JB: Atkinson, Heisey, Pruitt, Schimpf, Sinay, Turner

Chris Heisey hit his second home run and walked twice for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Photo: Jay Blue.

    
Aug. 26 Minor League Report
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
While the DSL Blue Jays were eliminated from their playoffs on Tuesday, the GCL Blue Jays became the third Blue Jays affiliate to earn a playoff berth on Wednesday.

Buffalo Bisons 4, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2
The Buffalo Bisons saved the best for last after getting behind 2-0 in the second inning. Starter Scott Copeland had himself one of his typical starts, keeping his club in the game the whole time, going six innings and allowing just those two runs on seven hits and two walks with nine ground ball outs. Ryan Tepera pitched the seventh and, despite giving up two hits and walk, struck out two and kept the IronPigs off the board. Steve Delabar finished the game with two perfect innings, striking out four.

Jon Berti put the Bisons in the lead in the top of the seventh with his second home run of the season with Buffalo,  two run blast while Chris Heisey added an insurance run in the ninth, also hitting his second home run as a Bison, going 1/2 with the dinger and two walks. Ty Kelly was 2/4 while Dalton Pompey was 1/4 with a walk.

Player of the Game: Heisey

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3, Portland Sea Dogs 7
The Fisher Cats returned to the loss column, falling 7-3 to the 48-82 Portland despite Ryan Schimpf’s 20th home run of the year for the Fisher Cats. Schimpf, who will likely lead the Blue Jays’ minor league system in home runs for the third consecutive year, was 1/3 with a solo home run and a walk.

Scott Barnes continues to struggle as a starter and went just three innings, allowing five runs. Dustin Antolin allowed another two runs in two innings while Cory Burns gave up just one hit in his two innings of work and Chad Girodo had another scoreless outing, dropping his ERA to 0.67 with a perfect frame.

Player of the Game: Schimpf

Dunedin Blue Jays
Scheduled off day

Roster Note: IF Aaron Attaway was assigned to the Dunedin Blue Jays from Bluefield.

Lansing Lugnuts 2, Fort Wayne TinCaps 3
Fort Wayne completed their sweep of the Lugnuts as the Lugnuts’ funk has turned into a slump. Tom Robson allowed three runs (two earned) in just four innings, taking the loss while Colton Turner turned in three scoreless frames to keep the Lugnuts in the game and Phil Kish finished it off with a scoreless eighth. The offense didn’t do much with David Harris and Michael De La Cruz going 2/4 with a double, and Austin Davis hitting two singles and driving in a run.

Players of the Game: Harris, De La Cruz, Davis and Turner

Vancouver Canadians 2, Boise Hawks 5
While the Canadians are in the hunt for the playoffs, they aren’t helping themselves as they continue to lose games down the stretch. Josh DeGraaf was on the mound and gave up four runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Turner Lee finished the sixth inning, allowing both of the inherited runners from DeGraaf to score as well as allowing an unearned run of his own. Sean Ratcliffe gave up a hit and a walk but nothing more over two innings and Andrew Case allowed two walks and a hit but made it through the ninth without giving up a run.

Gunnar Heidt provided some fireworks, going 1/4 with a home run while James Lynch, Andrew Guillotte, Justin Atkinson and Sean Hurley had two hits each.

Player of the Game: Guillotte and Atkinson

Bluefield Blue Jays 7, Princeton Rays 6
After getting down by five runs after four innings, the Blue Jays staged a big come back, scoring seven times from the fifth inning on and walking off with a victory in the ninth. Starter Miguel Burgos allowed five runs (two earned) on ten hits through 4 2/3 innings but aside from one run given up by Tyler Burden (2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2  K) in the sixth, the bullpen held Princeton to nothing. Zach Rodgers earned the win with two scoreless innings at the end of the game.

Matt Morgan doubled to lead off the ninth and pinch runner Juan Tejada got to third on a sac bunt by Rodrigo Orozco. Dave Pepe hit a ball to second base and Tejada scored on the fielder’s choice to win the game. Nick Sinay had three hits including a double and an RBI while Rodrigo Orozco was 2/3 with a double, two RBI and a walk. Christian Williams drove in two, going 1/4 and Pepe was 1/3 with a walk, an RBI and two runs.

Roster Notes: The Bluefield Blue Jays sent IF Aaron Attaway to the Dunedin Blue Jays while LHP Christian Cox, a 23-year-old pitcher signed out of the independent Frontier League, was assigned to Bluefield.

Player of the Game: Orozco and Sinay

GCL Blue Jays 10, GCL Yankees1 7
The first game of a doubleheader turned from a blowout to a nailbiter in the seventh inning as the Yankees rallied for a “close but no cigar” comeback. Yennsy Diaz was excellent in the start, allowing just three runner on two hits and a walk over five innings with four strikeouts. Gunner Eastman pitched a scoreless sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing three hits and three walks and was charged with five runs. Griffin Glaude allowed both his inherited runners from Eastman to score as well as two of his own (one earned).

The Blue Jays scored 10 runs despite getting only five hits. Eight walks helped as Lance Jones (1/3, 2 BB, 2 RBI, SB) and Bryan Lizardo (0/2, 2 BB, 1 R) were members of the two-walk club. Reggie Pruitt had two hits including a triple, an RBI and two runs. Jesus Severino was 1/3 with two RBI.

Player of the Game: Diaz and Pruitt

GCL Blue Jays 5, GCL Yankees1 1
In completing the double header sweep, the GCL Blue Jays clinched their division title with a 5-1 win. Jose Nova struck out seven in six innings, giving up four hits and two walks with just one unearned run allowed and Kelyn Jose walked two but didn’t give up a run in his scoreless seventh. Kalik May had two hits including his second home run of the season while Bryan Lizardo drove in two with a 1/3 game. Jesus Severino was 1/2 with a double and a walk.

Player of the Game: Nova and May

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Jay Blue | August 27, 2015 at 10:41 am | Categories: