Blue Jays MiLB recap – Season Finale!

Jays Journal takes its daily look into the Toronto Blue Jays Minor League system. Season Finales with plenty of fireworks and playoffs.

Buffalo Bisons at Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals)
3-2 Win (66-76 record)

The Bisons wrap up the season on a high note with a spirited win against the Chiefs. After the Chiefs jumped out to an early lead against starter T.J. House, the Bisons dug in and came back for the win. House labored and threw 52 pitches in just 2.2 innings of work, and he would allow two earned runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out four of the eight batters he faced. Jared Carkuff would come in and calm the bats of the Chiefs. He tossed 3.1 innings while allowing just one hit and one walk. Carkuff would eventually be awarded the win. Justin Shafer picked up where he left off and threw two innings of shut out ball to pave the for Mike Bolsinger to shut the door in the 9th.

Roemon Fields continues to be the story of the season for the Bisons. Prior to a 3-4 performance on Monday he was awarded the team MVP award. The award honoring long time Bison broadcaster Stan Barron, was given to Fields for a great season with the team. He batted .291 with 11 doubles, 5 triples, and set a new club record with 43 stolen bases. On Monday he set that club record, and scored a pair of runs. Dwight Smith Jr. drove in a pair of runs to close out his season. He went 2-4 with a double and finished the year with a respectable .273 average. Danny Jansen capped off an impressive season in the Blue Jays system with a 1-4 game in which he drove in his 10th RBI in 21 games with the herd. He will close out his short time with the Bisons with a .328 batting average, and a season average of .323 across three different levels of the system.

Bisons will pick up their 2018 campaign April 12th so start getting ready!

MVB – Roemon Fields 3-4 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base

New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
11-4 Win (59-80 record)

The Fisher Cats clearly wanted to end their season with a bang, as the crushed the Sea Dogs. The bats were ready to show off the fireworks, as the Fisher Cats lashed out for 13 hits, which included four home runs. The home runs accounted for six of the eleven runs scored by the Cats. Matt Dean led the charge with a pair of long balls. He would finish the game 3-4 with the two homers and four RBI. Harold Ramirez also had three hits and drove in a run while scoring twice. Lourdes Gurriel had a solo home run during a 2-5 showing, and he also scored twice. Gunnar Heidt hit his 13th home run of the season and went 2-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. The meat of the Cats order accounted for all of the RBIs as the 3-7 hitters racked up the run total.

Sean Reid-Foley benefited from all of the thunder on offense as he picked up his 10th win, and finished with a good start. He struck out nine batters, but allowed a pair of home runs. The homers led to three earned runs, but were the only mistakes Reid-Foley had all game. He issued just one walk and six hits in a solid performance. Conner Greene jumped in for a pair of innings to keep the Sea Dogs down. He allowed one run on two hits and a pair of walks. Dusty Isaacs and Daniel Young closed out the game in the 8th and 9th to win the season finale for the Fisher Cats.

MVFC – Matt Dean 3-4 with 2 homers, 2 runs scored, and 4 RBI

Dunedin Blue Jays
Playoff bound!

The Dunedin Blue Jays will be heading to post season baseball with a very potent lineup. They will be taking on the Tampa Yankees starting Tuesday at 6:30 EST in Dunedin. Josh DeGraaf will start off the three game series against Brian Keller of the Yankees. The winner of the series will go on to face the winner of the South Division in a best of five series to determine the winner of the Florida State League Championship.

Lansing Lugnuts vs Dayton Dragons
1-10 Loss (63-73 record)

The Lugnuts were unable to get everything going against the Dragons to close out the year. The Lugnuts managed ten hits, but were unable to put a solid inning together on offense. They went just 1-8 with runners in scoring position as the Dragons pitchers managed to consistently wriggle out of trouble. Nash Knight drove in the lone run for the Lugnuts and went 2-3 at the plate. He drove in Rodrigo Orozco who went 2-5 in the lead off spot. Joshua Palacios has been hot at the plate and finished with another strong performance, as he went 3-4 with his 12th stolen base of the season. After a rocky first half Palacios finished with a .280 batting average.

On the mound Mike Ellenbest would take the loss after allowing six earned runs over four innings of work. He issued two walks and surrendered ten hits while striking out a pair. Ellenbest struggled to put away batters and paid for it, as the Dragons ran away with the game early. Danilo Manzueta pitched five outs and issues three more earned runs on five hits. Adams Cuevas slowed the bleeding in his two innings of work, but still surrendered one run. Jake Fishman pitched the final four outs of the Lugnuts season and did not allow a base runner, while striking out a pair.

MVL – Nash Knight 2-3 with an RBI

Short Season Team Notes
Vancouver Canadians (Northwest League)

The Canadians will take on the Spokane Indians in the first round of the playoffs Tuesday. Rookie sensation Nate Pearson will get the ball to start the series. Pearson has made seven starts for the C’s and has allowed just two runs in nineteen innings of work. He has racked up twenty four strikeouts and just five walks in that time frame. The C’s will be playing the Indians in a best of three series that starts in Spokane Tuesday.

Bluefield Blue Jays (Appalachian League)

The Bluefield Blue Jays were eliminated in a 2-0 shut out on Monday. The Blue Jays hitters managed just two hits against the Pulaski Yankees pitchers. The Blue Jays starter Maximo Castillo allowed both of the runs to the Yankees on four hits. He did strikeout six during the outing. Jordan Barrett, Graham Spraker, and Ty Tice combined for five innings of scoreless baseball to keep the Jays in the game. The offense just could not find footing to get back into the game.

Next: Losing late in games hurt the Jays