knecht was the one of the three 2011 Lansing outfielders to make the jump to Dunedin this year, and was the median player in terms of production. Now in August, he’s the only of the three still with the team. Marisnick received his promotion to Double-A last month, while Crouse was demoted back to Single-A. The season has been a continuum of mediocrity for Knecht, as outside of a dominant May, he’s struggled to keep his OPS in the .700’s. His secondary stats (9.8 BB% and 182 ISO) have remained strong, but contact has been a serious issue, with his strikeout rate soaring to 28.9%. Knecht’s August has started with a bang; we’ll have to see if he can maintain it through to the end of the year.

4. 3B Kellen Sweeney (VAN): 41 AB, .268/.362/.488 (.850 OPS), 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 5/4 BB/K

Sweeney has been one of the system’s biggest disappointments this year, as many – myself included – were looking for him to take a big step forward. The Blue Jays were clearly onboard as well, as they assigned him to full season Lansing with only 25 career games under his belt. He was awful for the Lugnuts, and after a demotion he was even worse through his first few weeks in Vancouver. Sweeney has begun to turn things around, as with an .850 OPS to start August his overall Vancouver line is up to .212/.320/.364 (.684 OPS). His power has been far better than expected, particularly given the large dimensions of the park the Canadians play in, and the walks, as expected, are plentiful. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s good to see him finishing the year on a positive note.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (VAN): 2-0, 16 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 19 K

I still don’t really know what to make of Javier Avendano. He had four strong years in the Cardinals organization, and despite being just 21, they allowed him to be taken in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. With Toronto, Avendano opened the year in relief with Single-A Lansing, and performed very well. As a reward, the team decided to demote him to Vancouver, where he’s shifted to the rotation. The numbers improved, as evident by his dominance in August listed above, raising his season totals to a 1.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.60 K/9 through a career high 88.1 innings. His performance earned him the Northwest League pitcher of the week award. What the Blue Jays ultimately plan on doing with Avendano is a mystery, but he’s handled everything the team has thrown at him so far.

6. 2B Christian Lopes (BLU): 33 AB, .364/.364/.515 (.879 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 0/3 BB/K

Lopes has been one of Bluefield most consistently productive hitters this season, which is significant given the insane prospect depth on the roster. His .813 OPS this year is better than that of Santiago Nessy (.730), Matt Dean (.657), Dickie Thon (.646), Dwight Smith Jr (.629), and Jacob Anderson (.603). A lot of that has been driven by his extra base power, as he’s first on the team in triples, and his doubles total (16) is twice the total of the team’s second highest player (Nessy, 8). Lopes was mostly overlooked when offseason prospect rankings were written, but should find himself in the top 30 this winter.

7. 1B Mike McDade (LAS): 45 AB, .356/.375/.511 (.886 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

After being the lone offensive prospect in New Hampshire for much of the year, McDade finally received a promotion to Las Vegas. The problem is, d’Arnaud is injured, Snider and Thames were traded, and Gose, Sierra, Hechavarria, Cooper, and Gomes are in Toronto. Long story short, he’s once again in a very thin lineup. Big Mac has gotten off to a very hot start with the 51s, with five multi-hit games already in August. Unfortunately, McDade was placed on the minor league disabled list this week, so both his season – and the Las Vegas offense – take yet another blow.

8. RF Michael Crouse (LAN): 28 AB, .250/.364/.571 (.935 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 5/8 BB/K

To say Crouse’s 2012 season has been a disappointment would be a colossal understatement. After producing an .827 OPS in the Midwest League last year – arguably the hardest of the minor leagues in which to hit – Crouse joined Knecht and Jake Marisnick in Dunedin, where he did next to nothing. In parts of three months, he maintained a batting average around the .200 mark with an on-base percentage below .300. Both his power and speed, which were superb last season, vanished. Even a demotion back to Lansing wasn’t enough to rekindle the spark – at least until this week. Crouse smashed three home runs, which is the greatest total of anyone on the hot sheet.

