No. 28: Joel Carreno

Pitcher / 25 years old / 6′2″ 220 lbs

Born: March 7, 1987 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: N/A

College: N/A

Acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free-agent by the Blue Jays on October 11, 2004

Pre-2011 Rank: 21

Quick Facts:

• Name is pronounced Jo-elle Carr-ehn-eeoh
• 2008 New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star
• 2008 New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week for July 6-12
• 2011 Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for May 16-22
• 2011 Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star

Career stats:

New Hampshire Fisher Cats team ranking (min. 5 GS):

• 1st in losses (9), starts (23), innings pitched (134.2), hit batters (12), walks (68), wild pitches (16) and strikeouts (152)
• 2nd in H/9 (6.3) and K/9 (10.2)
• T-2nd in wins (7) and home runs allowed (12)
• 3rd in hits allowed (100)
• 5th in ERA (3.41) and WHIP (1.25)
• 8th in K:BB (2.24)
• 10th in BB/9 (4.5)

Scouting report:

Coming off of a breakout 2010 campaign that saw him finish second in the High-A Florida State League with 173 strikeouts (including a league-record 15 in one six-inning game), Joel Carreno moved further up the minor league ladder in 2011, pitching in two different roles.

As a starter with Double-A New Hampshire, Carreno stumbled out of the gate last season to the tune of a 6.56 ERA in five April starts and gave up eight home runs in only 23 innings because of, like the year before, failing to mix up his pitches enough.

He bounced back with a lights out May, where he allowed just four earned runs in five starts, nearly doubling his strikeout total from the month before but issuing 21 walks in just under 32 innings . His best start of the season came on May 28, when he fanned a season-high 11 batters while allowing just two hits in seven scoreless innings.

Carreno generates so many whiffs because of his plus slider, an offering that sits in the low-80s and is particularly nasty against right-handed hitters. It’s easily his best pitch, to the point where he overuses it and relies on it when he runs into trouble. He complements the slider with an 89-94 mph fastball that has late life, though he runs into bouts of inconsistency with it and has trouble finding the strike zone with it. A two-pitch pitcher for the majority of his career, Carreno added a mid-80s changeup just over one year ago in an effort to diversify his arsenal, but the pitch is an average offering at best right now.

Carreno continued to pitch well for the Fisher Cats through the summer, and although he issued his fair share of walks in the process, he used his slider to rack up the strikeouts and give his team a chance to win every time he was out on the mound. Making the infamous jump between High-A and Double-A, Carreno maintained his very good strikeout rate at 10.2 per nine innings while giving up a career-low 6.7 hits per nine, but was more wild than he has ever been in the past, easily leading his team in hit batters (12), wild pitches (16) and walks (68), with the latter averaging out to a career-high 4.5 per nine frames.

Given the Blue Jays’ emphasis on developing and using a changeup, some of  Carreno’s wildness last season could possibly be attributed to his coaches and the organization forcing him to rely less on his slider and use his changeup and fastball more. Regardless, what you get from Carreno is straightforward: an overpowering slider that will pile up strikeouts, but bouts of inconsistency and wildness combined with his inability to mix up pitches as much as he should raises questions about his ability to stick as a starter.

The Blue Jays might have felt the same way, as Carreno made his major league debut out of the bullpen after being called up in late August last year. After issuing three walks and giving up eight hits, including a home run in four August appearances (7 1/3 innings), he allowed just three hits over his final seven appearances with nine strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings. Overall, Carreno finished with a 1.15 ERA in 15 2/3 innings in his first big league stint, demonstrating that he could be a valuable reliever down the road.

2012 team: Las Vegas 51s/Toronto Blue Jays

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: Setup man, possible closer

Despite having already started for both the Jays and Triple-A Las Vegas this season, Carreno currently finds himself back in the bullpen after replacing left-hander Evan Crawford, who was optioned to Triple-A yesterday. I’d like to see the Jays continue to try and market Carreno as a starter, but the fact that he has MLB experience will help his trade value regardless and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was shipped out of town in a package by Opening Day 2013.

