Jay Blue: Dean, Kelly, Nolan, Travis, Urena

2B Devon Travis returned from a rehab assignment at triple-A Buffalo. Photo: Jay Blue. 

    
June 25 Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
There was a flurry of moves made in the Blue Jays minor league system as the Lansing Lugnuts emerged from the All-Star break and the second half of the season gets underway for the Class-A clubs. Rumours were swirling that Matt Boyd would be called up to start for Toronto on Saturday and Jairo Labourt was named to the MLB Futures Game, making it an exciting day for prospect watchers.

Buffalo Bisons 7, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2
Brad Glenn and Devon Travis set the tone for the Bisons offense as they finally beat the Lehigh Valley by a 7-2 score. Travis declared himself ready to come back to Toronto after a 3/4 game, finally finding his timing after his injury layoff while Glenn was 3/5 with five RBI in the win. Alex Hassan hit his first home run as a Bison, going 1/4.

While Matt Boyd was the originally-scheduled starter, he was scratched and pushed back to Saturday amid rumours that he’d be called up to Toronto for a spot start, Chad Jenkins went out in his place and threw four stellar innings, allowing just three hits and one walk with five strikeouts. Greg Burke picked up the win after getting promoted from New Hampshire, tossing two innings only blemished by a hit batter. Colt Hynes gave up two runs while Ryan Tepera and Greg Infante finished the game.

Roster Notes: The Bisons sent Ryan Schimpf to New Hampshire while Greg Burke moved to Buffalo.

Player of the Game: Jenkins, Travis and Glenn

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6, Portland Sea Dogs 4
The Fisher Cats made it their second win in a row against Portland, getting a solid start from John Anderson who went six innings and allowed four runs on six hits and two walks. Chad Girodo went two scoreless innings before Dustin Antolin picked up his first save.

Dwight Smith, Jr., Kevin Nolan and Jack Murphy had a pair of hits each with Nolan driving in two runs. Dalton Pompey launched another home run, going 1/4 with the dinger and a walk, driving in a run. Ian Parmley and Jorge Flores contributed doubles.

Roster Notes: Greg Burke was promoted to Buffalo while Ryan Schimpf returned to New Hampshire. Wil Browning came to New Hampshire from Dunedin while Roemon Fields was promoted to Double-A for the first time. Cory Burns was activated off the DL and Matt Newman, Danny Barnes and Andy Fermin went on the DL.

Player of the Game: Nolan, Dwight Smith, and Murphy

Dunedin Blue Jays 7, Clearwater Threshers 8
Opening a new series against the Clearwater Threshers, the Dunedin Blue Jays got the offense going but it wasn’t enough as the Threshers scored in the ninth to tie the game and again in the tenth to win it. Murphy Smith had his first mediocre outing in a while, going five innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks with only two strikeouts. Phil Kish didn’t have his control, walking three in 1 1/3 innings and giving up two runs (one earned) while Matt Dermody was the only pitcher who didn’t give up his own runs but he did allow two of Kish’s to score. Alberto Tirado took the loss, giving up both the tying run and the winning run in his two innings of work.

Matt Dean led a 13-hit parade, going 3/5 with two runs, a walk and an RBI. Rowdy Tellez, making his High-A debut didn’t disappoint, went 2/5 with an walk and an RBI while Mitch Nay (2/4, BB, RBI, R), and Dawel Lugo (2/5, 2 RBI) both had a pair of hits. Derrick Loveless was on base three times, walking twice and hitting a double and also contributed on defense, throwing a runner out at home. Christian Lopes was 2/6 and Anthony Alford, also making his High-A debut, was 0/5 with a walk.

Roster Notes: Chase De Jong, Anthony Alford and Rowdy Tellez were promoted to Dunedin. Boomer Collins, and Justin Shafer were sent to Lansing and Roemon Fields and Wil Browning were promoted to New Hampshire.

Player of the Game: Dean

Lansing Lugnuts 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 6
The Lugnuts opened the second half with a loss but still almost managed to come back against West Michigan. Sean Reid-Foley continued to strike batters out at a tremendous rate, notching six Ks in the game but he also allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. Colton Turner was victimized for two runs (allowing Reid-Foley’s inherited runner to score) on three hits and three walks while Mark Biggs pitched two scoreless innings. Carlos Ramirez gave up the final run of the game for the Lugnuts.

Without two key components of the lineup, the Lugnuts still managed to score five runs getting three hits from Ryan McBroom and two from Richard Urena and Jason Leblebijian. Urena blasted his team-leading 12th home run while Leblebijian hit a double and drove in a run. Mike Reeves was on base three times with a single, two walks, an RBI and a run.

Roster Notes: With Chase De Jong, Anthony Alford and Rowdy Tellez moving to Dunedin, the Lugnuts got Boomer Collins and Justin Shafer back while Alexis Maldonado was promoted from Vancouver.

Player of the Game: McBroom and Urena

Vancouver Canadians 3, Tri-City Dust Devils 9
The Canadians got out to a 3-1 lead but gave up multiple runs in the fifth and eighth to drop another game to Tri-City. The offense wasn’t able to do much, getting just six hits with Juan Kelly providing two hits and a walk. Earl Burl was 1/4 with a stolen base.

Jackson McClelland went three innings and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts while Francisco Rios gave up another four runs on four hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Turner Lee got one out and Sean Ratcliffe gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning before Bob Wheatley closed out the game with 2/3 of an inning of scoreless ball but allowed Ratcliffe’s inherited runner to score.

Roster Notes: Alexis Maldonado was promoted to Lansing.

Player of the Game: Kelly

Bluefield Blue Jays 4, Elizabethton Twins 1
Pitching ruled for the Blue Jays as 18-year-old Dalton Rodriguez threw five innings of three-hit ball, only giving up a run on a solo homer, walking one and striking out three. Josh DeGraaf struck out four in three innings, allowing only one hit while Zach Rodgers gave up a hit but that was it in one inning of relief work to pick up his first professional save.

Despite getting just six hits, the Blue Jays scored four times, thanks to a couple of errors by the Twins. Rodrigo Orozco had two hits and Edwin Fuentes had the only RBI of the game for Bluefield. Orozco and Mattingly Romanin had stolen bases.

Player of the Game: Orozco, Rodriguez and DeGraaf

GCL Blue Jays 4, GCL Yankees1 6
Cliff Brantley led an 11-hit offense with three hits (including a double) but the outburst wasn’t enough to overcome the GCL Yankees who victimized the rehabbing Wilton Lopez for four runs. Jesus Severino also had a multi-hit game, going 2/3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Jake Thomas was the only player in the lineup without a hit.

Hansel Rodriguez, another 18-year-old pitcher named Rodriguez, went 5 2/3 innings with two runs allowed on six hits, striking out six before Lopez stranded a runner in the sixth. he went on to give up four runs of his own in the seventh before Jonathan Torres threw two scoreless, hitless innings, walking just one with two strikeouts in two innings to finish the game.

Player of the Game: Brantley and Rodriguez

DSL Blue Jays 3, DSL White Sox 6
Guadalupe Chavez and Jairo Rosario split the game with Chavez getting the start and giving up six runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Jairo Rosario was far better, only pitching to three batters over the minimum over 4 2/3 innings, giving up a walk but no hits with five strikeouts.

Yorman Rodriguez had two hits including a double and an RBI while Jesus Navarro was 2/3 with a walk. Enmanuel Moreta walked three times but went 0/2. Kevin Vicuna was 1/4 with two runs and a walk.

Player of the Game: Rosario

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