Honorable mention:
Jorge Vega-Rosado (BLU), Jesus Gonzalez (GCL), Justin Nicolino (LAN)

Jays' pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard can match heat with the best of them at training camp in Dunedin. (STEPH ROGERS photo)

The alarming splits I mentioned were the pitcher’s respective starter versus reliever numbers, and they’ve only become worse since I wrote that article. Including his most recent game on June 8th, Syndergaard has produced like the elite pitching prospect he is while starting, with a 0.79 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. When coming out of the bullpen, however, he has pitched like an on-the-verge-of-release non-prospect, with a 9.00 ERA and 2.06 WHIP. The reverse is true with his partner Anthony DeSclafani, and all of the astonishing numbers can be viewed in the table below.

The starter versus reliever splits for Noah Syndergaard and Anthony DeSclafani

I had been monitoring these splits for some time, but given the sample size and the fact I haven’t been able to actually see the pitchers in person, I decided to hold back on writing the article. This changed last week, when Curt Rallo released a feature piece about Noah Syndergaard on MiLB.com. Hidden in the final paragraph were a couple of quotes that drew my attention and confirmed my suspicions.

It’s kind of frustrating, but at the same time, I know there’s a goal, there’s a plan that the Blue Jays have for me,” Syndergaard said of alternating starts and relief outings. “I’m OK with it, but I definitely feel more comfortable starting. I still haven’t figured out the relieving role. It would be a lot easier to acclimate to my routine if I was a starter every five days. The first few relief appearances, it was tough to get my arm loose, but I feel that I have a set routine going and get my arm loose.

It makes sense, when you really think about it. Noah Syndergaard is a very large man that stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 200-plus pounds. He’s been a starter for his entire pitching career, and it probably takes a while for him to get that big body loose. When working in relief, you warm up with the rest of your team during pregame, but then sit around for an hour or two before it’s your turn to come in and pitch, at which point you have five to ten minutes to get yourself ready. The starting pitcher has a vastly different routine, as over the course of nearly an hour he’ll stretch, play catch, long toss, throw in the bullpen, and then finally warm up on the mound.

I asked Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, the Lugnuts primary radio announcer, whether he saw any noticeable differences, velocity or otherwise, when Syndergaard was starting versus relieving. He didn’t believe there were any velocity variations, but noted that Syndergaard often appeared off rhythm during his relief appearances. Jesse described how he would be breezing through the outing, but once he got in trouble, things would pile up, making him very susceptible to big innings. From my perspective, that sounds like someone who can’t find a good feel for their pitches.

As I mentioned earlier, the reverse is true for Syndergaard’s partner, 2011 draft pick Anthony DeSclafani. With the University of Florida, DeSclafani pitched almost exclusively in relief over his sophomore and junior seasons, totaling 39 relief appearances against only eight starts. His fastball/slider combination is much more suited to the bullpen, and with the seemingly endless amount of starting pitching depth ahead of him, one has to seriously doubt DeSclafani’s future is long for the rotation.

So we have two pitchers –- one a long-term starter, the other a long-term reliever -– both of whom are struggling in their opposite roles. At what point does the Blue Jays front office put the kibosh on this experiment? I have little doubt that they are aware of these shocking splits, likely even more so with Syndergaard’s recent comments. I do understand wanting to have DeSclafani throw starter innings, as it builds arm strength and allows him to develop his secondary pitches at an advanced rate. The question is, why not have Syndergaard start every turn, and have DeSclafani finish his games? Both would remain in the roles they find most comfortable, and both would receive the necessary innings to progress development. There’s a point at which simply ignoring a problem becomes negligence, and while I’m sure the Blue Jays have the absolute best intentions behind this arrangement, I’m beginning to wonder whether this “learning exercise” has become more of a problem than a solution.