Should he still be around and in the picture, though, he’d slot nicely into a Blue Jays bullpen that should see Darren Oliver, Francisco Cordero and even Jason Frasor all depart over the offseason.

-JM

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With Carreno out of the running, the field narrowed to three choices; Chad Jenkins, Drew Hutchison, and Jesse Chavez. While Chavez was the veteran of the group – at 28 years old he already had 152.2 major league innings under his belt – I instantly felt like he had a 0% chance of receiving the call. If it was a one-and-done appearance, maybe, but there’s likely at least three to four starts available for the team’s fifth starter over the next few weeks, and that’s far too many innings to hand a journeyman.

In a surprising yet unsurprising move, the Blue Jays handed the start to Hutchison. The move was surprising given his age (21) and experience (234.2 career innings), but at the same time, Hutchison is easily the best pitcher we have in the farm system that is on the cusp of being major league ready. General manager Alex Anthopoulos obviously believes that, with three former or current pitching coaches on the Jays’ staff, Hutchison’s lack of experience shouldn’t be much of a hindrance. With the decision formally made, the questions now turn to results, both in the present and the future.

In the long term, Hutchison projects to be a middle of the rotation starter. His stuff is not overpowering, but the total package of pitches grades out as above average, and he has exceptional command –- the best in the system, according to Baseball America. His bread and butter pitch is his fastball, though he throws multiple variations. The four seamer has nice velocity, sitting at 90-93 mph, but is relatively straight. With the two seamer, Hutchison trades velocity for movement, dropping down to 88-91 mph, but significantly increasing the arm side movement. With his frequent usage of a two seam fastball, it’s unsurprising that he uses a circle grip on his changeup, forcing the pitch to fade down and away in a similar fashion. He has shown good feel for the pitch, and it will be an asset in neutralizing left handed hitters. Hutchison also throws a slider, a pitch he uses comfortably against all batters. At times it has shown excellent two-plane movement, but in other situations, it has slowed down and becomes more of a saggy slurve. The pitch is at maximum effectiveness in the 83-85 mph range, with the problems occurring at lower velocity.

Hutchison is very polished for a 21-year-old, and his biggest obstacle may be finding consistency with his slider. That is not necessarily something you want to figure out at the major league level, so he could rely heavily upon his other three pitches early on, using the slider exclusively counts in which he doesn’t need to be perfect with it. He has benefited greatly by his crossfire action, as during his delivery he will step to the right side of his body with his left foot before finishing the pitch. He further accentuates the deception by working from the third base side of the rubber, which, from a right-handed hitter’s perspective, makes the release point extremely difficult to discern. Also working to his advantage is his pitchability, as Hutchison is capable of adding and subtracting from his pitches to upset timing and set hitters up. Perhaps more than any single pitch, he’ll need to rely upon these traits (deception, pitch sequencing) to find success early on in his career.

Al Skorupa of Bullpen Banter recorded some excellent video of Hutchison and his delivery last season. You can see his delivery from the perspective of a hitter beginning around the 6:30 mark. Additionally, their website has an extensive scouting report as well as animated GIFs of his various pitches in action, so be sure to check it out.

Dustin McGowan is out until at least mid-May, and with no more off days until May 7, Hutchison appears ticketed for four starts. The first, as most know, is today, when the Blue Jays are in Kansas City. It’s still early, but the Royals feature a lineup that is 12th in the AL in runs scored, with only 45 in the team’s first 12 games. Furthermore, they’re dead last in the AL in walks with only 28. It’s hard to suggest that a 21-year-old making his major league debut will find success, but a deceptive delivery against impatient hitters certainly plays in the pitcher’s favor.

The next three starts will see Hutchison facing much more capable opponents. He is currently on track to pitch in Baltimore on the 26th, at home against Texas on May 1, and then in Los Angeles to face Albert Pujols and the Angels on May 6. It’s doubtful Toronto would pull the plug on Hutchison prior to May 7 given that he’s now on the 40-man roster, but these four starts will act as an excellent barometer for the rest of his season. If he struggles, he’ll find himself back in Double-A with a new outlook on what needs improvement. If he succeeds, the Blue Jays will have a very interesting problem to deal with once McGowan eventually returns from the disabled list.

