Blue Jays MiLB Recap: Pompey closer to MLB return, Foley dazzles

Jays Journal takes its daily look into the Toronto Blue Jays Minor League system. Pompey is one hot streak away from an MLB return, Foley continued his turn around season, and the Lugnuts continue to terrorize opposing pitching.

Buffalo Bisons vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees)
7-0 Loss

The Bisons offense was shutout in this one and held to just 3 hits. Although Dalton Pompey was held hit-less, he has a good shot at being promoted this season. This could be a pivotal 2nd half for Pompey as the new regime could be looking to thoroughly assess all the talent in the system in the wake of a possible rebuild or retool.

On the pitching side of things, Tim Mayza was promoted from New Hampshire (Double-A) and quickly made his Triple-A debut, firing 1.1 innings of shutout ball. It was a curious promotion considering Mayza’s struggles in Double-A (4.59 ERA) but this could signal the end of Jeff Beliveau‘s tenure with the Blue Jays. Mayza could prove to be an effective left-handed specialist at the big league level if he continues to shine in Buffalo.

Next Up: T.J. House (6-7, 4.34 ERA)

MVB: Tim Mayza (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats vs. Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox)
4-0 Win

The story of this game was Sean Reid-Foley‘s excellent start against a strong Sea Dog lineup. Reid-Foley recorded 6 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 3 hits and 3 walks. Pitching to contact, Reid-Foley managed to strike out only one batter, an anomaly for the tall right-handed pitcher (9.1 SO/9 in 2017). Nonetheless, it was still a positive step forward for one of the Blue Jays’ top pitching prospects.

On the offensive side, Richard Urena led the charge with a double, a run scored, and a run batted in. However, Urena continues to struggle in his first season in Double-A. He is batting just .236 on the season and is showing no real signs of breaking out. Hopefully, this game can be a catalyst for Urena as he continues his journey towards a successful MLB career.

Next Up: Jon Harris (3-8, 6.01 ERA)

MVFC: Sean Reid-Foley (6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 SO)

Dunedin Blue Jays vs. Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers)
3-1 Win 

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Josh DeGraaf continued his strong season pitching 6 innings of shutout ball. DeGraaf’s ratios in this game were very impressive as he allowed only 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. The right hander’s season ERA sits at 3.06 and he could be one of many prospects due for a mid-season promotion. Another pitcher who continued his strong season was Kirby Snead as he fired 1.1 perfect innings. Already promoted once to Dunedin, the 2016 10th round draft pick is making a strong case to be promoted once again as his season ERA sits at a sparkling 2.27.

The offense was mostly quiet in this one scoring only 3 runs. Multi-hit efforts were recorded by De La Cruz, Pinto, and Almonte. The toolsy, but erratic D.J. Davis continues to struggle in the minors and his baseball career could be in jeopardy if he doesn’t turn things around in a hurry.

Next Up: Conor Fisk (4-8, 4.41 ERA)

MVBJ: Josh DeGraaf (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 SO)

Lansing Lugnuts vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers)
10-4 Win

New day, same story. The Lansing Lugnuts’ offense once again carried the team to a victory, scoring 10 runs on 15 hits. Bo Bichette was (relatively) quiet in this one recording (just) 1 hit, but Guerrero Jr. stepped up in his place going 2-4 while scoring 3 runs and driving in one himself. The offense as a whole was clicking in this game as Joshua Palacios, Rodrigo Orozco, and Nash Knight all had multi-hit nights.

The pitching was not as good as the offense in this game as Osman Gutierrez continued his nightmare season. Gutierrez pitched 5 innings of 3 run ball, lowering his ERA to 11.10 (yes, you read that correctly). Daniel Lietz and Connor Eller pitched the remainder of the game shutting down any attempt at a Whitecap rally.

Next Up: Andy Ravel (5-2, 7.21 ERA)

MVL: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2-4, 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB)

Next: Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman a trade target: Olney