Blue Jays MiLB Recap: Bisons All Fogged Up

The Toronto Blue Jays are on quite the roll. 7 in a row with some walk offs! Let’s take a look at how their minor league clubs made out on Tuesday. The Bisons played a double header spread over two days, losing both. The FisherCats’ offense exploded and Dunedin hit a little too late. Here’s your Minor League recap.

GM 1: Buffalo Bisons- 1  vs Scranton Wilkes Barre RailRiders- 2

Due to heavy fog on Monday, the game had to be finished on Tuesday.

Daniel Norris took a hard luck loss when all was said and done. His overall line wasn’t overly impressive at 5 IP, 5 H, 2ER, 3BB, 3 K. But, he had managed to  keep his team in the game despite walking 3 in 5 innings on 81 pitches. It would appear that whatever it is that Norris was sent down to AAA to work on has not quite been ironed out yet. 

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Phil Coke picked up the game on Tuesday and pitched 2 scoreless innings walking 2 and striking out 2. Colt Hynes also threw 2 innings, but gave up 2 hits and struck out 3.

But, Norris’ start wouldn’t be so bad if he could have had any kind of run support. The only offense came on a Chad Ochinko 2 out RBI double in the 4th (Monday). To complete the game on Tuesday, the Herd’s offense was still in the fog. All tolled, they only managed 6 hits ans struck out 10 times.

GM 2: Buffalo Bisons- 1  vs  Scranton WilkesBarre RailRiders- 5

The Bisons (28-31) could not bring many of their 10 base runners across the plate last night. They collected 7 hits and 3 walks, but went 1-7 with runners in scoring position, including leaving 5 RISP with 2 outs. After the game, manager, Gary Allenson spoke of this issue: “Frustration is also obvious when your team is in first place for most runners left on base.” The Bisons only run came from Caleb Gindl who was driven in by Andy Burns. It was Burns’ 18 RBI on the season. Both Gindl and Burns ended the night with 2 hits.  5 different batters went hitless against RailRiders starter Jaron Long.

The Bisons got a start from Chad Jenkins who chipped in 4 innings of work. He gave up 6 hits, but just a lone earned run. Todd Redmond came in and in his 1.1 innings of work managed to give the game over. He allowed 4 earned runs, including 3 walks in his brief time on the mound. Rob Rasmussen then came in and gave the Bisons 1.2 innings of scoreless work.

New Hampshire FisherCats- 9  vs  Akron RubberDucks- 1

The FisherCats had lost their previous 4 games. But, that changed with an offensive outburst. K.C. Hobson belted 2 hoem runs in the game. The first came in the 4th inning for a solo shot. The second was a 2 run shot that scored Kevin Nolan. Jack Murphy picked up 3 hits with a double. Ronald Torreyes also picked up 3 hits, one of which was a double. Dalton Pompey went 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. He walked twice. 

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The offense was more than enough to help out Matt Boyd (6-1) who went 7 strong innings giving up just 2 hits and earned run (a solo home run), walking 2 and striking out 4. Boyd threw 94 pitches on the evening. With early success in 2015, one has to wonder just how much longer Boyd will be in AA. Will the Blue Jays look to move him up like they did last year with Norris?

Dunedin Blue Jays- 5  vs Charlotte Stone Crabs- 11

This game was looking much worse up until the 8th inning. The baby Jays were being shut out up to that point. Their rally for 5 runs in the 8th wasn’t enough, though. They had already given up their own 5 run inning in the 4th. When all was said and done, 4 different players had 2 hits. Dickie Joe Thon had 2 including a triple. Matt Dean drove in 2 runs, but also struck out 4 times. Like the Bisons above, Dunedin had some difficulty with RISP going 5 for 14 and leaving 8 runners on base.

Of course, the offense needed to be better because starter, Luis Santos was not effective. He went 3.1 innings giving up 6 hits and 2 walks for 6 earned runs. He struck out 4. But, he can’t be totally to blame since Brady Dragmire gave up 3 earned runs and Phil Kish gave up 2. The only pitcher who didn’t give up a run was Matt Dermody who went 2.2 innings.

Lansing Lugnuts (34-24) were off on Tuesday night. They’ll take on the Quad Cities River Bandits on Wednesday. Starlyn Suriel (3-3, 2.85) gets the start for the Bolts.

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