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1. RHP Joel Carreno (LAS): 1-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Apr 8, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Joel Carreno (34) delivers in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

It’s very difficult for any pitcher to place first on a hot sheet with only one start, and even more so early in the year when pitches and innings are heavily restricted. Despite this, Carreno takes the crown as the hottest Blue Jays prospect in the first 10 days of the season. Beyond simply the statistics – which are mighty impressive for anyone – Carreno earns the No. 1 spot thanks to the environment and circumstances in which he pitched this week. As everyone is well aware, Carreno made the start for the Blue Jays third game of the year against Cleveland, and for all intents and purposes, performed admirably. After the game, he was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas. While this was apparently “the plan all along”, no one made Carreno aware of it, and for obvious reasons he was heartbroken upon hearing the news. Carreno didn’t sulk, however, instead turning in perhaps the best start of his entire minor league career. What is most impressive about the start is that he made it for Las Vegas. Through the first 11 games, the staff has a 6.33 team ERA, ranking 15th out of the 16 Pacific Coast League teams. In that environment, five shutout innings suddenly becomes that much more impressive.

2. RF Justin Jackson (NH): 30 AB, .400/.455/.567 (1.021 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 SB, 3/5 BB/K

It’s been an up and down career for the 2007 first round pick. Once heralded as the shortstop of the future thanks to an excellent glove and a promising bat, Jackson has since been moved down the defensive spectrum while seeing his offensive potential continue to go unfulfilled. While the sample size is extremely small at only 9 games, Jackson has gotten off to a tremendous start in 2012. His game has been very well rounded, as evidenced by his four extra base hits, four stolen bases, and three walks to only five strikeouts. In total, he has reached base in seven of the nine games he has played in. Now 23 years old, he’ll need to sustain this hot start if he wants to have a future as a major league utility man, as he’s not far from being overtaken by younger and more talented prospects.

3. LHP Sean Nolin (DUN): 2-0, 11.2 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K

Nolin has made two starts already this season, but the second start alone would have earned him a spot on the first Blue Jays hot sheet of the year. Nolin opened the year with six shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out two. For an encore, he took his dominance to another level. Nolin pitched five and two-thirds innings on April 12th, allowing only three base runners (all hits) and striking out an astounding eleven batters. Just for good measure, he induced six groundouts against only one fly out. Between the two starts, Nolin is up to nearly 12 innings of shutout ball. If his goal was to draw some attention to himself in a rotation that includes top prospects Asher Wojciechowski and John Stilson, it’s certainly working.

4. SS Adeiny Hechavarria (LAS): 42 AB, .381/.409/.500 (.909 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 2/11 BB/K

After struggling for nearly two full years between High-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, Hechavarria received a late-season promotion to Las Vegas in 2011. He hit the cover off the ball, to the tune of a .968 OPS and 10 extra base hits in only 108 at-bats. Many people, myself included, were quick to point to both small sample size and the Vegas effect. To the surprise of most, Hechavarria has picked up where he left off, and it might be time to seriously consider the possibility that he’s finally taken a step forward offensively. Hechavarria is the only middle infield prospect in Toronto’s upper minors, so the fact he’s finally showing a pulse at the plate is a very good sign for the club.

5. C Carlos Perez (LAN): 33 AB, .303/.378/.455 (.833 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 4/7 BB/K

The final spot on the hot sheet came down to Perez and his Lansing teammate, outfielder Chris Hawkins. While Hawkins had the better offensive week, I chose to give the nod to Perez due to the adversity he faced entering the season. After playing like a man possessed in his three years of short season ball, Perez failed to live up to expectations in his full season debut in 2011. His performance declined significantly, and his playing time in the second half followed suit. Now, in his second year with the Lugnuts, Perez has to prove last season was the fluke, not the three years prior. His first week-plus of the 2012 season was very reminiscent of his previous success, and for many players, a hot start is all you need to regain lost confidence and go on a lengthy tear.

