Blue Jays MiLB recap – The slide continues

Jays Journal takes its daily look into the Toronto Blue Jays Minor League system. This Bisons losing streak hits 10 games and the rest of the system is left licking their wounds.

Buffalo Bisons at Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals)
5-6 Loss

The Bisons came close to pulling this one out but the baseball gods appear to be pitted against them.  After falling behind by three runs in the 2nd off Brett Oberholtzer.  Oberholtzer was knocked out of the game after recording just 3 outs.  Chris Rowley would pick up the ball from there and was great for most of his 4.2 innings of work.  He did struggle during the 6th inning as he was tagged for 2 runs which allowed the Chiefs to tie up the game after the second time.  Murphy Smith would hold down the fort for 2.1 innings as he did not allow a run.  John Stilson would allow the winning run for the walk-off Chiefs victory.  He allowed 2 walks prior to the game-winning single.

On offense this game was the Raffy Lopez show.  Lopez would finish the game 3-4 with a pair of home runs.  His first home run was a 3 run blast over the right field wall.  This home run plated

Christian Lopes

and

Jon Berti

.  His second long bomb was a solo homer in the 6th which at the time put the Bisons ahead 4-3.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia would extend the lead to 5-3 with a sac fly.  The Bisons would lose this lead and the game in the 9th.

T.J. House

will wrap up the series in Syracuse on Sunday.  House will look to avoid allowing a crooked number in the first inning in this one.  House allowed 3 runs in the first but then cruised through the rest of his start.

MVB – Murphy Smith 2.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 K’s

New Hampshire Fisher Cats vs Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)
Double Header

Game One 3-4 Loss

The Fisher Cats were able to jump out to an early 2-0 lead but watched the Rumble Ponies run away with this one.  Tim Lopes got on with a double with 1 out in the 2nd.  Gunnar Heidt the followed with a double as well.  The back to back doubles opened up the scoring.  After a pair of walks the bases were loaded for Richard Urena.  Urena was able to squeeze a ground ball single into left field to score Heidt for the 2nd run of the inning.

Jon Harris got off to a wonderful start on the mound but then lost his touch in the 5th inning.  Harris would be charged 4 earned runs over his 4.2 innings of work.  He struggled with his command as he allowed 6 walks but struck out a pair.  Justin Shafer was able to calm the Ponies bats to keep the game close.  He allowed just 1 hit over 2.1 innings and struck out 2.  The Fisher Cats were down 2-4 heading into the 9th and mounted a comeback that fell short.  They were able to score 1 on a sac fly by Jonathan Davis.  The sac fly scored Derrick Loveless who tripled to lead off the inning.

MVFC – Justin Shafer 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

Game Two 0-2 Loss

For game two of the double header the Fisher Cats were unable to find their swing at the plate.  They managed just 2 hits during the outing against Rumble Ponies starter Scarlyn Reyes.  The Ponies bullpen also kept the Cats bats in check for the remaining 3 innings.

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Kender Villegas had a decent 4 inning start during this one as he allowed just 1 run.  This was just his second start of the season and he was good.  The Ponies were able to get just 3 hits off of him and he struck out 4.  Dusty Isaacs got in 2 innings of work and allowed just 1 base runner on a walk.  He struck out 2 batters as well.  Jose Fernandez would allow 1 more run in the 7th during his inning of work.

MVFC – Kender Villegas 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Conner Greene will close out the home stand against the Rumble Ponies Sunday.  Greene will look to turn things around from what was his shortest outing of the season since April 8th.

Dunedin Blue Jays at Tampa Yankees
1-3 Loss

The horrid month of just continues as the D-Jays lost another one to the Yankees Saturday.  The current slide led to the D-Jays finishing the first half of the year below .500 and has them off to a 1-2 start to the second half.  The talented youth in Dunedin has yet to find their stride and allowed a close one to slip away from them in this one.  The Yanks were able to score a run in the first inning off of Conor Fisk.  This one mistake went over the left field wall off the bat of Jorge Mateo.  Fisk locked in after allowing the lead off home run.  He allowed just 3 hits over 5.1 innings of work.  He stuck out 4 and walked 3 allowing just the 1 earned run.

The bullpen would not fair as well as Tom Robson and Adonys Cardona would allow the 2 extra Yankee runs to seal the loss.  Cavan Biggio supplied the pop at the plate as he collected a pair of the teams 4 hits.  He also supplied the only run on a solo home run in the 6th.  The home run was Biggio’s 5th of the season.  The D-Jays had plenty of base runners in this one as the managed 5 walks to go with their 4 hits.  They went 0-7 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

Angel Perdomo will finish off the first series of the second half on Sunday.  Perdomo has not allowed a run in his last 3 starts which totals to a 16 inning scoreless streak.

MVDJ – Cavan Biggio 2-4 with a solo home run

Lansing Lugnuts at West Michigan Whitecaps
1-16 Loss

The pitching struggles continue for the Lugnuts as pitching staff allowed 16 earned runs on Saturday evening.  Things were bad right out of the gate for the Lugnuts as starter Osman Gutierrez did not escape the first inning as the Whitecaps bats crashed down on their opposition.  Gutierrez allowed 5 earned runs and recorded just 2 outs.  Geno Encina came in and escaped the first just to get hit hard for another 2 runs in the 2nd inning.  Encina would pitch 3.1 innings allowing the 2 runs in total.  In case the lead was not big enough already Jared Carkuff allowed 3 more runs in the 7th.  Then everything fell off the wagon as the Lugnuts allowed 4 unearned runs to allow another crooked number to finish the game.

The Lugnuts were able to collect just 3 hits in this one while allowing 4 errors on the field.  There was not any support for the bad outing on the mound on offense as the bats took 9 strikeouts and just 2 walks.  Yeltsin Gudino recorded two of those hits and went 2-3 at the plate with a double.

Andy Ravel has been struggling in his past 3 starts but will look to right the ship in the series finally against the White Caps

MVL – Yeltsin Gudino 2-3 at the plate with a double

Next: Jays Journal Podcast - June 24th edition