1. C Travis d’Arnaud (LAS): 20 AB, .500/.524/1.200 (1.724 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 1/2 BB/K

March 17, 2012; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Travis d'Arnaud (15) catches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

When a prospect puts together an OPS over 1.000 for the week, he’s rolling. The Las Vegas hitters have even provided a few 1.200+ OPS weeks already this season, and unsurprisingly, they ranked extremely high on their respective hot sheets. Travis d’Arnaud must be laughing, because if those are hot weeks, he’s an inferno right now. The numbers he compiled over his five games this week are not simply bordering on insanity, they are insanity. Even though it’s only May, I’m confident in saying no other player in the Blue Jays system will have a better week than what d’Arnaud produced here. He had 10 hits in 20 at-bats, which would be impressive enough on its own, but 60% of those hits went for extra base hits – resulting in an absurd 1.200 slugging percentage. d’Arnaud had a solid April with a .778 OPS, but most people were expecting more from the systems premiere prospect in such a hitter friendly environment. Well, he’s delivered in May, as these numbers boosted his monthly total to .317/.368/.635 (1.003 OPS). With both JP Arencibia and Travis d’Arnaud cruising on offense in their respective leagues, the Blue Jays are in a very enviable position.

2. LHP Sean Nolin (DUN): 0-0, 12 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 16 K

Nolin made the first prospect hot sheet of the season, but hasn’t appeared since. It hasn’t been because he’s pitched poorly, as he’s allowed more than three runs in only one of his nine starts this season. He simply hasn’t produced any dominant outings since his 11 strikeout performance on April 12th. Things were different this week, as Nolin made two starts and struck out eight in each of them, while walking a grand total of zero batters. Not only did he own the strikezone, but balls put in play were swallowed up by his defense, resulting in an impressive 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP for the week. The 22 year old Nolin has completely overmatched the Florida State League thus far, and a promotion to New Hampshire may be on the horizon.

3. RHP Aaron Sanchez (LAN): 1-0, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

I recently wrote an article here at Jays Journal that detailed how far Sanchez has come since being selected in the Supplemental 1st round of the 2010 draft, and he continued his successful season with two more dominant appearances this week. The two games saw Sanchez throw a total of eight innings, in which he allowed only five base runners while striking out 10. Strikeouts have always been his calling card, but his ability to induce weak contact this season has been perhaps his most impressive feat. His groundout to flyout ratio has soared to 3.08 for the season, and is a testament to just how good the movement on his fastball is.

4. RHP Noah Syndergaard / Anthony DeSclafani (LAN): 1-0, 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Unlike Sanchez and Nicolino, this duo has had its fair share of ups and downs. From late April through mid May, Syndergaard allowed nine runs (six earned) in 15.2 innings, while DeSclafani gave up another nine runs (seven earned). On May 17th, however, the two pitched the best they have since early April, combining to allow only one earned run in eight total innings, while striking out 11 batters for good measure. One interesting trend with this pairing is their starter/reliever splits:

Syndergaard (as starter): 16 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 21 K
Syndergaard (as reliever): 12.2 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 8 BB, 17 K
DeSclafani (as starter): 14 IP, 25 H, 8 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
DeSclafani (as reliever): 17 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 21 K

Throughout his entire (albeit brief) minor league career, Syndergaard has pitched almost exclusively as a starter, while the recently drafted DeSclafani served as the closer for the University of Florida. While the sample size is still small, it’s noteworthy how drastically different they have each performed in the roles. Even when the reliever knows in advance he’ll be pitching in the ballgame, the warmup is vastly different, and it’s possible a pitcher like Syndergaard needs the full pregame routine to loosen up his arm. For DeSclafani, a former reliever, he may be having a difficult time adjusting to slowly preparing himself, as opposed to simply relying upon adrenaline and quickly getting ready for an in-progress game. It will definitely be something to watch, at least as long as Lansing utilizes the piggyback approach.