Travis Snider Watch: 38 AB, .421/.476/.763 (1.239 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 0 SB, 4/6 BB/K

As long as he’s a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, you will find me steadfast in the corner of Travis Snider. A fact that some fans may too easily forget is that, while the system is in much better shape now than it has been in a decade, Travis Snider is still the best single prospect we’ve had since Roy Halladay was a minor leaguer. He was rushed to the major leagues as a 20 year old in September 2008, and has become a frequent flyer between Toronto and Las Vegas since. In the three years since his debut, he has accumulated 726 major league at-bats and 522 minor league at-bats – not exactly a recipe for success for an elite prospect.

I won’t argue he’s been extremely streaky when with Toronto, but that’s to be expected with young players – he’s still only 24 – particularly when their managers appear to derive pleasure from jerking them in and out of the lineup. What can be said with certainty, however, is that Snider will never be able to make the necessary adaptations to big league calibre pitchers while marooned in Triple-A. He has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues, as evident by his insane start to the 2012 season. Snider should have been the Opening Day starter in left field, but another week of dominance combined with continued lackluster play by Eric Thames could result in a swap of roles far sooner than most expected.

Honorable mentions: Sam Dyson (DUN), John Stilson (DUN), Justin Nicolino (LAN), Drew Hutchison (NH), Chris Hawkins (LAN)

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Initially pegged to return to Double-A New Hampshire’s and be a fixture in their rotation, Carreno will make his Triple-A debut instead, largely due to Brett Cecil occupying his spot in the Fisher Cats’ rotation right now. Although many people feel that Carreno’s future is in the bullpen, I’m glad the Blue Jays are sticking with him as a starter, as I’d like to see him longer as one, but it should help his trade value this summer.

March 2, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Aaron Laffey (32) poses for a portrait during photo day at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Citing the need for an extra left-handed reliever, Laffey gets the call to Toronto just in time for their first homestand of the year. The 26-year-old was the Las Vegas 51s’ Opening Day starter on Thursday, where he was shelled for seven earned runs on 11 hits in just 4 2/3 innings. He induced seven groundouts and zero flyouts in that outing, because the three fly balls that were hit off of him all left the park.

“He had a rough outing there but the way he threw the ball in Spring Training, the way he threw against the Red Sox, particularly down in Fort Myers, Fla., one evening, it gives us a third left-hander with a very heavily loaded left-handed hitting lineup in Boston,” Jays manager John Farrell said in an article on the team’s official site.

Even though Laffey will be a fresh addition to a heavily-taxed Toronto bullpen that was forced to pitch 18 innings in their first three games, Farrell will likely stick with Darren Oliver and Luis Perez as his primary left-handed options and resort to Laffey only in an emergency. Left-handers own a career .268 average and .718 OPS against Laffey in 463 career at-bats, though his numbers were lower than his career norms last season (.242 average, .705 OPS). In six career games against the Red Sox, Laffey has allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits in 10 2/3 innings with two home runs and four walks.

- JM

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March 17, 2012; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Drew Hutchison (69) pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

To say last season’s rookie crop of Blue Jays was impressive would be an understatement. In Brett Lawrie, Kyle Drabek and J.P. Arencibia, the club promoted arguably their three top prospects; an extremely rare sight in the overprotective environment of modern day baseball.

While the results weren’t always there, all three exceeded the 130 at-bat or 50 innings pitched limits set in place by Major League Baseball. It’s a bittersweet scenario for Lawrie, as with 150 at-bats in 2011, he surpassed the threshold by less than a week’s worth of games and would have been one of the early favorites for Rookie of the Year. Beyond the big three, another pitcher lost his eligibility last season: Henderson Alvarez. In a situation similar to Lawrie, Alvarez only just edged past the limit, totaling 63.2 innings in his August and September starts.

