Blue Jays MiLB Report: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. keeps hitting

Toronto Blue Jays scores and analysis for minor league games played on Saturday, August 13th

Buffalo Bisons (59-61)
Postponed     Double-header Sunday vs. Pawtucket Red Sox

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (55-63)   –   2
Trenton Thunder (76-44)   –   8

Rowdy Tellez was responsible for both New Hampshire runs, bringing home one on a ground ball out and the second on an RBI double. Jon Berti crossed the plate both times, going 2-for-4 with a triple. Christian Lopes was 2-for-4 with a double, and continues to look strong in the Fisher Cats’ leadoff spot.

Jeremy Gabryszwski had a start to forget. The right-hander got rocked for eight runs in just one and a third innings, including two home runs. The bullpen held up their end of the bargain, though. John Anderson (3.2 IP, 2 K), Alonzo Gonzalez (2.2 IP, 2 K) and Colton Turner (0.1 IP) combined for a scoreless relief effort.

Dunedin Blue Jays (65-53)   –   4
Brevard County Manatees (37-80)   –   3

This game entered extra innings tied 2-2, but after the Manatees inched ahead in the top half of the tenth, a wild pitch set up a Ryan McBroom walk-off RBI single that scored Dickie Joe Thon. McBroom was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI. L.B. Dantzler finally hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot to tie the game in the seventh.

On the mound, Luis Santos looked strong. The Dominican right-hander struck out seven batters over six innings, allowing just two earned runs. Adonys Cardona bridged the gap with a clean frame before Jose Fernandez earned the win, going three innings with one run against and two strikeouts. For Brevard County, former Jays first round pick (did not sign) Phil Bickford struck out 10 batters in just five innings.

Lansing Lugnuts (61-56)   –   5

West Michigan Whitecaps (60-52)   –   3

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Another trip to extras for a Jays affiliate in Lansing as the Lugnuts won with a two-run single off the bat of Ryan Metzler in the top of the 11th. Lansing was held to just seven hits, but walked seven times with John La Prise, Juan Kelly, and Connor Panas picking up two each.

Josh DeGraaf pitched five innings, limiting eight hits and two walks to three runs against. DeGraaf struck out five and now owns a 3.30 ERA in 31 games. Tayler Saucedo was excellent in relief, pitching four and a third scoreless innings and striking out three. Jackson Lowery picked up the win (1.1 IP, K).

Vancouver Canadians (21-33)   –   4
Hillsboro Hops (29-25)   –   0

Vancouver’s pitching was the story here, limiting Hillsboro to just four hits in a group effort. Andy Ravel and Mike Ellenbest got the Canadians started with three scoreless innings each before Zach Jackson (2.0 IP) and Griffin Glaude (1.0 IP) handled the final three. Each pitcher allowed one hit.

Nash Knight was 2-for-4 at the plate, driving in two runs. Joshua Palacios had a strong night, too, this time hitting fourth in the lineup and going 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Palacios, a fourth round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, is now hitting .324 in his first 19 games. Fellow 2016 draftee J.B. Woodman added a double of his own, going 2-for-4.

Next: Three August options to explore, three to ignore

Bluefield Blue Jays (29-21)   –   9
Elizabethton Twins (26-23)   –   6

Between 23 base hits and the five errors by the Twins, this was another good game of rookie ball. All ten Blue Jays hits were singles, three of which came from Vlad Guerrero Jr. who drove in three runs and scored once. He’s now hitting .277, a very encouraging number considering his age. Kalik May went 2-for-4 with two runs and second-baseman Javier Monzon was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Joel Espinal allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings. He was followed out of the bullpen by Brayden Bouchey (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 K) and Connor Eller (2.0 OP, 2 K), who picked up his sixth save of the season.