July 29, 2016 Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
The Blue Jays’ minor league clubs played a whole pile of close games on Friday, winning five and losing three as I made my way into Bluefield to catch the Blue Jays in action.

 
Buffalo Bisons 3, Syracuse Chiefs 1
The Bisons snapped their nine-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Syracuse Chiefs. Andy Burns (1/3, HR, 2 RBI) and Matt Dominguez each hit a home run while Casey Kotchman had two hits including a double.

On the mound, Scott Copeland allowed just one run on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings before Bo Schultz (1 2/3 IP) and Danny Barnes (2 IP, 2 K) shut things down the rest of the way.

Player of the Game: Scott Copeland

Roster Notes: Erik Kratz was assigned to and activated by the Buffalo Bisons and Wilkin Castillo was placed on the DL.

 
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3
The hard luck Fisher Cats continue their struggles, losing 3-2 to the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Friday. Taylor Cole kept the Fisher Cats in the game, going six solid innings, giving up three runs on six hits (including a home run) without walking anyone and striking out seven. Wil Browning (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) and Brady Dragmire (1 IP, 1 H) finished the game.

Ryan McBroom broke out for the Fisher Cats, going 2/4 and hitting his first Double-A home run. Aside from that, the Fisher Cats only had four more hits with Christian Lopes hitting a double and taking a walk.

Player of the Game: Ryan McBroom

Roster Notes: Jon Berti was sent to the GCL to begin a rehab assignment.

 
Dunedin Blue Jays 3, Jupiter Hammerheads 2
Jon Harris started for Dunedin, giving the club an excellent outing as the D-Jays won 3-2 over the Jupiter Hammerheads. Harris provided 7 2/3 innings of five-hit, two-walk ball, allowing just one run and striking out four. Alonzo Gonzalez earned the win, finishing the game and giving up just one unearned run with a walk over 1 1/3 innings.

The offense was generally quite but L.B. Dantzler and Dickie Joe Thon were each 2/4 with a double and a run. Jorge Flores was 1/3 with two RBI and a walk while Mike Reeves walked twice.

Player of the Game: Jon Harris

Lansing Lugnuts 2, Bowling Green HotRods 3
In another 3-2 game, the Lugnuts took the loss to the Bowling Green HotRods. Jordan Romano took the ball for the start and threw four innings of two-run ball, allowing six hits without walking or striking anyone out. Tom Robson struck out only one in three innings, but only walked one and gave up a run on five hits, taking the loss. Jackson Lowery pitched one inning, walking one and giving up a hit.

The Lugnuts had only five hits including a pair from Max Pentecost (driving in one) and a home run from Andrew Guillotte (who walked and scored twice). Ryan Hissey hit a double in four at bats.

Player of the Game: Andrew Guillotte

Vancouver Canadians 4, Tri-City Dust Devils 3
The Canadians pulled of a narrow win against the Tri-City Dust Devils, taking advantage of three Tri-City errors despite being out-hit 14 to seven. Joshua Palacios (2/3, BB, R) and Cavan Biggio (2/4, 2B, 2 RBI) had four of those hits while Josh Reavis was 1/4 with an RBI.

Dalton Rodriguez struck out six in four innings, giving up a run on seven hits and three walks while Stuart Homes (2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 K0, Nick Hartman (W, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 K), and Griffin Glaude (S, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) finished out the game.

Player of the Game: Cavan Biggio

Roster Notes: Nash Knight was promoted to Vancouver from Bluefield.

Bluefield Blue Jays 4, Greeneville Astros 5
Bluefield tied up the score with the Greeneville Astros in the eighth inning of their suspended game from Thursday night but a wild pitch and a poor throw by the catcher allowed the Greeneville Astros to finish up with a 10-inning win. Osman Gutierrez started the game on Thursday, allowing just one run on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts over four innings. When play resumed on Friday, Chris Hall was on the mound, giving up three more runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 2 2/3. Andrew Deramo came in to throw 3 1/3 innings of three-hit, one walk ball, giving up the winning run, striking out three. Notably, the Blue Jays’ defense (and Astros’ base-running) bailed Deramo out of giving up even more runs in the top of the 10th. With two runners on, a great relay from the outfield got a runner at the plate and then another runner was put out on the way to third base for a double play to end the threat and the inning.

Reggie Pruitt had a good game, going 3/5 while Levi Scott had the big blow, hitting a big, two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the game as part of a 2/5 day. Juandy Mendoza was 1/3 with a double, taking over for the promoted Nash Knight. Bradley Jones also hit his sixth home run of the year.

Player of the Game: Levi Scott

Roster Notes: Nash Knight was promoted to the Vancouver Canadians.

 
Bluefield Blue Jays 2, Greeneville Astros 1
In the second game of what became a double header, the Blue Jays and Astros also went to extra innings before Bluefield decided mattes on a Vladimir Guerrero sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth to walk off with the win. Guerrero had a strong game, making very good contact in all four at bats, hitting a double down the third-base line, lining out to centre field, flying out loudly to the right-centre field wall and hitting a sacrifice fly to the outfield. Nick Sinay was 2/4 with two runs and Kalik May and Earl Burl III each had one of the club’s other two hits.

Kyle Weatherly was solid in the start, throwing five innings and allowing one run on five hits without walking anyone (the strike zone was rather large in a 10:10pm start time) and striking out three. Angel Alicea had the Astros hitters off balance, giving up just a hit and a walk in three innings and striking out six.

Player of the Game: Kyle Weatherly and Vladimir Guerrero

 
GCL Blue Jays 4, GCL Phillies 2
The GCL Blue Jays scored in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to defeat the one of their closest rivals for their division crown, the GCL Phillies, 4-2. Lane Thomas continues to work his way back from injury, going 1/2 with two walks and was caught stealing. Jon Berti, also working his way back from an injury was 1/3 before making way for Alfredo Bohorquez who was 1/1 with a double and RBI. Sterling Guzman had the only multi-hit game of the day, going 2/4 with a home run and two runs.

Dany Jimenez started and went 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. William Ouellette got the win, going 2 1/3 innings with three hits against. Bobby Eveld allowed two runs in the top of the ninth but one of them came after Jared Carkuff relieved him and gave up a hit to score one of the two inherited runners from Eveld. Carkuff struck out two in 2/3 of an inning to earn his fifth save.

Player of the Game: Sterling Guzman and Dany Jimenez

Roster Notes: Jon Berti was added to the GCL Roster for a rehab assignment.

DSL Blue Jays
Scheduled Off Day

 

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