While the potential rookie crop for this season lacks star power, it has legitimate depth that could both patch holes created by injuries and strengthen a Blue Jays team looking to contend in the second half. As we’re looking at players projected to exceed 130 at-bats and 50 innings, top prospects who are doubtful to debut before September – such as Travis d’Arnaud and Anthony Gose – will be excluded. They’ll have to wait until next year.

The biggest name expected to receive a promotion this year is Drew Hutchison. The 21-year-old Hutchison cruised through three minor league levels in 2011, finishing the year with three starts in Double-A. While three starts above A-ball doesn’t sound like the description for a potential call-up, Hutch’s combination of a well rounded arsenal, excellent command and baseball intelligence should allow him to competently face Major League hitters by the All-Star break. Two other members of the impressive New Hampshire rotation, Chad Jenkins and Deck McGuire, could feasibly be up before him. Neither has the upside of Hutchison, but the two former college pitchers are very polished and should be the first to receive the call should the injury bug strike the rotation early in the season.

The farm also has some ammo for the bullpen, as the recently demoted Joel Carreno and Evan Crawford are both big-league ready. Carreno had a 15-inning taste of Toronto last September, looking very impressive with a 1.15 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Crawford, meanwhile, spent the entire season in Double-A, but turned heads with an impressive Arizona Fall League assignment. The two are simply on the wrong end of the numbers game, as the offseason acquisitions of Sergio Santos, Francisco Cordero, Darren Oliver, and Jason Frasor stocked the cupboards in Toronto. Working to the advantage of Crawford is his left handedness, as only Luis Perez and the aforementioned Oliver sit above him on the depth chart.

With 71 at-bats to his name already, 25 year old David Cooper is all but guaranteed to lose his rookie eligibility this season. He is currently blocked at first base and designated hitter by Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion respectively, but an injury to either player could result in a serious run for the 2008 first-round pick. It’s doubtful he’ll ever live up to his draft status, but as a left-handed bat with a solid plate approach, he could provide value to the team in short bursts.

The last two position players with legitimate shots of exceeding 130 at-bats this season are Adeiny Hechavarria and Moises Sierra, both of whom will start the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. The depth charts for the two, however, are very different. The team has a dearth of middle infield prospects in the upper levels, so Hechavarria is the first (and only) replacement should Yunel Escobar or Kelly Johnson spend any time on the disabled list. In a complete contrast, the corner outfield position is loaded both at the Major League and minor league levels. Jose Bautista is entrenched in right field, while Travis Snider and Eric Thames are waging a war in left field to determine the Opening Day starter. Whoever loses the battle in left will be sent to join Sierra in the Triple-A outfield, and would be the first callup. The club also has Rajai Davis and Ben Francisco on the roster to serve as the 4th and 5th outfielders. For Sierra to get an extended look, he likely needs both a trade and an injury to occur, making his best case scenario a debut after the July 31st trade deadline.

Unlike last year, it’s very doubtful any of these players will head north with the club, making it difficult to predict a favorite for Toronto’s best contender for the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year award. With that being said, of these eight players, I feel McGuire has the best chance. Hutchison is the best pitcher of the group, but even with impressive numbers it’s hard for a starter to contend for the award with only two or three months of work. McGuire, on the other hand, has the potential for five-plus months of big league time if injury or ineffectiveness were to strike the big league rotation early. Strong command of a four-pitch repertoire should allow the 22-year-old to keep hitters uncomfortable his first time through the league. With that being said, the American League has Matt Moore, Jesus Montero, and Mike Trout – not to mention that Yu Darvish guy – so it’s doubtful any Blue Jay sniffs the top 3 in voting.

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This year was Beck’s first big league spring training, and the 26-year-old allowed a pair of earned runs on four hits in three innings of work with two walks and three strikeouts. The Texas native made his major league debut as a September call-up in 2011 and could be one of the first options summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas in the event of an injury.

