Jay Blue: Diaz, Espinal, Greene, Heidt, Panas, Pompey, Woodman

LF Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base at triple-A Buffalo. Photo: Jay Blue.

July 20, 2016 Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Canadian Baseball Network
The lower end of the Blue Jays’ minor league system was the productive one on Wednesday, as the three rookie league teams (DSL, GCL and Bluefield) all had outstanding pitching and solid wins. Of the higher up teams, only the New Hampshire Fisher Cats came away with a win on a 4-4 day.

Buffalo Bisons 4, Norfolk Tides 5
The Bisons made it close with a couple of late runs but they couldn’t overcome the deficit and fell to the Norfolk Tides 5-4. Dalton Pompey had another good game, going 3/5 with a double, an RBI, a run and a stolen base playing left field while Darrell Ceciliani was 2/5 with an RBI and a run. David Adams also had a double while Tony Sanchez was 1/2 with two walks and a run.

Chris Leroux allowed all five runs on six hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts before the bullpen took over. Matt Dermody came in and allowed his inherited runner to score but that was it over 1 1/3 innings. Danny Barnes (1 IP, 1 H, 3 K) and Dustin Antolin (1 IP) provided scoreless relief for the eighth and ninth.

Player of the Game: Dalton Pompey

 
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4, Reading Fightin Phils 2
Conner Greene had a strong outing and Jason Leblebijian continues to produce at the Double-A level as the Fisher Cats beat the Reading Fightin Phils 4-2. Greene went three innings, giving up just six hits and two walks leading to two runs while striking out five to pick up his second win with the Fisher Cats this year. Brady Dragmire threw a scoreless seventh and John Stilson earned his first save of the year, pitching two scoreless innings and allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.

Leblebijian hit a two-run home run and was 1/2 with a walk. Derrick Loveless (2/4, 2B) and Christian Lopes (2/4) had two hits each while Dwight Smith, Jr. hit a sacrifice fly.

Player of the Game: Conner Greene and Jason Leblebijian

 
Dunedin Blue Jays 5, Charlotte Stone Crabs 8
Three Dunedin home runs weren’t enough as the Blue Jays lost 8-5 to the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Wednesday. Jose Bautista was the main story as he began his rehab from his toe injury, blasting a solo home run and going 1/3. Gunnar Heidt’s home run did a little more damage as Heidt had a runner on and he drove in another run, giving him three on the day and two hits. Anthony Alford hit his third of the year, adding a walk to his solo homer.

Justin Shafer started for the Blue Jays and went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Brad Allen allowed an inherited runner to score and gave up three more of his own on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings.

Player of the Game: Gunnar Heidt

Roster Notes: Jose Bautista was assigned to the Dunedin Blue Jays for his rehab.

 
Lansing Lugnuts 0, Clinton Lumberkings 3
Despite outhitting the Clinton Lumberkings, the Lugnuts couldn’t score a run, losing 3-0. Andew Guillotte celebrated his return to landing by going 2/4 with a double while Max Pentecost and Connor Panas each had two hits. Ryan Hissey also had a double.

Angel Perdomo allowed all three runs on five hits but didn’t walk anyone and struck out five over five innings of work. Ryan Cook threw three scoreless innings, giving up a hit and two walks with three strikeouts while Jackson Lowery threw a scoreless ninth to finish the game.

Player of the Game: Andrew Guillotte, Max Pentecost and Connor Panas

Vancouver Canadians 2, Spokane Indians 7
The Spokane Indians torched the Vancouver pitching all game, leaving few of the Canadians’ hurlers unblemished. Mike Ellenbest got the start, throwing three innings and, despite striking out five batters, allowed two runs on two hits and three walks. Zach Jackson struck out all three batters he faced and Andy Ravel came in for the fifth and sixth, allowing a solo home run among three hits and two walks with one strikeout. Matthew Smoral came in to start the seventh but allowed two walks and a hit to the only three batters he faced. Nick Hartman relieved Smoral and allowed two of the three runners he inherited to score. Hartman allowed one run of his own on two hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings and left two runners on for Stuart Holmes. Holmes got out of the eighth inning, stranding both runners.

The Canadians’ hitters only had five hits of their own with J.B. Woodman taking the lead with two doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run.

Player of the Game: J.B. Woodman

Bluefield Blue Jays 8, Bristol Pirates 1
Denis Diaz was outstanding and Nash Knight continues to destroy Appalachian League pitching as the Bluefield Blue Jays cruised to an 8-1 win over the Bristol Pirates. Diaz went six innings and gave up just three hits resulting in one unearned run with three strikeouts. Jose Nova gave up two hits and two walks but no runs came in over his inning and Brayden Bouchey finished the game with two innings of one-hit, one-walk ball, striking out four.

Nash “Mash” Knight went 2/4 with a walk, a stolen base and three RBI, raising his league-leading batting average to .420. Reggie Pruitt also had two hits, stealing a base and scoring three times. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. was 1/4 with a walk and a stolen base.

Player of the Game: Denis Diaz and Nash Knight

GCL Blue Jays 1, GCL Braves 0
 

Joel Espinal is continuing from his great year last year with more terrific results on the mound, leading the 19-4 GCL Blue Jays to a 1-0 win over the Braves. Espinal threw seven innings and allowed only three hits and one walk with six strikeouts but didn’t earn the win. That honour went to Jared Carkuff who threw two innings of two-hit ball, striking out one to finish the game.

The Blue Jays had only seven hits with two (and the club’s lone RBI) coming off the bat of D.J. Daniels.

Player of the Game: Joel Espinal

DSL Blue Jays 3, DSL White Sox 0
The DSL Blue Jays got a shutout from their pitchers (in addition to the GCL Blue Jays) as Alvaro Galindo went to 8-0 on the season and the Jays beat the White Sox 3-0. Galindo threw 5 1/3 innings of two-hit ball, walking four but striking out six. Oscar Brito threw 2 2/3 innings, stranding two runners and giving up two hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Jesus Colman earned his fourth save with a perfect ninth, striking out one.

Jose Briceno, the DH, went 2/4 with two runs while Luis De Los Santos (1/4, RBI) and Anderson Greene (1/3, R) had the other two hits.

Player of the Game: Alvaro Galindo

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