Blue Jays MiLB Recap: Lugnuts rake in late innings

Buffalo Bisons @ Syracuse Chiefs (Loss 2-3)

A low scoring 13-inning affair ended with a Bisons loss Wednesday.  The game was a total of 4 hours and 4 minutes long and belonged to the pitchers.  Drew Hutchison got the ball for the Bisons and threw a decent 4.1 innings.  His final line included one earned run with 0 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts.

Pat McCoy came on and threw 2.2 innings and did not allow another run.  Ryan Tepera allowed a run in the 8th after the Herd had taken the lead.  Tepera allowed a bomb to Jason Martinson to deep left field to tie the game back up at 2.  Dustin Antolin kept the game even and handed the ball off to Ben Rowen in the 13th.  Rowen gave up the walk off single to Scott Sizemore with 1 out and 2 runners aboard.  This game could have been rather lopsided if the Bisons pitchers were not able to strand the 10 hits and 8 walks.

Pitching Grade: B+

In a long, low-scoring game the Bisons offence was only able to score 2 runs against a tough pitching staff.  The Bisons collected 8 hits and 3 walks to scrap the 2 runs together.  Domonic Brown collected the only multi hit game in a 2-5 showing with an RBI on a sac fly and a stolen base.  David Adams recorded the other RBI on an odd play.  He hit the ball off of pitcher Mick Masset that bounced to first.  On the relay to first Masset could not handle the toss and Adams was safe which allowed the run to score.   Casey Kotchman‘s on base streak remains intact and is now at 6 games in a row.

Offensive Grade: C

Line of the game – Pat McCoy 2.2 IP with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts

Up Next
Buffalo Bisons vs Rochester Red Wings (Scott Diamond vs Pat Dean)

Next: Pitchers duel escapes the Fisher Cats

Lansing Lugnuts vs Dayton Dragons (Win 11-6)

Offence, offence, and even more offence was the name of the game in this match up.  In a game that started off looking like a pitchers duel as there were only 3 runs scored in the first 6 innings, it quickly turned into a slugfest.  The Lugnuts pitchers held the Dragons at bay with shutout ball until the top of the 7th.

Ryan Cook pitched 6 innings of 1-hit ball.  Cook allowed just the 1 hit and recorded 5 strikeouts.  The lone hit was the only base runner he allowed in the 6 innings.  Dan Lietz was first out of the pen and promptly allowed 4 runs (2 earned) while only recording 1 out.  Josh DeGraaf came on to stop the bleeding but allowed 2 more runs in the 7th to allow the Dragons to take the lead at the time.  Evan Smith would get a chance to mop up in the 9th after the offense had their way with the Dragons bullpen.

Pitching Grade B-

The Lugnuts offense got things going in the 3rd inning as Ryan Hissey opened up the inning with an infield single.  An Andrew Guillotte bunt single followed to put runners on first and second.  A passed ball then let them move up to second and third and another error while Lane Thomas allowed both runners to score.  Gunnar Heidt singled in Thomas to score the 3rd run of the inning putting the Lugnuts on top 3-0.

Flashing forward to the bottom of the 7th with the Lugnuts now trailing 3-6 the flood gates opened.  Hissey once again led off the inning with a single that was quickly followed by a pair of doubles.  J.C. Cardenas and then Andrew Guillotte followed and scored the 2 runners.  Two outs later the bulk of the rally started.  A set of hard hit RBI triples scored another pair of runs.  Gunnar Heidt and Juan Kelly each collected the RBI tripled in back to back plate appearances.  The Lugnuts erupted for seven runs in the 7th and tacked on another in the 8th.  The Lugnuts batted through the lineup in the 7th and had 3 hitters recorded 3 hits during the game.  Andrew Guillotte, Gunnar Heidt, and Ryan Hissey all recorded 3 hits.  Guillotte also stole 2 bases during the game.

Offensive Grade A+

Next: Russell Martin's slow start looks familiar

Line of the game – Ryan Cook 6 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 walks, and 5 Strikeouts

Up Next
Lansing Lugnuts @ Bowling Green Hot Rods (Jonathan Harris vs Cameron Varga)