Farquhar, 25, appeared in only one game this spring, allowing one earned run on two hits in one inning of the Jays’ spring opener versus the Pirates back on March 3. Known for his funky submarine delivery and the ability to throw from different arm slots, the right-hander was reacquired by the Jays last season after being traded to Oakland in the move that brought Rajai Davis to Toronto.

Crawford, 25, had an outside chance of breaking camp with the Jays, but did impress manager John Farrell and Co. in his three scoreless outings with five strikeouts. After being a mainstay in the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ bullpen last season and being added to Toronto’s 40-man roster, Crawford will likely open the year with Triple-A Las Vegas and be the first call-up if the Jays need a left-hander out of the ‘pen.

Jenkins, 24, opened some eyes this spring after allowing just one earned run on five hits in eight strong innings of work. He changed the grip on his changeup while tightening up the rest of his game, and the 2009 first-round pick should be a prospect to keep your eye on this season.

Carreno, 25, made his major league debut last as a September call-up last season out of the bullpen after being a key cog in Double-A New Hampshire’s starting rotation. He made three relief appearances this spring and gave up three earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts, but was sent to minor league camp when pitchers started getting stretched out because he’s going to be a starter with Triple-A Las Vegas this season and needed to pitch longer than just two innings.

- JM

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After catcher Brian Jeroloman caught the ceremonial first pitch, Jays starter Brett Cecil looked great, working low and away to strike out Pirates shortstop Clint Barmes. A visibly-slimmer Cecil pitched only one inning, but it was encouraging nonetheless and 10 of the left-hander’s 12 pitches were fastballs.

The Jays’ starting lineup might have foreshadowed what to expect on Opening Day, as it consisted of all of the regulars: J.P. Arencibia, Adam Lind, Kelly Johnson, Yunel Escobar, Brett Lawrie, Eric Thames, Colby Rasmus and Jose Bautista.

Jose Bautista pulls a would-be home run just foul.

Lawrie was busy in the first inning, making a running throw on a short chopper before bobbling a hard-hit grounder from Pirates second baseman Neil Walker one batter later. He was able to bounce back quickly from his error, though, as he made a routine throw to Lind following another ground ball to end the inning. Nothing much happened offensively for the Jays in the bottom of the first, but Bautista came close to hitting a mammoth home run that he just pulled foul (pictured).

Kyle Drabek pitched the top of the second, but found himself with a runner on early after Escobar was charged with an error after his throw took Lind off of the bag at first. After walking Nate McClouth, Drabek found himself with runners on first and second with nobody out.

Thankfully Lawrie made a heads up play, where he fielded a grounder and stepped on third base before throwing to first in time for the 5-3 double play. Drabek ended the frame by striking out Gorkys Hernandez.

After Lind led off the home half of the second with a walk, Encarnacion hit a broken bat single to left field and absolutely exploded out of the box, motoring around down the line and around first; nice to see the extra hustle from Eddie. Rasmus advanced the runners by hitting a grounder to Pirates first baseman Casey McGehee that was bobbled, but he was out on a bang-bang play at the bag.

That set the stage for Lawrie who, after receiving a nice ovation from the crowd, slapped a frozen rope double on the first pitch of the at-bat to the gap in left-center, scoring Lind and Encarnacion to put the Jays up 2-0. A couple of pitches later, Lawrie took off and stole third base without a throw.

Reliever Jim Hoey, claimed off waivers from the Twins back in December, pitched the top of the third, and it was easy to notice his tall, lanky frame on the mound. He was throwing all around the plate, but managed to toss a scoreless frame without allowing a hit.

Scott Richmond came in for the top of the fourth, sporting what looked to be one of the worst mustaches I’ve ever seen. He too pitched a scoreless frame without allowing a hit, and once the inning was over, Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos appeared on the concourse and mingled with a few fans.

Submariner Danny Farquhar came in for the fifth inning and allowed the only Pirates run of the game on two hits. He induced a ground ball to Lawrie in the middle of the inning that led to a slick 5-4-3 double play around the horn. Arencibia had an opportunity to throw out a base runner stealing second as well, but his throw was well ahead of the bag and to the left. Keeping an eye on his throws to second while warming up in the five innings he played, all were released well and to the right of the bag but a bit high.