5. LHP Justin Nicolino (LAN): 1-0, 8 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Nicolino didn’t pitch at his best this week, which speaks volumes about how good he’s been not only this year (1.16 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), but his entire career (1.27 ERA, 0.89 WHIP). It’s actually amazing how little attention he’s drawn this season. The tandem of Nicolino and Aaron Sanchez threw three innings a piece a total of five times before making the jump to four inning appearances. Their May 20th game was their fourth appearance at that length, which, if the Blue Jays keep their development linear, would indicate the two will make only one more game together before their separation. With five inning starts for the rest of the season, the pitchers would be on pace for season totals of 120-125 innings, which is roughly where General Manager Alex Anthopolous indicated he’d like to see them finish.

Honorable mention: Casey Lawrence (NH)

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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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On a night where gusty winds made for a chilly atmosphere for the announced attendance of 646, I was fortunate to be one of mere 30 actual people that were on-hand to witness this impressive pitching display from two highly-touted right-handers.

Ranked as the Jays’ best pitching prospect and No. 99 in all of baseball by MLB.com, Noah Syndergaard, known for his blazing fastball, lived up to the hype while showcasing an impressive curveball.

That curveball got Syndergaard his first strikeout of the game in the first inning, but a throwing error from Lugnuts backup catcher Pierce Rankin allowed the runner to reach base. After a stolen base and a groundout advanced the runner to third, Syndergaard induced a popout to end the frame unscathed.

Using his curveball once again in the second inning, Syndergaard threw off the timing of his next victim, Silver Hawks first baseman Bobby Stone, to record his second swinging strikeout of the night. Then, after giving up a single, Syndergaard proceeded to freeze the next two batters and strike them both out looking — the first on a curveball and the second on a fastball, for good measure.

Then in the third inning, after using a fastball to rack up his fifth strikeout of the night, Syndergaard fielded a bunt attempt down the first base line and twirled an off-balance toss that wound up taking Lugnuts first baseman K.C. Hobson off of the bag, allowing the runner to reach safely. He responded by going right after Silver Hawks DH Gerson Montilla, who flailed helplessly out in front of yet another curveball to give Syndergaard his sixth and final strikeout of the night.

For a guy who apparently needs to work on his off-speed stuff, Syndergaard seems to be doing just fine. He toggled between his fastball, curveball and circle changeup while allowing merely three hits in three scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The man he was up against, however, pitched even better.

Archie Bradley, considered the Diamondbacks’ No. 2 prospect and No. 20 in baseball overall, single-handedly overpowered the Lugnuts in five no-hit innings. Hovering in the mid-90s with his fastball, Bradley, who told MiLB.com later in the night that he could have gone the whole game if his manager wanted him to, looked exactly like a top prospect. He fanned a personal-high eight batters – including a stretch of six straight – induced nine groundouts and issued a pair of walks that both came after full counts.

Despite not managing a hit, the Lugnuts had runners in scoring position in three of Bradley’s five innings thanks to some poor fielding by South Bend and a stolen base from Lansing center fielder Markus Brisker, who had been hit in the helmet with a fastball moments before. The Lugnuts that reached base gave Bradley a few chances to showcase his impressive pickoff move, and there was one time where he started to walk off the mound because he thought he had gotten a runner at first.

The star pitching duel between Syndergaard and Bradley overshadowed an impressive performance by Lugnuts right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who worked quickly and finished with three scoreless innings of his own, including three strikeouts.

Things got interesting for DeSclafani in the fifth, though, when Lugnuts third baseman Kellen Sweeney fielded a two-out grounder but airmailed the throw way over the head of Hobson to extend the inning. Then, fielding a single from the very next batter, Brisker misplayed the ball in center field but threw out the potential first run of the game rounding third with a great throw to the plate.

Also important not to be overlooked was a dominant performance from right-handed Lugnuts reliever Javier Avendano, who struck out all six batters he faced thanks primarily to his filthy curveball. Avendano, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, was selected by the Blue Jays in the minor league portion of last year’s Rule 5 Draft.

Lugnuts closer Ajay Meyer, who found his footing with Bluefield last year but has really carved himself a role in the back end of Lansing’s bullpen, logged his league-leading fifth save of the year in only the Lugnuts’ 11^th game of the season.

-JM

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