Blue Jays MiLB recap – Bisons take late inning W

Jays Journal takes its daily look into the Toronto Blue Jays Minor League system. The Bisons charge toward a win in late innings and the system plays a bunch of close games.

Buffalo Bisons at Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers)
5-2 Win

A late inning assault on the Mud Hens pitchers led to the Bisons win Friday. The Bisons were able to collect eleven hits during the game and plate five runs. Three of those runs were drove in by leadoff hitter Christian Lopes. He was able to go 2-4 with a double and a run scored to go with the three RBIs. With Lopes raking as a table setter the rest of the lineup kept hitting. Jon Berti also picked up a pair of hits which included a triple. He also scored twice. Roemon Fields continues to impress as he picked up a run scored and went 3-4 on the night. Danny Jansen is yet to be stopped at the plate since joining the Bisons. He has now hit safely in all six games as a Bison and went 2-3 with an RBI Friday.

Brett Oberholtzer was able to keep things together after allowing a run in the first inning. Oberholtzer would allow just two earned runs on nine hits in this one. During the outing he issued a pair of walks and struck out three. Tim Mayza picked up where Oberholtzer left off and was solid through two innings of work. He quieted the Mud Hens bats and allowed just 1 hit and a walk. John Stilson would pick up his 2nd save of year.

Joe Biagini will make his second start for the Bisons as he stretches out his arm for the final push in the MLB season for the Blue Jays. He will be taking on the Mud Hens Saturday evening.

MVB – Christian Lopes 2-4 with a double, a run scored, and 3 RBI

New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Erie SeaWolves (Tigers)
3-4 Loss

The Fisher Cats came out of the locker room hot but were unable to keep pace with the Sea Wolves. Jonathan Davis remains hot at the plate and got things started with a leadoff home run. This was his 9th of the season and he also went 2-5. After an error allowed Harold Ramirez to reach and a Lourdes Gurriel Jr single things were set for Reese McGuire to do some damage. McGuire doubled and plated both base runners. This unfortunately was the last time the Cats would score as the Sea Wolves pitchers locked in. Reese McGuire continues to hit the ball hard and went 3-4 in the game. He is now batting .412 in his past 10 games.

Thomas Pannone was amazing on the mound Friday if you take back three mistake pitches that went for solo home runs. It was still a very impressive start despite that fact as he allowed just four hits total through 5.2 innings. He also walked a pair and struck out four batters. Daniel Young recorded the next four outs in relief of Pannone. Griffin Glaude would allow the go ahead run in the 8th inning and Shane Dawson would finish off the inning for Glaude.

Sean Reid-Foley is looking to keep a quality start streak alive as the Fisher Cats take on the Sea Wolves on Saturday evening. Reid-Foley has pitched six innings in all but two of his last ten starts. He also owns a 3.71 ERA over those starts with 44 strikeouts.

MVFC – Reese McGuire 3-4 with 2 doubles, a walk, and 2 RBI

Dunedin Blue Jays at Fort Myers Miracle (Twins)
Double header

Game One 4-6 Loss

After ending their previous series with a bang at the plate the bats must have cooled off during the rain out on Thursday in Fort Myers. In game one the D-Jays had ten hits but went 4-10 with runners in scoring position and missed out on a win. The bottom of the order came through with all four RBIs as D.J. Davis brought home a pair while going 2-4. He also stole his 31st base of the year. Michael De La Cruz and Jake Thomas drove in the other runs and had a hit each. Chris Coghlan continues to hit the ball hard during his rehab assignment and went 2-4 with a double. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is now batting a nice .304 after a 2-4 performance in game one. Cavan Biggio scored two runs as well.

Josh DeGraaf was on the mound and he got lit up during the first inning for five runs. The majority of that damage was off of a 3-run bomb by Brent Rooker. DeGraaff would allow just the 5 earned runs in the first and pitched 4.2 innings in the shortened double header game. Phillip Walby threw the remaining four outs but the bats were unable to mount the rally in the late innings.

MVDJ Game 1 – D.J. Davis 2-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base

Game Two 0-1 Loss

Game two was very uncharacteristic for both teams as the pitchers entrenched and held the batters at bay. The D-Jays offense was only able to gather three hits against the Miracle pitchers. Sean Poppen allowed just one of those hits to the D-Jays and Andrew Vasquez pitched the 7th and allowed two hits. Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Connor Panas collected a hit each to account for all three hits.

While the bats were put to sleep early Conor Fisk did everything he could to keep the game close. This is arguably one of his best starts of the season as he threw 6.2 innings of work. He did allow the walk off sac fly run but put in an amazing effort late Friday. Fisk scattered seven hits and walked a pair while striking out three. Throwing 6 scoreless innings is no small feat and in a shortened double header game.

Tayler Saucedo takes the mound and will look to prevent another Miracle win Saturday evening.

MVDJ Game 2 – Conor Fisk 6.2 IP, 1 run, 7 hits, 2 walks, 3 K’s

Lansing Lugnuts vs Lake County Captains (Indians)
5-6 Loss

The Lugnuts just missed out on a late comeback after a big surge in the final frames Friday. Yennsy Diaz had a great outing in which he allowed just two earned runs over five innings of work. He did allow a solo home run in his two hits allowed. He only walked a pair though and struck out four. Andy Ravel struggled in his two innings of work to allow the Captains to take a 5-2 lead to end the 6th. Denis Diaz pitched well but the Captains took an unearned run after a fielding error to put them ahead 6-3. Nick Hartman pitched a scoreless 9th to keep the comeback alive.

Onto the offense scored a pair in the 4th on a Mitch Nay two run blast. His 7th start of the season got the offense going and back into the game. Nash Knight went 2-4 with a double and triple while scoring twice. J.B. Woodman followed a batter later with the second triple of the 8th inning to plate Knight. Everything that could happen in the 9th. There were two hit batters. A single to load the bases. Then Joshua Palacios walked to bring in an RBI. Edward Olivares reached on an error which scored the second run. Then just when it looked like the luck was with the Lugnuts the a line out and a double play quickly ended things.

Patrick Murphy will take the mound as the Lugnuts will look to finish off what they started in the 9th Friday night. Murphy has pitched well in his last two starts since rejoining the Lugnuts. He has thrown eleven innings while allowing just two runs and striking out ten over those starts.

MVL – Nash Knight 2-4 with a double, a triple, and 2 runs scored

Short Season Team Notes
Vancouver Canadians (Northwest League)

The C’s got off to a small lead in the early innings but would lose to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 6-2. Riley Adams had three hits and an RBI. Reggie Pruitt had a pair of hits in the leadoff spot an scored twice. Juan Nunez allowed 2 earned runs but was on the mound for four runs surrendered in total. Orlando Pascual pitched two scoreless innings to finish off the game

Bluefield Blue Jays (Appalachian League)

The Blue Jays could not plate runners Friday as they collected 11 hits but just one run. Francisco Rodriguez had three of those hits as the teams catcher. Brandon Grudzielanek and Freddy Rodriguez had a pair of hits each. Chavez Young scored the only run of the game to win the game for the Blue Jays. Josh Winckowski was electric on the mound as he struck out 10 batters during his six innings of work. He would allow just two hits and walked only one batter.

Next: Who catches with Martin down?