In the bottom of the fifth, Thames hit the only home run of the game, a no-doubter to the opposite field in left.

As per the usual spring training format, multiple defensive substitutions took place around the middle of the game, starting with Omar Vizquel, Mike McCoy and Yan Gomes to start the top of the sixth. Gomes’ defense was tested early, as he double-clutched a throw to second and was unable to get the base runner. The next batter, he got mixed up with pitcher Ryan Tepera as the ball rolled to the backstop and the runner advanced to third. Tepera didn’t look great, but he finished with a walk and a strikeout in one scoreless inning of work.

Bautista had a close call as the inning came to a close, as he nearly misplayed a routine shallow fly to right field and was forced to make a sliding basket catch.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lawrie knocked a line drive to center that popped out of the fielder’s glove after what was nearly a diving catch. The double, Lawrie’s second on the day, scored Moises Sierra and Ben Francisco, who were brought in as pinch runners for Bautista and Encarnacion, respectively. After a bloop single to left field from Thames, Gomes had a nice at-bat, getting ahead in the count 3-1 before ripping a single to left field.

Jerry Gil, signed to a minor league deal by the Jays back in November, pitched the top of the seventh, and I was eager to see him throw after hearing some good things about him over the off-season. His off-speed stuff looked great in warm-ups and even more so against the first batter he faced, getting two swinging strikes on breaking balls to get the punchout. He then switched to his heat against Robbie Grossman, who was always behind and couldn’t catch up to it.

Jonathan Diaz, who came into the game as a pinch runner for Lawrie in the sixth, looked great at third base and closed out the seventh inning with a great diving stop followed by an equally great throw to first. After McCoy was hit by a pitch and Sierra dropped a single in right field to start the bottom of the seventh, Francisco connected perfectly with the sweet spot of his bat for an RBI single through the left side of the infield.

Luis Perez came in to pitch the eighth and did not give up a hit, but issued a four-pitch walk and got behind against another hitter. Gomes failed to block another ball that inning, so Jays bench coach Don Wakamatsu talked to him on the field for a couple of minutes about that before the bottom half of the inning.

Travis d'Arnaud signs autographs for fans after the game.

With Travis Snider in the game for the bottom half of the frame, his ground ball to the right side found a hole, but he was thrown out thanks to a great cover by Pirates pitcher Ryota Igarashi. After hitting from the right side in his first at-bat, switch-hitter Omar Vizquel turned around and hit from the left side in the bottom of the eighth. He went 0-for-2.

Joel Carreno closed things out in the ninth, giving up one hit in a scoreless frame. He also notched one strikeout, where he threw a perfect breaking ball right over the plate with the count full to retire the batter looking.

Overall, it was great to see all of the Jays players on the field, but more importantly, it was nice to welcome baseball back; even if it was spring training. The obvious player of the game would be Lawrie, who finished the day 2-for-3 with two doubles, four RBIs, and a handful of slick fielding plays.

After the game, Anthony Gose, Travis d’Arnaud and Gomes signed autographs for fans that lined the first-base line. When a fan asked Gose when he’ll be up in Toronto, he replied, “I don’t know, whenever I have a good year”.

The Jays play the Pirates again tomorrow afternoon, this time on the road at McKechnie Field in Bradenton. With original starter Henderson Alvarez getting pushed back to Monday, Aaron Laffey will get the start for the Jays against Canadian Erik Bedard for Pittsburgh.

-JM

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Their stats and league rankings:

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In a game filled with negatives, including the fact Mark Teahen outhit all but two Jays hitters, there were a few good things to take away from this game.

Dustin McGowan pitched off a Major League mound for the first time since July 8, 2008 and Joel Carreno looked great in relief, so let’s look at those positives instead.

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You can catch the BoxScore here, but here are a few of the highlights for the Bluefield team: (more…)