June 20 Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
The Blue Jays’ affiliates had a very successful day on Saturday, winning four out of five games and the Lansing Lugnuts clinched a playoff berth with a division win in the Eastern Division of the Midwest League.

Buffalo Bisons 5, Syracuse Chiefs 3
Felix Doubront made another solid start for the Bisons but still raised his ERA to 2.85 in a 5-3 extra-innings win for the Herd. Doubront went seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks but struck out eight batters. Colt Hynes, Todd Redmond, Chad Jenkins and Bobby Korecky each added a scoreless inning to secure the win with Jenkins getting the win and Korecky the save.

Sean Ochinko led the offense, getting three hits including a two-run double in the 11th inning to put the Bisons ahead. Devon Travis was 0/4 with a walk and Caleb Gindl hit his second home run of the year.

Player of the Game: Ochinko and Doubront

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 5, Binghamton Mets 4
With a four-run outburst in the sixth inning, the Fisher Cats scored enough to take a lead and the pitching staff held it to secure the win over Binghamton. Austin Bibens-Dirkx got the start, scattering nine hits over five innings and limiting the damage to three runs. Dustin Antolin earned the win with two scoreless frames while Danny Barnes got into trouble in the eighth, giving up a run on three hits before Blake McFarland stranded two runners and pitched the ninth without giving up the lead and earning the save.

Pierce Rankin went deep for his fourth home run of the year while Jorge Flores hit a triple, going 1/3. Jon Berti was the only Fisher Cat with two hits and K.C. Hobson drove in two runs, going 1/4. Dalton Pompey was 1/4 with an RBI.

Player of the Game: Berti and Rankin

Dunedin Blue Jays
Scheduled Off Day (All-Star Break)

Lansing Lugnuts 8, Great Lakes Loons 2
The Lugnuts clinched their first division title since 2012, claiming the Eastern Division’s first half the way they’ve won all year, with a powerhouse offense and great pitching. Shane Dawson has emerged as the ace of the staff, winning his ninth game of the season and has also learned that he’ll be a part of Canada’s Pan Am Men’s team. Dawson went six innings, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts for his Midwest League-leading ninth win. Dawson also benefited from a triple play started by Richard Urena who dropped a line drive, tagged a runner, touched second and threw to Rowdy Tellez at first base. Dusty Isaacs finished the game, throwing three scoreless innings to drop his ERA to 3.60.

The Lugnuts exploded for 13 hits, getting three each from Anthony Alford (3/5, 2 R, 2B, SB) and Rowdy Tellez (3/5, 2B, 2 RBI) and two apiece from Ryan McBroom (2/4, 2B, RBI), Jason Leblebijian (2/3, R, 2B, 2 RBI) and Chris Carlson (2/4, 2B).

Player of the Game: Alford, Tellez and Dawson

Vancouver Canadians 0, Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 4
Despite some excellent work by most of the bullpen, the Canadians allowed four runs over the fourth and fifth innings but their bats were stifled and they could not overcome the deficit. Francisco Rios got the start and pitched three scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the fourth. He finished with a line of four innings pitched, three hits, two runs, two walks and three strikeouts. Joe Claver walked four batters in the fifth around a fielder’s choice and that was the only batter he retired as Brandon Hinkle came in to put out the first, retiring all five batters he faced and striking out two. Turner Lee and Bobby Wheatley completed the game, facing one batter over the minimum. The offence was quite, getting just six hits with two coming from Juan Kelly.

Player of the Game: Hinkle and Kelly

DSL Blue Jays 10, DSL Orioles1 9
The DSL Blue Jays won a slugfest over the Orioles’ first DSL team. Norberto Obeso pushed his batting average to .333 with a 4/5 game that included two runs, a double, a walk, a stolen base and two RBI. Sterling Guzman was 3/5 with two runs and was caught stealing while Cristian Peguero was 2/3 with a run, a stolen base and an RBI. Enmanuel Moreta also had two hits, going 2/6. Sam Buelens was 1/1 with a run and Antony Fuentes drove in two, going 1/3 with a run, a walk and a stolen base. Jesus Navarro also drove in two with a single and a walk.

The pitching staff wasn’t great early, getting tagged for nine runs in the first six innings. Starter Juan Nunez allowed four of those runs (three earned) over 1 1/3 innings while Yennsy Diaz allowed three over 3 1/3 innings despite striking out five and not walking anyone. Guillermo De La Cruz surrendered two runs (one earned) over 1 1/3 innings before Joel Espinal and Wilmin Lara shut down the Orioles, throwing two innings of scoreless ball each.

Player of the Game: Obeso

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